THINKS THE EAGLES STOLE ONE
It doesn't take much to irritate Brett Myers.
He wondered at one point last night at Citizens Bank Park, if anybody wanted to ask him about his pitching. He had allowed two hits and two runs in seven innings in a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the NLDS. He had answered questions about which Myers would show up -- the one that went 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 11 starts after the all-star break or the one who pitched terribly in his final two regular-season starts? So when he got his third question about his second-inning at-bat against Brewers lefthander CC Sabathia, he had to wonder, "Did I pitch tonight?"
Yes, Brett, you pitched.
Yes, Brett, you pitched very well.
But people see you pitch all the time. They definitely don't see you hit. And they definitely don't see you make a stud like Sabathia throw 19 of his 98 pitches to you.
"I know I'm a terrible hitter, but I really can't explain it," he said. "It was like one of those freakish things that I was able to lay off some good pitches that he made and able to extend his pitch count."
I wasn't sure how it translated on radio or TV, but the crowd was going absolutely crazy during Myers' at-bat. They sensed the importance of running up Sabathia's pitch count. They sensed how ridiculous it could be if Myers actually got on base with two outs and Jimmy Rollins in the on-deck circle. I heard Scott Franzke's and Larry Andersen's call of the at-bat this morning on the drive to the airport, and the noise in the background as they described the action didn't reflect how loud it actually was.
It was LOUD.
It was even louder when Shane Victorino hit the grand slam.
You might have noticed Victorino pointing into the stands after he homered. Yeah, he was pointing to his dad ... who had just flown in from Hawaii.
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Bob Ford takes a look at Myers' big night. And, yes, that includes Myers' at-bats. Myers was proud of the way he bounced back after struggling in the first inning. But that at-bat is something people might be talking about years from now, especially if the Phillies advance to the NLCS or (gulp) the World Series.
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Jim Salisbury goes inside the game.
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J.C. Romero worked out of a jam in the eighth inning and Brad Lidge worked quickly in the ninth. Corey Hart worked the Brewers out of a rally in the first.
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John Gonzalez says the Fightins are not afraid. Gonzo then chats with Ford and Sheridan about Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer. Frank Fitzpatrick makes some keen observations from around the ballpark.
