Phillies' offense: Torture
Phillies' offense: Torture
Sam Donnellon, Daily News Sports Columnist
Their final game was emblematic of their season: A quick early surge of offense, nothing in the middle, runners left on base everywhere.
Eliminated by the Giants, 3-2, in Game 6 last night, the Phillies will not make their third straight trip to the World Series because they could not generate rallies, plain and simple. Their biggest hit of the night was Chase Utley’s first-inning double into the rightfield corner, driving in the first run and setting up the second. They were 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position at that point.
Then Jonathan Sanchez left the game.
From then on, the Phillies left two runners on in the third, bases loaded in the fifth, stranded Raul Ibanez on third with one out in the sixth, and could not push the tying run across in the eighth inning after two one-out singles against Tim Lincecum.
Carlos Ruiz ripped an opposite field line drive to first baseman Aubrey Huff. Shane Victorino, overeager as always, was closer to third than second when it hit his Huff’s glove and was easily doubled off.
In the ninth, the Phillies put two runners on with two out, had Ryan Howard at the plate. he ran the count to 3-2, fouled a pitch straight back, and watched a cutter for a called strike three.
The Giants also had their troubles. They recorded nine hits off Phillies starter Roy Oswalt, ran themselves into an out at home in their two-run third inning, had two runners on in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, and came away with nothing.
``Giants baseball: Torture’’ was a tongue-in-cheek description by announce Duane Kuiper that became the team’s rallying cry. But the Phillies co-opted it this series, wasting numerous opportunities in two of the three games played in their home park, torturing fans time and again with sloppy at-bats that aborted rallies.
The Giants pitched well. So did the Phillies. The difference in this series came down to little things, to shortening swings, to smart at-bats. It was something the Phillies were supposed to specialize in, and something the Giants were notoriously bad at. But almost habitually, the Phillies chased balls on favorable counts, failed to make contact with a runner on third and less than two out -- as Ben Francisco did in that critical seventh.
Giants batters prolonged at-bats by fouling off pitches, by throwning their bats at balls sometimes as Edgar Renteria did again last night.
There will be much talk today about the eighth-inning home run Juan Uribe hit off Ryan Madson to break a 2-2 in the eighth inning last night. But it meant nothing without all the self-inflicted wounds that preceded it. Madson was working his third straight game, was in his second inning, trying to bridge the game to Brad Lidge in the ninth. After striking out the first two batters he faced to run his streak to six, his outs came harder, until Uribe’s unlikely opposite-field poke.
So now what? The likely departure of Jayson Werth for one. Some tough calls on bullpen guys, a re-shuffling there as well. An even more lefthanded lineup looms for next year, a lineup that opponents have already developed a blueprint to pitch to.
The big three will be back of course, and if healthy, should make next summer another exciting one. But the days of watching these guys bomb balls over the fence and chip away at you with their speed and smarts may be going, going gone.
Phillies baseball: Torture.
It has a sickening ring to it.
Hope all you loser fans are crying in your towels. Such a shame your team lost. Enjoy the World Series watching the Giants! The better team in the National league!— MRD- He we go with all the fans complaining about their team. Hey loser fans......ITS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See ya next year! Let the celebrating begin for the Giants!— MRD
- Ibanez contract is an albatross hanging around Amaro's neck. Some creative thinking will have to be done to get out of it, because they can't go into next season with another lefty in the lineup replacing Werth.— lefty1117
- McNabbgags, you shame our entire city with your racist garbage. I hope the moderator erases your filth. Not surprisingly, your baseball opinions are also idiotic.
Congratulations, Giants fans! Tough for us to take, but you certainly proved yourselves the smarter, better team.— Temple Faculty 
- The Phils have been incredibly great and clutch the last four years, but they were soooooo overdue to lose as a prohibitive favorite. Watching this series, looking for the Phils' offense to perform like they're supposed to, was like waiting at the airport for twelve hours to pick up a friend, only to find out the plane had crashed in Omaha...— Brian F.
- Bill Conlin's was right it seems. Ryan Howard overrated.
- MRD...nothing better to do than scour the web to rip the Philly fans. Enjoy your evening in mom and dad's basement.— underdunk
- McNabbgags - you are a pathetic, stupid bigot. Crawl back under a rock...— dmat
Two of us just jumped in to ban the "guy" spewing the racism - so sorry, folks. He's gone. Don't hesitate to report abuse if you see anything similar.- Phillies will be back next year. Sign Werth. We had a GREAT run and missed the world series by a hair. Not many teams can say that.
- Enjoy this Giants fans, becuase you're about to get crushed. You struggled to beat a horrible Phillies team. You have nothing that will match up with Texas.— n62
- Somebody at Philly.com please remove that racist comment by McNabb... I hope you are not a Phils fan, because I don't want to be associated with a bigot like you. Despite what the media says, idiots like this guy are not typical of Philly fans!— PhillyAustralian
- ryan howard is a disgrace,he has empty stats vs the nationals,marlins,mets,cubs but in his last 12 games vs the yankees and giants 28 K's 0 RBIS =1.15mil per K a disgrace,,trade howard it's easy to find a power hitting first baseman but it won't be easy to get rid of his 25mil salary......wolf.— wolf 4
- Congratulations to both the Phillies and the Giants on a dramatic hard fought series. I am proud of the Giants, perpetual underdog, for taking down such a formidable team as the Phillies. This kind of tension-filled game has been a staple of the Giants all season. I expect nothing less in the World Series.— Y.U. Iotta
Reach Sam at donnels@phillynews.com.
