Brewers Stay Alive in Game 3

The Phillies lost Game 3 to the Brewers 4-1 on Saturday night. Trying to advance to the NLCS will have to wait one more day for the Phillies, who struggled again offensively, only scoring 1 run on 9 hits. They really have no threat for most of the game, until the 9th, when they loaded the bases with 0 outs, but couldn't even plate a run. Phillies starter Jaime Moyer struggled in the 1st inning, allowing 2 runs, but settled down, and went 4 innings total. Moyer was not getting the calls from the ump when he would hit the corners, and often struggles when there is an inconsistent umpire behind the plate.

Once again, the Phillies will need to put up a strong offensive game. Take pitches, get baserunners on, steal some bases, advance some runners, and hit the ball hard. The Phillies will face right-hander Jeff Suppan, who had almost a 5 ERA in the regular season. The Phillies mid-season acquisition Joe Blanton will oppose him, and Blanton needs to keep the Phillies in the game. If the Phillies get the lead, and are able to keep the lead for a couple innings, we should see the Brewers start to press to try to get some runs, which should work in the Phillies favor.

Bottom line, the Phillies are an offensive team, and need to bust out offensively, which they are more than capable of doing, especially against an average right-hander. The Phillies don't want to have to go to a game 5 where they would face off against C.C. Sabathia again, who probably won't have 2 bad starts in a row. All of that can be avoided in Game 4.

The Phillies have a 2-1 series lead, Game 4 is Sunday, 1:05 p.m. EDT.

Phillies Travel to Milwaukee for Game 3

The Fightin’ Phillies look to sweep the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLDS, coming into the game with a 2-0 series lead. Jaime Moyer will take the mound game 3 for the Phillies, opposed by Dave Bush, a Philadelphia area native. Shane Victorino had the big hit in Game 2, but look for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to have big games against the right-handed Bush. Both players are due for a big game. Shane Victorino will probably stay in the 2-hole in the lineup and Werth, who also had a very good Game 2, will continue to bat 6th.

The series is far from over, as the Brewers are very good in their home park, so look for them to come out and play a good game 3. It won’t be easy to keep the Brewers bats quiet for a 3rd game. If anybody is up to the task, it is definitely Moyer, who is the ultimate wily veteran, and doesn’t get rattled easily. Not to mention, he has been amazing all year, especially down the stretch in big games. Even if Moyer doesn’t have his usual great stuff, the Phillies offense should be able to get runs off of Bush. The Phillies have also had the luxury of not needing to score off the bad Brewers bullpen. If this game is close late, the Phillies have a great chance to win, with the superior ‘pen. Another key will be doing what the Phillies have done in Games 1, and 2; make the Brewers throw pitches. The Phillies have gotten the Brewers starting pitchers, Gallardo, and Sabathia both out of the game early, due to large pitch counts. The Phillies hitters need to stay patient, and stick to their game plan.

The Phillies have a 2-0 series lead, Game 3 is Saturday, 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Phillies Take 2-0 Series Lead

The Phillies took a 2-0 series lead against the Brewers with a 5-2 victory Thursday night. Kotite's Corner threw back some beers, watched the game, and enjoyed every minute of it. The Flyin' Hawaiian, Shane Victorino, and Brett Myers get the players of the game in Game 2. Victorino, back in the 2-hole in the order, went 3-4 with 2 doubles, and the game winning grand slam in the bottom of the 2nd off of C.C. Sabathia.

The game started off a little shaky as Myers walked in a run in the top of the first. He settled down with a double play on the next batter. Sabathia looked dominant in the 1st, especially against lefties Utley and Howard. However, the 2nd inning was a different story. With one out, Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz hit back to back doubles, scoring a run and tying the game at 1 a piece. After Carlos Ruiz grounded out advancing the runner to 3rd, Brett Myers had the at-bat of the game, and maybe the season. Brett Myers, one of the worst hitting pitchers in the league, worked a full count against the best pitcher in the league. He fouled off good pitches, and stayed alive at the plate. The crowd was fantastic, and showed why Philadelphia fans are the most knowledgeable and passionate in the world, knowing how important the at-bat was, and cheering Myers like it was the biggest moment of the season (which is basically was). Myers finally drew a walk, and Rollins walked right after him loading the bases. Shane Victorino then came up, and jacked a grand slam off of Sabathia. Game over. Without Myers 9-pitch at bat, the grand slam never would have happened.

The Brewers added a meaningless run in the 7th, and the Phillies ended up with a 5-2 win, and more importantly, a 2-0 series lead. Brett Myers followed up Cole Hamels great pitching performance with one of his own, going 7 innings, and allowing 2 earned runs. Brad Lidge got another save, and this time actually made it look easy with a 1-2-3 inning, only throwing 12 pitches.

The Phillies travel to Milwaukee to play Game 3 of the series on Saturday. Projected starters for that game are the ageless Jaime Moyer, and Dave Bush for the Brewers.

Phillies Postseason Preview: Better Than Last Year?

When the Phillies clinched the NL East on the final day of the season last year, pandemonium was unleashed. The champagne flowed like Niagara Falls on a warm summer day. And deservedly so. It had been 14 years since Philly fans could cheer for October baseball. But the celebration was short lived. Four days after the postseason began, the Phils returned from Colorado the victims of a sweep.

But this year will be different. This team is better and more prepared to play in the fall chill. Let me explain:

Last year, the team—and the city for that matter—was just happy with getting to the postseason. A playoff berth was a win unto itself. So let’s chalk up last year as a learning experience. They got their first nibble, liked what they tasted, and now they’re back for a full meal.

The Phillies had the luxury of not playing catch-up the entire month of September this year. Coming back from 7 ½ games with 17 games to play took its toll on the 2007 club. No such hole this year. They even took a rest on the season’s last game. It gave them a chance to realize what they accomplished, celebrate and then get back to work.

The starting pitching is much better than it was a season ago. Cole Hamels’ durability issues were put to rest when the lanky lefty led the league in innings pitched. The Phils ace will start game 1 with a full week’s rest. Brett Myers, we hope, has gotten his bad starts behind him. And Jamie Moyer is the epitome of consistent.

The bullpen is experienced and ready to go. Brad Lidge anchors a bullpen who has been the anchor of this team all year. Even Ryan Madson seems ready to pitch in the postseason. JC Romero, Chad Durbin and Scott Eyre are all reliable arms with playoff experience.

And then there’s Ryan Howard. The big first baseman is hitting the ball better than he ever has in his short career. His 11 bombs and 32 RBI earned him player of the month honors, and put the slugger in the perfect mindset.

The keys to this series will be winning game 1, especially since Sabathia lined up to pitch game 2. Basically with Sabathia scheduled to probably pitch games 2 and 5, the Phillies need to at least win every game in which Sabathia does not pitch. Brett Myers will be a key, and hopefully can pitch well enough to steal a game away from Sabathia in Game 2. Rollins, Utley, and Howard will obviously need to hit, unlike last postseason, and the bullpen will need to continue to be strong and keep the Phillies in games.

Position for position (CC Sabathia notwithstanding) the Phillies have the edge in every match-up. From starting rotation to the bench, the advantage goes to Philly. This isn’t the Rockies who came into the postseason on a miracle run a year ago. This is the Brewers. They’re the Phillies of last year. They’re just happy to be there. And hopefully, like the Phillies, they’ll be swept.