Phils need a new plan
What is the roadmap to four wins now?
Phils need a new plan
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
Everybody did the same thing in their own way, playing out the World Series in their head before it started. If you were from Philadelphia, you spent your time trying to map out a way for the Phillies to win four games.
This was my personal map: Cliff Lee wins Game 1 and Game 5; the Phillies’ hitters get to CC Sabathia in a raucous, all-hands-on-deck Game 7 at Yankee Stadium; and, in between, they clobber Andy Pettitte one time, ideally in Game 3.
Well, scratch that.
My map-to-four really did not mention the name Cole Hamels. The reason is that I did not see the possibility of Hamels pitching a gem -- not at this point, not after all of these months. I just didn’t see how it could happen against this potent a lineup. That it did not happen in Game 3 should shock no one. That Hamels circled the drain early, again, was always the likely outcome.
His pitching line: 4 1/3 innings and 5 runs allowed. A lot of it was just Hamels being Hamels in the 2009 version. He was very good for three innings and then, well: adversity, lost concentration, you know. “Things kind of started snowballing on him,” said Phils manager Charlie Manuel, who also went out of his way to say that he did not question Hamels’ mental toughness.
The result of this was that they were going to need to hit Pettitte and they were going to need to hit him hard. And it looked like it was going to happen, too. The Phillies had his pitch count into the 50s after only the second inning, and they had a 3-0 lead. But then Pettitte settled down. The adversity did not get to him, unlike Hamels. The difficult parts of the game did not submerge him. But for an error by third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Pettitte would have retired nine straight Phillies before Jayson Werth’s home run in the sixth inning. Dire trouble, a really difficult night, cruised instead toward a comfortable conclusion for Pettitte: six innings, four runs. He had seven strikeouts, all of them on sliders.
For the Phillies, it just wasn’t enough. “He shut us down,” Manuel said. “The biggest thing for Pettitte was, he closed down our lefthanded hitters.”
The Phils are now hitting .216 in the series as a team. Chase Utley and Shane Victorino are both 2-for-11 (Utley’s were both huge Game 1 homers). Pedro Feliz is 1-for-11. Ryan Howard is 2-for-13.
After Hamels, they did the serial bullpen dance, with J.A. Happ, Chad Durbin and Brett Myers each allowing single runs along the way. It was 8-4 as the Phillies got to the back end of the Yankees’ bullpen. But the energy had been sucked out of the ballpark and out of the lineup by then. You could see the red tail lights headed in the direction of the Walt Whitman Bridge as the Yankees batted in the top of the ninth inning. Carlos Ruiz hit a ninth-inning homer but it didn’t matter. The only good thing for the Phillies was that it caused Yankees manager Joe Girardi to go to the bullpen for closer Mariano Rivera to get the final two outs on a night that they would have preferred to give Rivera a rest.
And now, Sabathia vs. Joe Blanton in Game 4. Sabathia vs. Blanton in the game that will either even the series or push the Phillies to the precipice. There are people who wanted to see Lee in Game 4 on short rest but it really would have been a panic move. There are people who would have rather seen Happ in this starting spot in the playoffs instead of Blanton, and that will be the great off-season debate if this all goes badly. There are arguments both ways -- because Happ was so good for so long on the one hand, but also because Happ hasn’t seen the seventh inning since August, before he suffered that oblique injury. The answer there is unknown and unknowable.
This is what they are left with, Sabathia vs. Blanton. And I have to tell you, I don’t know a lot of people who had them winning this one as they drew up their own personal roadmaps to a repeat championship. And, well, as Manuel said, “If we’re going to get going, it’s time for us to do it.”
Meanwhile, a single voice loudly shouted as the fans filed past the press box toward the exits: “Seven-game series, folks. Seven-game series.”
ITS TOO AGGRAVATING TO VISIT PHILLY.COM ANYMORE DUE TO THE AUTOPLAY COMMERCIALS. NOW YOU CAN'T SHUT THE SOUND OFF. BYE PHILLY.COM— gtb513- It's so enlightning to watch J-Roll in the dugout coaching other guys on how to hit, this of course during a game when he's usually going 0 for 4. He should worry about his own lack of hitting.— gwite
- What we need today is at least two 3 run homers and another day of Lidge not entering a close game.— Wm Penn
hate the videos too & the home plate umps calling those FAR outside pitches. if we get to game 7, i'd be happy & like our chances there. HOW is that camera there by the way?! geez!— tfcino1- I don't know what browser everyone is using, but if you hate the video, use firefox with adblock plus installed. Then add the video as one of the "blocked elements"...viola! no more video commercial for me.— mawst95
- HIT THE DAMN BALL! If victorino, howard, utley and Ibanez start hitting the pitching will take care of itself. Judging from his body language last night, Howard's confidence is shot - that is not good for our title hopes.— 24more
- Agree with Pelti on the umps and the strikezone. The walk to Texiera should have been an out. Did you see Hamels looks after the non-strike...he lost it right then. Somehow, he must develop at least one more great pitch and possibly another. Can he not pitch a slider?— psuwelsh
- good pitching will always beat bad batting.. just look at the videos of the strikeouts.. as ted williams said. you will never see good strikes if you continue to swing at bad balls.. he was and is still right about that.. we can overcome, but we better start tonight.. go phillies. chet— chet harrington
- trade hamels... " i cant wait for the season to be over" bye bye— fman727
- Hey Tomme, Phillyflawless has it RIGHT!. Have you forgotten what happened in '04 after Yankees being up 3-0?. I'm a Yankee fan yes!, but I have this script before.— pslnyc1
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Pelti is so right the home plate umps are killing us with those outside called strikes.But I'm a Phillies "FAN" and you can analyze something to death,lets cheer our team on victory.GO PHILLIES YEAH EAGLES!- no mention of Howard striking out what 8 straight times, love the big guy but he has got to get going— Dutch
- Hey TripleOption, when are these 3 day rest starts going to catch up to Sabathia, sometime in December?— MBFlyerfan
- [sdgeiger Rich, is it a panic move that Girardi is using Sabathia tonight on 3 days rest?] No, it's a SMART move. This way, you have your ace for 3 possible starts. Manuel shoulda done this with Lee. The Phillies have to win 3 of the next 4, and will have Cliff Lee for only one of those 4 games. Not a pretty sight.— jman
