October 15th, 2009 by Matt
Being a Phillies fan is a maddening, amazing experience these days. The playoffs are always tight, but the 2009 playoffs are already more stomach churning than most of what 2008 had to offer us. Cliff Lee’s Game 1 NLDS win aside, the Phils have had to work their collective asses off in order to win the next 3 games. And fans all over the Delaware Valley are keeping CVS busy restocking Tums and Immodium.
Just a couple of thoughts post-game:
Shame on Cole Hamels for gesturing after the botched double play in the bottom of the 5th inning. The Phillies are blessed to have one of baseball’s premier double play combinations. Chase probably shouldn’t have even thrown the ball to first after Rollins had trouble getting the ball out of his glove. But Hamels still has not grown up enough to be able to compartmentalize these issues. The bottom line is that a run had scored, and now we had a 3 run lead with a runner on second and 2 out. This was not the worst place to be, and the Dodgers would have certainly traded places with us had they they chance. But Cole couldn’t harness his emotions, and before you know it, Manny Ramirez is trotting around the bases as slowly as possible and it’s a two run game. Hamels has pulled that shit before, and it’s time that someone tells him to cut it out.
In the post-game show, Darren Daulton said that if Hamels had done that with him on the field, he may have “jerked his teeth out”. That’s what this team needs more of.
The umps had no business letting Randy Wolf put his cleats on in the 6th inning. As Shibe Times superfan Brian pointed out, if Torre was letting Thome hit, and he has a bum wheel, then he needs to know also who is going to run for him if he gets on. Only Joe Torre gets that kinds of latitude from the umps. Total crap.
I thought we weren’t going to be able to hit off of Kershaw and Sherrill? I thought that Sherrill was the X factor who was going to neutralize our lefties. Good thing that baseball isn’t played on stat sheets. Sherrill has all of 2.1 innings of postseason experience, all in 2009. Something has to be said for nerves and experience; the sorts of things that stats don’t tell you. Same thing with Kershaw. Young guy with awesome stuff, but I’ll take my chances with a playoff neophyte who can get wild.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is far too premature to declare that Brad Lidge is “back”. He needs to strikeout more guys to be “back”. The double play could have easily been back to back singles. He’s not missing enough bats yet. I will continue to stress out beyond believe when Brad is in there.
Now, Raul? Yeah, Raul is back.
What’s going on with Ryan Madson? When the Phils needed a shutdown inning after Raul Ibanez’s 8th inning 3 run homer, Madson goes right out and gives up 4 hits and 2 runs. With Madson pitching shaky even in his normal inning, Lidge is our guy in the 9th, for better or worse.
I know I am beating a dead horse, but LA fans are pathetic. When the best you can do behind home plate is Mary Hart, you suck.
Carlos Ruiz has been consistently an outstanding playoff performer, both behind the plate and in the batter’s box. He’s batting .354 in his last 15 playoff games.
Winning Game 1 feels like more than just one game. It’s huge. Home field back to the Phillies and tons of pressure on the Dodgers tomorrow to avoid going down 2-0 and heading to Philly.
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Hammels needs to grow up, he had a meltdown after the botched double play, I call him a punk kid that the fans have him spoiled as some great ace. Not !!!
he definitely needs to get his act together and quick. you just cannot call out your teammates like that. I don’t see Chase utley throwing his hands in the air when Hamels hangs a pitch and it gets crushed for a homer.