Hi folks.

I just wanted to share an email I received from Joe Blanton's college coach after his start against the Dodgers in the NLCS. Perhaps there is hope.

Sam,

Ninety-nine pitches. That was the pitch count when Pedro Martinez walked off the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Ninety-nine pitches. Two runs allowed, the second a tiebreaking solo home run by Hideki Matsui with two outs in that inning. Charlie Manuel met Martinez, pushed his face into his pitcher's face, asked the question that Martinez has been asked so often in his brilliant and star-crossed career.

``I'm all right,'' Martinez assured his manager.

You wonder what Grady Little was thinking in Hickory, N.C., if he was even watching. A similar conversation, in the eighth inning of a 2003 playoff game with the Yankees, cost him his job as Boston's manager. Then, Martinez talked his way into staying with a 5-2 lead in a Game 7. The Yankees tied that game, won it in extra innings on Aaron Boone's walkoff home run. This time, Martinez talked his way out with a simple statement, and all you could do is wonder how - and why?

In Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, Manuel did not ask. Eighty-seven pitches, a long fly ball to end the seventh inning. Then, seven shutout innings did not earn him the chance at eight. ``He was done,'' the manager said after the Phillies lost that game by a run, almost chuckling at the suggestion he be left out any longer.

Ninety-nine pitches. So why ask him this time? With J.A. Happ and Chad Durbin warmed up, with his entire bullpen sitting on a week's worth of rest, why, why, why?

There's only one possible reason. Manuel doesn't believe what the evidence has suggested, that his bullpen has righted itself this postseason. When he finally called on Chan Ho Park, after Martinez had surrendered consecutive singles to put runners at the corners with no one out, Park escaped with one run allowed and an inning-ending doubleplay.
Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth.

The Yankees had the most potent offense in baseball this season, hit more home runs than everyone. Martinez had done what any optimistic fan could have asked, pitched six gritty innings, pitched his team into a chance to win on the road against the Grade A A.J. Burnett. One curveball, and not a particularly bad one, had broken a 1-1 tie that inning, but the truth is several Yankees had driven balls deep in the two innings before that. With his array of junk and judicious use of an 89 mile an hour fastball, Martinez was fooling them yes, striking out eight over those six innings.

But he was also, um, using the whole field to get his other outs.

``We can't really choose our destiny,'' he had said on the eve of last night's 2-1 series tying loss to the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series, but the truth is, he has made a bad habit of doing just that.

Martinez has now had two chances to make his name synonymous with this postseason. He may have left too early in one, and stayed a bit too long in the other. The first time, destiny was chosen for him.

Tonight, he picked his poison. And Manuel poured it.

He's a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he's had some incredible moments along his long ride. But the overriding impression are nights like this one -- nights of a little too much, or not quite enough.

 

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        When we look back on World Series, it is often about singular names. This guy pitched well in his starts, that guy had a couple big home runs, a role player stepped up big. Baseball is a game of individual pursuits played within a team concept, but there are certain integral jobs that almost by definition go unnoticed.
         Middle relief won the Yankees those four championships in the late 1990s and early 2000s. More than Derek Jeter, more than Mariano Rivera, or Paul O’Neill or Bernie Williams, the long forgotten arms of players such as Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson and Rafael Mendoza were often the difference.  ``It always seems,’’ former Phillies middle relief man Larry Andersen said before this World Series began, ``that the weakest link for any team at this time of the year is the bench and their middle relief.’’
        As if a prophet, Andersen’s words became deeds in Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia pitched like the postseason misers they were advertised to be. Lee was the more masterful of the two, dumbfounding the Major League’s best hitting lineup with pinpoint control, a live fastball, and an array of offspeed pitches that seemed to vary from inning to inning. He struck out 10, including the side in the fourth inning, churning through the heart of the order the first two times he faced it.
         Sabathia made it through seven innings, leaving with his team down 2-0. Phil Hughes began the eighth inning by walking two batters. Damaso Marte, the Yankees tough lefty, got Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to strike out, but David Robertson, the Yankees young righthander, walked Jayson Werth and surrendered a two-run single to Raul Ibanez.
         The Phillies scored two more runs against New York’s bullpen, which was supposed to be one of their advantages coming into this series. It’s dangerous though to go by regular-season numbers this time of the year, as Brad Lidge can tell you. With the exception of closer Mariano Rivera, the Yankees have a lot of young arms bridging their starters to the close, which is why Rivera had to be used for six outs in the Yankees Game 6 ALCS clincher.
In Game 5 Hughes, a Yankee untouchable at one point in his career, allowed three of the four batters he faced to reach base.
        ``It was his first World Series game,’’ Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland said after Game 1.``Hopefully he got the jitters out. We're certainly not going to throw in the towel on him."
         And maybe he rights himself. Still, it’s been an interesting back story throughout the Phillies postseason. The Rockies were supposed to have the better bullpen, but they were young and wilted under the heat of this time of the year. The Dodgers were supposed to have three guys who can close, yet they lost two games by surrendering late-inning runs. They too, were young.
        The Phillies bullpen, crippled by an amazing array of injuries during the season, has become healthy just in time for the postseason. Most of them, too, were around for last year’s run.
        `` The way our bullpen came on at the end of the season and in the playoffs, I have no problem with that part,’’ Andersen said.
           At the least, it bears watching.
 

NEW YORK - The grind to his game is most emphatically demonstrated when it is not there.

No one knows the toll the rest of this World Series will take on Chase Utley and his undisclosed hurts. Only that rest has been a great friend to him this time of the year.

A nine-pitch at-bat in the third. A home run. An 0-2 count in the sixth. Another home run, this one traveling about 20 rows into the rightfield bleachers. C.C. Sabathia had not allowed a home run to a lefthanded batter all season at Yankee Stadium until last night. No lefthanded batter but Babe Ruth had ever hit two home runs against a lefthander in the Yankees home park.

But Chase Utley has not rested between games for this long since, well, the last Game 1 of the World Series. Seven days had expired between games this time. Six days went by the year before. Remember? Utley slammed a two-run home run over the rightfield wall in his first at-bat of the 2008 World Series. Cole Hamels pitched almost as well as Cliff Lee did tonight, and the Phillies had stolen home-field advantage with a 3-2 victory.

They won, 6-1. Cliff Lee's mastery of the Yankees was the story of this Game 1. But Utley's two knocks against Sabathia, who was 3-0 with a 1.19 earned run average this postseason, was equally foreboding.

Because the Yankees are full of lefthanded pitchers. Because Sabathia is going to start three games if this World Series goes the distance. The Phillies had three extra-base hits before Sabathia exited after the seventh. Ryan Howard's double was the other one.

And because Utley's power, if the grind doesn't absorb it, is a weapon they really didn't have in the first two rounds.

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LOS ANGELES -- Someone really needs to talk to Cole Hamels, and soon.
``I will talk to him about it, yes,’’ said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said before yesterday’s Game 2.
Manuel said that he didn’t see Hamels’ latest demonstrative on-field act-up in Thursday night’s game 1 – which is what Hamels said he hoped was going to happen everywhere.
``I walked back to the duout and said, `Oops, I hope they didn’t see that,’’ the pitcher told Leslie Gudel of Comcast Sportsnet.
We did. After Chase Utley fired a potential inning-ending double-play relay throw into the stands during the Dodgers three-run fifth inning, Hamels raised his hands in disgust – then coughed up a two-run home run to Manny Ramirez.
After Ryan Howard threw away a pickoff throw in his Game 2 loss to Colorado, Hamels snapped the ball thrown back to him from Jimmy Rollins in disgust. Neither Utley or Howard are Gold Glovers, but they have been known to win a few games here and there with their bats.
Hamels was apologetic yesterday – sort of, ``You can’t show up a teammate and I did,’’ he told Gudel.
But he also said this to her: ``Imagine you’re in Philly. What would the fans do? I did exactly what a fan does.’’
Here’s a big difference: YOU ARE NOT A FAN!
You are the reigning MVP of the World Series, a guy who is paid millions to go play ballgames, not someone who pays to watch them. You used to be considered an ace.
Before his Game 1 start, Hamels spoke of 2009 as being ``a definite learning season for me, and I’m definitely going to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Because that’s just not the type of person I want to be to my teammates and especially to the organization and the fans.’’
Then he goes out and does this stuff. Twice in two playoff games.
……..

Overheard during a meeting of stadium security last night. ``They hit that second three-run homer, and the fights started 10 seconds later.’’
Dodger Stadium has been the site of some serious fan violence this season, including a fatal stabbing in the parking lot after their home opener in April.
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DENVER – The Phillies had bases loaded in the third with one out and could not score.

The Rockies walked them loaded again with one out in the seventh and again the Phillies could not score.

Raul Ibanez dropped a fly ball that put Seth Smith on second with one out in the seventh.

Chase Utley flubbed a slow ground ball in the eighth inning, putting two Rockies on with one out, leading to a three-run eighth inning and a 4-2 Rockies lead.

This is not the recipe for a championship, fellas.

It is an opportunity however for Ryan Howard to once again underline his worth. Batting with two outs and two on in the ninth, Howard ripped a ball into the rightfield corner that tied the game. He then lumbered home on Jason Werth’s flair single, regaining the slim lead the Phillies had nursed behind Cliff Lee’s pitching for most of the game.

The Phillies advanced to the National League Championship Series behind a come-from-behind 5-4 victory, the third one-run game of this series. But man, did they do it the hard way.

Ironically the crucial mistake of the Rockies’ three-run eighth inning was made by Chase Utley, who had reached base three times and been in the middle of both aborted rallies. Utley charged a ground ball that looked like a double-play off the bat. Bracing for contact that never occurred, Utley picked up Todd Helton’s slow roller as Dexter Fowler lept wide of him to avoid contact. Utley struggled with the exchange to his hand, and his throw sailed off the tip of Jimmy Rollins’ glove.

A more prudent, heady play might have been to get the slow-footed Helton at first, leaving Fowler alone at second with two outs. And if nothing else, Utley always makes the heady play.

Until last night. Utley’s error signaled the departure of Lee, and Ryan Madson came to pitch for the second day in a row.

en Francisco’s diving catch in left got a second out, but pinch-hitter Jason Giambi sent a flair to left that sent Flwler home with the tying run. But the big blast came moments later, when Yorvit Torrealba bashed a shot over Shane Victorino’s head, plating what seemed to be the winning runs.

But Howard’s hot September has seeped into October.

They were his sixth runs batted in of this series. And the most important .

There is this understandable review of Brad Lidge’s Game 3 save as more luck than design.
I saw it differently.
Lidge pitched to the situation, maybe as well as he has done all season, maybe better. He got struggling Brad Hawpe on two pitches. He never gave in to the red-hot Carlo Gonzalez, finally walking him after the Rockies leadoff hitter – who has eight hits in 13 at-bats so far -- just got some timber on a couple of nasty sliders.
He surprised Jason Giambi with a 1-1 cutter, a pitch he said he had kept in his back pocket all year, and induced a pop-up to third. Two outs. Aware of his numbers against lefthanded Todd Helton (.364 lifetime) and his numbers against the ensuing batter, Troy Tulowitzki (0-for-3 two strikeouts), he tried to bait Helton into bad swings before walking him on five pitches.
He then jammed Tulowitzki with a 1-0 fastball, inducing a soft fly to left to end the game.
``When I've had trouble, I've thrown just tons of sliders over and over and over,’’ said Lidge. ``And the hitters start getting onto that. We tried to mix it up a little bit tonight. We ended up getting him out with a fastball in and hopefully I'll have a chance to do something else tomorrow. But I think I'm best when I'm not too predictable out there.’’
That’s pitching. That’s what Lidge meant all September when he said things could and would change for him in October. It doesn’t mean he will succeed today or tomorrow, if necessary. It just means that what you get from him is a guy who has been under this pressure before, a guy who will go out there with a plan.
The Rockies were justifiably proud of their bullpen entering this series. It entered last night’s game having surrendered just one run in seven innings. But the Phillies nubbed out two against that pen over the last three innings last night. Pitching out of the stretch, baserunners on: That’s what relief pitching is this time of year, more than numbers.
Lidge has failed an incredible number of times this year. Nine of his 11 blown saves were protecting a one-run lead. He kept asking for the ball, for another chance. Credit him for asking. And credit Charlie Manuel for never abandoning him, the way almost every other manager would have if Lidge had floundered all season long like he did for the Phillies.
``Faith will be rewarded,’’ Bruce Springsteen croons in ``Land of Hope and Dreams.’’For this night at least, it truly was.
-30
 

Ryan Howard and Yorvit Torrealba have at least one thing in common.

Neither can get the ball down to second in time, or with reasonable accuracy.

The Phillies took advantage of Torrealba’s miserable steal numbers in Game 1, swiping three of four bags against the Colorado catcher. In a bit of irony, Howard was the only one thrown out. And that includes a successful steal by Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee.

In the first inning of Game 2 though, the Rockies took advantage of the scouting report on Howard – which would note that he struggles to pull the ball from his glove on pickoffs, or double-clutches the throw.

He’s also been known to sail them into centerfield.

So after Carlos Gonzalez led off the game with a single, he grabbed a big lead and dared Phillies starter Cole Hamels to pick him off.

Hamels obliged, but Howard’s methodical throw, and double-clutch, allowed Gonzalez to easily beat his throw to second. When the ball was thrown back to Hamels, he snapped it into his glove in disgust.

A note to Hamels: Part of being an ace is being unflappable. It’s handling the twists and turns of the game by stepping up your game, not showing up your teammates when they make a mistake. Howard’s power has covered for your mediocre starts plenty of times. Even if your display wasn’t meant as a slight to him, it certainly looked that way to any fan watching.

Gonzalez was then sacrificed to third by Dexter Fowler, then scored when Todd Helton nubbed a ground ball up the first line.

Howard came close to cleaning up his mistake in the bottom of the inning when he drilled a long drive to left with a man on that curled foul. He subsequently struck out.

The run was the only one scored for the first three innings, before Hamels hung a pitch that – you guessed it – Torrealba deposited into the leftfield seats with two outs and one on. Colorado led, 3-0, and went on to a dramatic 5-4 win that evened the National League Division Series at one game apiece. Game 3 is Saturday in Denver.

After Hamels allowed another run in another long inning, he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth and then headed to  be with his wife who had gone into labor.

Rockies starter Aaron Cook, who has pitched brilliantly in two starts since missing most of September with a right shoulder strain, allowed baserunners in each of the first five innings, but none reached second.

That changed in the sixth. Shane Victorino chopped a grounder that forced an errant throw by Rockies second baseman Clint Barnes. Chase Utley laced a 1-1 pitch to right, Howard followed with a double down the rightfield line and Cook headed to the dugout.

Colorado reliever Jose Contreras struck out Jayson Werth, but Raul Ibanez spanked the first pitch he saw into centerfield, scoring both Utley and Howard, and the Phillies trailed by just a run.

Pitching in relief of Hamels, Joe Blanton retired the Rockies in order in the fifth. But Ryan Spillborghs led off the seventh with a double down the leftfield line that just eluded a sprawling Ibanez. Blanton then tried to get Spillborghs at third when Barnes bunted, but the throw was late.

That opened up a huge inning. Blanton was replaced by J.A. Happ. Happ was hit on the knee by pinch-hitter Seth Smith’s liner, loading the bases and leading to his exit. Scott Eyre came in to face Carlos Gonzalez, who was 3-for-3 in the game.

Eyre struck out Gonzalez on three pitches, then got Dexter Fowler in a 1-2 hole before leaving a meaty pitch that Fowler lifted to right, scoring Spillborghs from third.

Eyre went 0-2 on Todd Helton, then got him to pop up, limiting the damage to one run.

The Rockies loaded the bases with one out again in the eighth against Brett Myers, but Myers induced a force to home. Antonio Bastardo, one of the surprise roster additions, then struck out Jason Giambi to end that.

Jayson Werth’s two-out, eighth-inning solo shot pulled the Phillies to 5-4.

In the ninth, Rockies closer Huston Street got pinch-hitter Ben Francisco on a groundout, then walked Matt Stairs on a full count. With only Paul Bako left on the bench, Cliff Lee pinch-ran for Stairs. Miguel Cairo, another surprise roster addition, flied to right.

Jimmy Rollins singled to right. Lee stopped at second. That brought Shane Victorino, already with three hits in the game, to the plate.

Victorino lined to second. And the Phillies, who had not lost a home playoff game since the last time they met this team in the postseason, had lost homefield advantage.

One missed element to Wednesday’s one-sided Phillies victory: The umpires had a really bad day.

With the game scoreless in the second, third base umpire Ron Kulpa called Yorvit Torrealba out at third as he tried to advance on a fly-out to rightfield. Replays showed Torrealba well ahead of Jayson Werth’s throw.

The Phillies got another break when Cliff Lee appeared to be picked off at second. Jerry Meals either did not see Troy Tulowitzki brush Lee’s front leg as he came back to the bag standing, or ruled he did not make contact. That one was closer.

Jimmy Rollins appeared to have beat the throw after Rockies second baseman Clint Barnes bobbled his two-out ground ball in the sixth inning. Had first-base umpire Bob Davidson madde the right call, Raul Ibanez would have scored from third with the sixth run, Carlos Ruiz would have reached third, with the meat of the Phillies order coming up.

The oddity is that none of the calls involved the wind or the sun.

Here’s hoping they do better today.