Aftermath of Game 4 loss
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Aftermath of Game 4 loss
Paul Hagen
Some key talking points from Daily News baseball writer Paul Hagen, who breaks down last night's Game 4 loss to the Giants.
Looking for a hat trick. Last night’s 6-5 loss means the Phillies are down, three games to one in the best-of-seven NLCS and have no margin for error remaining if they hope to advance to the World Series for the third straight year. In case you were wondering, the Phillies had winning streaks of 3 or more games 14 times this year.
Whatever it takes. The Phillies didn’t bring Roy Halladay back on short rest last night in part because they didn’t want to look like they were panicking. But when it was all on the line in the ninth inning last night, it became clear how much importance they placed on not falling behind three games to one. With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, starter Roy Oswalt came out of the bullpen. He was used in that unfamiliar role even though he had thrown on the side before the game as a tune-up for a possible Game 6 start on Saturday and even though Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero and Kyle Kendrick were still available in the bullpen. It didn’t work. The Giants scored and Oswalt took the loss.
The rematch: Remember all the hype about probable 2010 Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay facing 2008 and 2009 Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum in Game 1? Two of the National League’s best starters will go at it again tonight, and the stakes will be even higher.
Will Doc be on? In his last start against the Giants, Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, Roy Halladay allowed 4 earned runs and the Phillies lost. They obviously need their ace to be better than that in Game 5 tonight. And if his track record this season is any indication, he probably will be. Halladay allowed 4 or more earned runs in a game 8 times during the regular season. Six times he pitched at least 8 innings in his next start. Once he gave up 4 runs. Twice he allowed 3. Once he gave up one ... and 4 times he shut out the opponent, including his perfect game against the Marlins. His earned run average in those starts: 1.53.
Home cooking. The Giants have won 4 straight and 9 of their last 10 NLCS games at home.
Right now there is a certain Rangers pitcher that is thanking his lucky stars he got traded away from this disaster.— n62- ...and two guys named Roy that wish they went elsewhere.— n62
- Halladay would have won that game EASILY, and the series would now be tied 2-2...period.......Most baseball experts agreed Halladay should have started LAST NIGHT to get the crucial win and tie the series
2-2.................But DUMB Manuel and Dubee instead start Blanton who had not pitched in nearly a month, and he then threw 2 wild pitches and hit a batter in the first inning, and only pitched 4 innings which depleted the bull-pen..............Manuel and Dubee blew the game and the series...period— Bill20 - Well, I don't remember all of the follow-up games, but the perfect game in Florida was a win due to an unearned run off Josh Johnson. Halladay could have still been perfect but could have been forced to go extra innings if not for the erroe. It wasn't as though the Phils offense provided great support and as I recall, Johnson was pretty good this year. The Phils offense will face a tough test in Lincecum tonight, let's hope they don't overlook that fact and count on another perfect game.— kmon
- Bringing Oswalt into pitch 9th inning relief - that's a panic.
Oswalt getting bounced with the game 4 loss is huge for the Giants if the series goes back to Philly.
Halladay has looked tired and the Giants team is showing that playing hard is the difference between winning or losing.— NorthBeachSF - I don't care about shoulda coulda woulda. I just wish things were even up. All the calls, breaks and bad bounces go the Giants way. Now the bounces can't be predicted. The breaks can't be predicted. But the bad umpiring.....that can be changed. Umps have no problem calling strike 3 on the Phils, but Giants with 2 strikes never seem to get punched out. Even when it happened last night Aaron Rowand on a pitch right down the middle of the plate, turned and said something because they don't think that they can get called out. Now the Phillies, Victorino at the beginning of the game. Ross Gload in the ninth. Even Joe Buck thought he was safe.
— skolman - The Phillies will be singing with Tony Bennett, "I left my heart in San Francisco"!— sonnybuoy01
- Hammels is the reason Blanton started game 4 and not Halliday.
Hammels would not pitch on short rest.— Bob65S - Charlie Manuel did the same dump decision last year on world series not allowing Clif Lee to pitch own short rest and we lost it. He did same thing this time again, the same result. Yankees did the right thing with Sabathia they own the World series. This is pure arogance.— man9999
- Bob65S; you don't know a damn thing that Hamels did or didn't say! Losers like you should root for the Mets!— JBinPA
- It's just time to show what the phil's are made of. The horses are lined up with their playoff lives on the line. The goal tonigh is get this thing back to philly! One game a time come on Phil's I Believe!!— Phillyphan26
- Why did you trade for Halladay if you were not goig to use him in a crucial Game 4. If you were up 2-1, then pitch Blanton. Donw 2-1, go Halladay. But bottom line: the Phillies were tied 5-5 and they did not come through offensively.— 76er
- Bob, Hamels was on the record saying he'd pitch on short rest. This is on the manager.— 76er
- I've never seen a team come to our beautiful City by the Bay,a team that seemed to ba able to field a decent line up all year, and just fall to pieces to a much superior team. I knew we would whip these has beens, but even some Giants fans thought the hillbillies still had some punch. Timmy will have them on their knee's tonight. Oh, @wvblilltz and his inuendo's about San Francisco,who's Gay now big boy,you guys suck !!Ha !— tallcal101
- I have no problem with Blanton pitching last night. He pitched fine, and had the lead when he left. If we win, everybody would be ecstatic that we have Halladay tonight. Put the debate about Halladay to rest already, its over. We had to chance to win last night and didn't. We made some mistakes on the field, got some bad calls and Charlie made some suspect pitching moves with the bullpen. I also don't have a problem going with Oswalt in the 9th. He said he could go, would you have wanted Kendrick or Romero out there?!?! win tonight and come back home for Game 6, that's all. Oh and n62 Cliff Lee hasn't clinched anything yet so I wouldn't speak so soon, and I doubt Oswalt or Halladay would rather be playing golf in Houston or Toronto right now than pitching the most meaningful games of their careers— Billingham
