There’s nothing like being at home—just ask the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers came through with a win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Three of the NLCS. By the end of the first inning, the Phillies were done, unable to recover after starter Jamie Moyer allowed five runs. With this win, the Dodgers regain the coveted momentum, which is exactly the reason I’m no fan of the seven-game series schedule.
While one team has “home-field advantage” with four of their games at their home ballpark, the other team has the “momentum advantage” in the 2-3-2 format. The Phils won their two home games, but the next three belong to the Dodgers. If L.A. comes away with three wins, they enter the last two games riding a wave of victories.
Philadelphia must win one game in Los Angeles.
Game Three was a disaster from the first pitch. Jimmy Rollins grounded out, Shane Victorino popped out, and Chase Utley got caught stealing for the third out. The bottom of the first was all the Dodgers’ offense needed, as they scored five runs.
The Dodgers had all the swagger of a winning team, while the Phillies seemed to be on the defensive the entire game. Instead of playing their game and getting back in it, they were reacting to what the Dodgers threw at them.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Throw at the Dodgers enough, the Phils learned, they will retaliate. Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin was hit by a pitch by Moyer and later buzzed back by Clay Condrey, causing some unhappy glares between the two teams.
Tim McCarver and Joe Buck made sure there would be some sort of retribution by talking incessantly about how the Dodgers were going to hit a Phillies player. If L.A. wasn’t already planning to do so, the pair of commentators said it enough times that they willed the universe to make it happen.
The game? What game? They were just trying to predict the pitch that was going to be “the one.” While Rollins was at the plate, before every pitch, it was the “perfect time.”
By saying the next pitch is the one, eventually they would be correct.
Dodgers started Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch that sailed toward Victorino’s head. The location did not sit well with the center fielder, who was seen instructing the Dodgers to throw at his ribs and not his head if they were going to hit him. After grounding out, the Flyin’ Hawaiian had more words with Kuroda and the benches cleared.
No punches were thrown and the teams continued the game, eventually ending with a Dodgers 7-2 victory.
The Phillies had no pitching or offense to counter the Dodgers, but at least they showed some life by getting up out of the dugout during a benches-clearing chat between the two teams.
With the Phillies loss, they are up two games to one. It’s an understatement to say that the next two games are vital for the visiting team.
Phillies’ Joe Blanton takes the mound tomorrow against Game One starter Derek Lowe. Lowe only allowed two runs in his last start against the Phillies. Rollins and Victorino need to live up to their “spark plugs” reputation and fire up the offense. Two runs will not be enough to win on foreign soil.
Five games down, six to go.
Non-baseball baseball notes
Phillies lineup announcers: Who asked Danny DeVito to announce the Phillies line up? It’s not cool to throw in, “I’m a Dodgers fan” while announcing the Phillies. He must have been sipping on the Jesus juice during the pregame festivities.
Joe Buck and Tim McCarver: If Fox is looking for someone to actually talk about the game instead of something meaningless, I’m free.
Them are Fightin’ words: Russell Martin and Shane Victorino get in a fight—who wins?
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about 1 month ago
This was a good game. I think the Phils needed to be taken down a notch. Look, the Phils are a very good team, no doubt; they don't need to be throwing at people. And Charlie Manuel can stick a sock in it; his pitchers threw at Manny because "Charlie the Man" knows that if you take Manny out of the game, there aren't a lot of Dodgers who can turn a game around like him.
Hats off to Kuroda for throwing as he did. And Victorino can point to his ribs all day long; the batter never, ever decides where the pitcher throws. He knew it was coming; Kuroda certainly wasn't going to tell him where it was coming. The Phils have had things their way this series and are used to things going their way; it was good to see the Dodgers take it to them and try to breath some life in this series. Kuroda did what he had to do to protect his team and then went back to dealing; nothing personal, all professional.
It was good to see Furcal show why he is such an asset on a team: speed, a gun of an arm, great range at short, and some power at the plate. He can bunt, slap or just go yard. It was also good to see Nomar contribute.
I look forward to seeing the next game. These are two very good teams that make a very good baseball game.
from about 1 month ago
Great points, Abner.
I agree, throwing at players is part of the game, location TBD by the pitcher. At least we saw some passion from both teams.
We are getting the exciting series we were all expecting.
from about 1 month ago
Abner, I used to pitch in college and I can tell you with utmost certainty, you are wrong. There was nothing admirable about what Kuroda did. It was bush league and he should have been thrown out of the game immediately. You don't throw at hitters in a playoff situation. It's really that simple. If you have an issue with an individual or team, you wait until the following season to do something. Think about this for a second, let's say the umpires actually did their jobs and thrown him out, now you have to go into an already tired bullpen sooner than you wanted. Now let's assume that Shane gets on, now you have a speed guy on base with the heart of the lineup coming up. Now you have to throw fastballs and the biggest knock on Phillies hitting is that they sit dead red. That would have been interesting, don't you think?
Oh and before you try and say that Myers threw at Manny or Moyer/Happ were throwing at Martin, no, they weren't. For one thing, all 3 pitchers were having control issues the entire time they were out there. For another thing, Marting and Manny crowd the plate. If they don't want to get hit, then might I suggest standing off the plate?
about 1 month ago
Nice job, Claire. I agree, the Phillies need to steal one of these three in LA. I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format for obvious reasons. I get why they do it, but I think it negates the home-field advantage. Perhaps 3-3-1? It would force the team without home field to steal a win instead the of the other way around.
from about 1 month ago
Wow, imagine a 3-3-1. That would put a lot of pressure on the team w/out HFA. Would that still be fair?
from about 1 month ago
Depends on your perspective, I guess. The great thing about the 2-2-1-1-1 format is that the team with home-field advantage can always keep the advantage. HFA should just be about who plays at home first, but keeping the most number of games played at your home park. The adage has always been a series doesn't start until the home team loses. In the 2-3-2 format, if each team wins at home, the team with HFA is punished, facing an elimination game without having lost a home game. Yes, 3-3-1 is extreme. 2-2-1-1-1 is optimal, but it increases travel costs and adds days to the TV schedule.
And that's what they're really worried about!
about 1 month ago
*that should say "HFA should
about 1 month ago
GRRR- sorry for the multiple posts
My initial post should have read "HFA should NOT be just about who plays..."
about 1 month ago
I really don't think I am wrong about throwing to protect one's players. Gibson, Drysdale, Hershiser, Glavine and Maddux have all done it to protect their players and or a piece of the strike zone.
Martin freely admitted that the Phils pitchers had them uncomfortable up at the plate because of the inside pitching and hit batsmen. Waiting until NEXT season get THAT issue resolved means your offense will definitely be watching the rest of the postseason from a TV. The playoffs, more than any other time, is THE time to protect one's lineup and fight for a piece of the plate, especially in a must-win game at home! This was not some game back in May! This game counted, big time.
Kuroda did what he felt was best for the team and then went back to business.
As for the concern expressed about the Dodgers' bullpen, I think it did just fine last night. The fact that the Phils DO sit dead-red at the plate was even more reason to back them off.
Myers, Moyer and Happ are all major leaguers. To qualify all the hit batsmen with "control problems" is weak to me. If that is acceptable, one must accept Kuroda's "the ball slipped" alibi. These are major leaguers, meaning they are the best in the US. Moreover, they are postseason major leaguers, which means they are the best of the best this season.
The Phils may come back and just dominate, but if the Dodgers do rally and win the NLCS, this will be a rallying point. Hats off to Kuroda for not waiting until next season to say, "Enough is enough."
from about 1 month ago
Abner, Gibson, Drysdale, etc. never did that in the post season. Also there's a difference between throing inside to get a hitter to back off and throwing at a hitter. Trust me, anybody who has ever put a uniform on knows the difference.
from about 1 month ago
Joe you may have played college but so did i and this happens all the time. I don't know where you played or what your coaches said but on my team it was common if we were thrown at. And to say Brett Myers' pitch slipped is so ignorant dude.... you are better than that. You can have a pitch slip and it won't go as far behind and high as that pitch was to Manny. Now moyer certainly did not throw at Martin because it was a 1-2 count on Martin...but the reliever who faced martin next time certainly did because they were upset that Martin stared down Moyer after he was hit.... the Phillies started this and even the predominately East Coast bias media agrees the Phils started it and L.A. had to end it. I am a Dodgers fan and I have no issue with what happened by either team. If the Phils want to throw at L.A. i am ok with it...but they better man up and accept that they will be thrown at too. Even Victorino said he knew it was coming...so dude... doesn't that make it obvious to you that both teams knew what was going on???? I respect your opinion and agree about some things but you are letting your homer ways get in the way of common sense here, sorry
from about 1 month ago
Abner and Jonny -
You two are dead on correct with your comments.
Joe -
I've played catcher, and can tell you that you couldn't be more wrong if you tried. Thanks for the laugh about the Myers slipped pitch though. What's next, you gonna tell me there was some cheesesteak grease on his paw?
Everyone -
With all the wild arm maneuvers from Victorino, if Drysdale or Gibson was on the mound, I can promise you the next pitch would have gone *through* his head. That was pathetically bush league on Shane's part.
about 1 month ago
In the 1995 World Series, Hershiser came in high and tight on David Justice after Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff took him deep at Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium in game one.
In that same World Series, Greg Maddux threw one at Eddie Murray after Albert Belle muscled a 2-run homer at Jacobs Field in game five.
Two pitchers, class act professionals in the postseason, doing what they thought was part of their job.
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