NLCS Game 1: Line-ups, lefties, match-ups and more
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NLCS Game 1: Line-ups, lefties, match-ups and more
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
It's a perfect day here in Southern California -- temperature in the low 80's, no clouds in the sky, country music playing on the big loudspeaker in center field. The Phillies' bus just arrived, as evidenced by the various players in street clothes walking through the stands of Dodger Stadium and into the visitor's dugout.
It's Cole Hamels against Clayton Kershaw today, a fascinating match-up on all levels. The Dodgers are hoping Kershaw can pull a Hamels this year, anchoring a patch-work starting pitching staff at the young age of 21.
Pedro Martinez will start against Vicente Padilla tomorrow.
Here are the line-ups:
Phillies
- Jimmy Rollins SS
- Shane Victorino CF
- Chase Utley 2B
- Ryan Howard 1B
- Jayson Werth RF
- Raul Ibanez LF
- Pedro Feliz 3B
- Carlos Ruiz C
- Cole Hamels LHP
Dodgers
- Rafael Furcal SS
- Andre Ethier RF
- Manny Ramirez LF
- Matt Kemp CF
- Casey Blake 3B
- James Loney 1B
- Ronnie Belliard 2B
- Russell Martin C
- Clayton Kershaw LHP
Before we get into some key match-ups for today's game, I wanted to double back on something I touched on in our NLCS preview that ran in Wednesday's paper. I floated the possibility of Charlie Manuel juggling a line-up that he kept the same for the four games in the NLDS. The Dodgers feature two of the top ten left-handed relievers, at least judging by ERA, in the National League. George Sherrill, formerly the closer for the Orioles, leads all NL lefties with a 0.65 ERA in 30 appearances with the Dodgers.
One argument against juggling the line-up is that two of the Phillies left-handed sluggers, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez, hit better against lefties this season than they did against righties.
Utley hit .288 with a .417 on base percentage with 11 home runs, 33 RBI and 37 strikeouts in 234 plate appearances against lefties. He hit .279 with a .387 on base percentage with 20 home runs, 60 RBI and 73 strikeouts in 452 plate appearances against righties. Ibanez hit .285 with a .359 on base percentage with 13 home runs, 40 RBI and 41 strikeouts in 167 plate appearances against lefties. He hit .267 with a .342 on base percentage with 21 home runs, 53 RBI and 78 strikeouts versus righties.
But statistics can be deceiving. For example, Ibanez went a combined 10-for-15 with four home runs and six RBI against Nationals left starters John Lannan and Scott Olsen. Take away those two pitchers, and his numbers against lefties drop dramatically: .240 batting average with nine home runs and 34 RBI.
Similarly, Utley went 5-for-10 with two home runs and four RBI against Lannan. Take away Lannan, and his numbers against lefties are .276 with nine home runs and 29 RBI.
Against the top lefty relievers in the game, at least statistically, both Ibanez and Utley have struggled. Combined, they were 1-for-9 with a double and a strikeout against the Braves' Mike Gonzalez, arguably the most talented lefty reliever they saw on a routine basis. Against the Top 10 lefty relievers in the National League according to ERA (min. 20 innings pitched), Ibanez was 3-for-16 with two home runs, seven RBI, four strikeouts and one walk. Utley, meanwhile, was 3-for-15 with no home runs, two doubles, three walks and three strikeouts.
Against the Top 5 lefty relievers (San Fran's Jeremy Affeldt, St. Louis' Trever Miller, and the Braves' Mike Gonzalez), Utley was 1-for-7 with a double and a walk and Ibanez was 0-for-8 with a walk, an RBI and three strikeouts.
Ryan Howard hit .207 with a .298 on base percentage with six home runs, 33 RBI and 83 strikeouts in 252 plate appearances against lefties. He hit .319 with a .395 on base percentage, 39 home runs, 108 RBI and 103 strikeouts in 451 plate appearances against righties.
I floated the possibility of further breaking up the lefties in the middle of the order, hitting Shane Victorino or Jayson Werth third and sixth to separate Utley and Howard:
Werth vs. lefties: .302/.436, 14 HR, 37 RBi, 33 SO, 37 BB in 188 PA
vs. righties: .256/.348, 22 HR, 62 RBI, 123 SO, 54 BB in 488 PA
Victorino vs. lefties: .314/.385, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 20 BB, 20 SO in 195 PA
vs. righties: .283/.347, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 40 BB, 51 So in 499 PA
But Manuel indicated yesterday that he wanted to keep the line-up in the same order as it was in the NLDS, when the Phillies hit well against the Rockies.
We'll see what he does, and how it works.
^
Here are some key match-ups for today's game:
Phillies hitters vs. Clayton Kershaw
Jimmy Rollins: 3/12, 1 XBH, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Shane Victorino: 1/9, 1 RBI, 2 SO
Chase Utley: 3/11, 2 XBH, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO
Ryan Howard: 1/9, 1 XBH, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SO
Jayson Werth: 3/10, 1 BB, 2 SO
Raul Ibanez: 2/5, 1 XBH, 2 BB
Pedro Feliz: 2/5, 1 XBH, 2 BB
Carlos Ruiz: 0/2, 2 BB, 2 SO
Cole Hamels: 1/5, 1 RBI, 4 SO
Ben Francisco 0/2, 1 BB
Dodgers hitters vs. Cole Hamels
Rafael Furcal: 1/14, 2 SO
Ronald Belliard: 7/26, 3 XBH, 2 HR, 3 RBI 1 BB, 8 SO
Matt Kemp: 7/17, 2 XBH, 1 BB, 5 SO
Manny Ramirez: 5/13, 2 XBH, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SO
Andre Ethier: 3/16, 2 XBH, 4 SO
Casey Blake: 5/20, 1 XBH, 2 RBI, 2 SO
James Loney: 5/17, 2 XBH 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO
Russell Martin: 3/16, 1 XBH, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 5 SO
Juan Pierre: 3/12, 1 XBH, 4 SO
Orlando Hudson: 2/12, 1 XBH, 4 SO
Brad Ausmus: 0/4, 1 BB, 1 SO
Juan Castro: 0/4, 1 BB, 1 SO
Mark Loretta: 1/4
Clayton Kershaw: 2/5, 2 SO
Phillies bullpen vs. Dodgers hitters
Ryan Madson
Furcal: 4/21, 1 XBH, 2 BB, 5 SO
Pierre: 3/15, 1 XBH, 2 BB, 1 SO
Ethier: 1/9, 2 BB, 1 SO
Ramirez: 3/11, 2 XBH, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 SO
Hudson: 4/8, 1 XBH, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO
Loney: 2/9, 1 SO
Loretta: 3/8, 2 XBH, 1 RBI, 2 SO
Belliard: 2/6, 1 BB
Martin: 1/8, 1 SO
Kemp: 2/5, 1 XBH, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SO
Ausmus: 0/1, 1 BB, 1 SO
Blake: 2/4
Castro: 1/2, 1 XBH, 1 RBI
Brad Lidge
Furcal: 1/12, 1 XBH, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SO
Pierre: 3/11, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Blake: 2/6, 1 RBI, 2 SO
Loney: 3/5, 2 BB
Belliard: 0/6
Kemp: 1/6, 1 XBH, 1 SO
Loretta: 3/6, 3 RBI, 1 SO
Castro: 0/5, 2 SO
Ethier: 2/4, 1 XBH, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO
Hudson: 1/4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO
Martin: 0/4, 3 SO
Thome: 0/3, 1 BB, 1 SO
Ramirez: 1/2, 1 XBH, 1 BB, 1 SO
Chan Ho Park
Pierre: 14/29, 5 XBH, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SO
Furcal: 8/26, 2 XBH, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SO
Loretta: 7/23, 1 RBI, 5 SO
Ausmus: 4/18, 1 XBH, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 5 SO
Belliard: 3/17, 5 SO
Hudson: 5/14, 2 XBH, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO
Ramirez: 2/9, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 4 SO
Ethier: 1/7, 1 XBH, 1 SO
Kemp: 1/5, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO
Blake: 0/5, 3 SO
Castro: 0/4, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Martin: 2/5, 1 RBI
Loney: 0/4, 1 SO
Kershaw: 1/2
Chad Durbin
Thome: 4/14, 1 XBH, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 6 BB, 1 SO
Ramirez: 2/10, 1 XBH, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SO
Blake: 3/8, 2 XBH, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SO
Belliard: 2/9, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 So
Kemp: 2/8, 1 XBH, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO
Hudson: 1/6, 1 XBH, 2 SO
Martin: 2/5, 1 XBH, 1 RBI
Ethier: 1/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO
Furcal: 1/3
Loney: 1/2, BB, SO
Loretta: 1/3
Pierre: 1/2, 1 XBH, 1 BB
Ausmus: 0/1, SO
Scott Eyre
Loretta: 4/15, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO
Thome: 0/7, 4 BB, 3 SO
Furcal: 2/8, 1 XBH, 1 BB, 1 SO
Pierre: 2/6
Ramirez: 4/4, 2 XBH, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB
Ethier: 3/6, 2 XBH, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Ausmus: 1/4, BB, SO
Castro: 2/4
Hudson: 2/4, 1 XBH
Loney: 1/4, 2 SO
Kemp: 0/3, 1 SO
Martin: 0/3, 1 SO
Belliard: 0/1
J.A. Happ
Belliard: 1/3
Blake: 0/2, 1 RBI
Kemp: 2/2, 1 BB
Ethier: 0/1
Furcal: 0/1
Loney: 1/1, 1 RBI
Martin: 0/0, 1 BB
Ramirez: 0/0, 1 BB
Joe Blanton
Ramirez: 15/26, 2 XBH, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SO
Blake: 1/23, 3 BB, 9 SO
Ethier: 6/14, 2 XBH, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO
Kemp: 2/11, 1 XBH, 2 BB, 3 SO
Loney: 7/10, 1 XBH, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Martin: 2/10, 1 XBH, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO
Thome: 2/7, 1 XBH, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 3 SO
Hudson: 2/11
Belliard: 3/11, 1 XBH, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Loretta: 1/8, 1 XBH, 1 SO
Furcal: 1/6, 1 BB, 1 SO
Castro: 1/5, 1 SO
Pierre: 1/5
Antonio Bastardo
Blake: 2/3, 1 XBH
Ethier: 1/3, 2 SO
Hudson: 1/3
Loney: 1/3
Pierre: 1/3
Ausmus: 0/2
Furcal: 0/1
Kemp: 1/2, RBI
I hope it doesn't rain for the Championship Parade.— Philth- Book it. The real Cole Hamels will show up tonight and dominate the Dodgers. Don't forget how good Hamels can be. NCLS MVP, World Series MVP. He lives for big moments like this and being a native Californian, I'm sure he will be juiced for this and I don't mean steroids.
Comment removed.- We all now know why Hamels has been pitching bad lately. The same thing happened with McNabb. Know that his wife had delivered his child, his mind can now be 100% focused. GO PHILLS!!!!— dseidman
- GoingPostal10, I'm sure Cole grew up hating the Dodgers, since he's from San Diego.— Erich H
- Hamels has the baby stress of his mind and will be super focused. I smell 8 innings 10k 1 ER and 4 hits— bobf123
- The key is to stop that stupid video.— LGbalsac
