Philadelphia Phillies

“Brad Lidge and Cole Hamels have cost us the Series.”

Those are the words coming out of many of the Philly Phaithful’s mouths just a day after the Yankees put the Phillies in a 3-1 World Series hole.

Is that REALLY the reason?  Can you blame Lidge and Hamels for the hole?  After all Lidge did give up 3-runs in the ninth inning of a game four loss after Pedro Feliz tied the game at four in the eighth inning.  Plus Cole Hamels gave up five runs in the Phillies game three loss.

Charlie Manuel says his team is resilient. He points out the fact that the team has lost 22 games this season in which they led after the seventh inning. That sounds like the 2008 New York Mets to me. But, it was the Phillies and not the Mets who ultimately wound up winning the 2008 World Series. (ouch)

A-Rod delivered the big blow last night—but, was he more the hero or Lidge more the goat?

Let's build the case for each...


A-Rod as the hero

A-Rod hammered a fastball to left that was just one mile-per-hour and about three inches different then the pitch he'd just taken for strike one.

(Technically the pitch seemed to A-Rod about two to three miles-per-hour different given the three inches higher, but that's easy pickins for a decent three-spot hitter.)

Last December, my little nephew had a speech impediment and a very specific list. A total boy and a Toy Story fan since birth, he spouted his Christmas wish as only he could:

“I want a big fruck an’ Woody.”

Okay, maybe that’s not funny.

I am not going to blast Brad Lidge, but he is not on the same planet as Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera.

Then again, no one else is.

The key moment of this game is shown above.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Johnny Damon hit a bloop single to left field.

With Mark Teixeira batting, Damon took off for second. After beating the throw, he realized no one was on third (due to the Phillies using a heavy shift for Teixeira). He judged that he could beat Pedro Feliz, who's momentum was carrying him toward first, to the bag.

Normally, loyal reader, this space is reserved for bone heads in the NFL. However, while watching the World Series I couldn't help but make an exception tonight.

In the top of the ninth with Brad Lidge on the mound and a 4-4 tie and two outs, the Philadelphia Phillies seemed to be cruising to a bottom of the ninth where they would only need one run to win it and tie the series at two games apiece.

Then Johnny Damon picked up a base hit for the New York Yankees.

Cole Hamels took the mound with the poise and confidence of a rock star on a blind date. He sailed through the first inning—three up, three down; beaned A-Rod with a pitch to staunch any intention he had of snuggling up to the plate, and then held the Yankees to one hit over three innings.

For the first time since they were down 2-0 to the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, the Phillies find themselves in a very uncomfortable position. They are behind for the first time in six previous playoff appearances, and instead of having their ace to bring back for a tying series victory, they are forced to start a guy who has given up only 30 home runs during the regular season.

I'll admit, as a longtime Phillies fan, I am more familiar with failure than I am with success.

I even predicted a 6-3 Yankees win Saturday afternoon, because as much as I hoped not, I knew Andy Pettitte would pitch better than Cole Hamels.

Hamels was staked to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a Jayson Werth homer that Werth almost one-handed the ball over the left field fence and a base loaded walk and sacrifice fly.