via ESPN

We’re in the ballpark for game one, which means that we’ll be here all night making snarky observations and wishing that cheering from the press box was kosher.  If you’re headed to the game or there already you can find me chilling out in the newly invented media section by the left field foul pole.  I’m sitting next to Inside Edition (no joke), who someone managed to get four times as many people in here than we did.

PREGAME

The Game:

Game one of the NLCS, otherwise known as the biggest game the Phillies have played in since before 36 Chambers dropped and introduced us to The RZA, The GZA, Ol Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killer and the M-E T, H-O-D Man.  Yup, the last time the Phils were playing this late the wild card hadn’t been invented, Manny Ramirez was a babyfaced rookie hitting all of .170 and Cole Hamels was 9. 

So it’s a pretty big.

The Pitchers: Hollywood tries to earn that arbitration money as he goes for a perfect 2-0 in the postseason.  The youngest Phillie is coming off a dominating NLDS game one against the Brewers and is rested and ready to go.

He’ll face Derek Lowe, who has been throwing out of his skull as of late. The sinkerballing righty has an impressive postseason resume – he’s pitched series clinchers in both an LCS and a World Series in 2004 – and has been impressive in CPB as well, where he is 2-0 with a 2.25 lifetime.

He’s given up just 14 home runs all season, so if the Phillies want to be successful they may have to manufacture a run or two.

The Players: Ryan Howard was disclipined throughout the Milwaukee series.  He took a walk in every game – three in the first – and let the rest of the Phillies win the game.  It wasn’t a bad strategy – the rest of the Phillies did, in fact, win the games – but the Big Lefty is probably going to have to supply some offense of his own if the Phils want to advance another round. 

For the Dodgers, all the talk is on Manny, and not without reason – he could well be the best postseason hitter of all time, and he’s on fire – but Dodgers’ SS Rafael Furcal has returned to the lineup and provided an offensive spark for the boys in blue.  This morning Rich Hofmann called Furcal the Dodgers’ J-Roll, and he’s right.

ATJ ongoing observations from the ballpark.  Feel free to chime in.

• I’m not sure if this is always or just today, but pregame Ryan Howard was taking BP cuts with the donut still on the bat.

• I’m not sure if he’s just a great 5 o’clock hitter or what, but Matt Stairs was hitting the shit out of the ball.  If he gets a pinch hit opportunity tonight you should feel good about the possible result.
• Underneath that nice Joe Buck suit is a pair of black nikes with neon orange swooshes
• Maybe it’s just the new seats, but the stadium is loud tonight – as loud as I’ve heard the new park.  Needless to say, I do not subscribe to the “rally towels kill crowd volume” theory.
• gametime temp: 70. Gorgeous night for some baseball. Hamels makes quick work of Furcal for out #1.
• Manny Ramirez can hit.  That ball was not near.
• The Manny pitch aside, Hamels doesn’t look bad so far.  Russell Martin does not often K like that.
• If Ryan wants people to take this whole ‘MVP’ thing seriously, now is not a bad time to show something
• Hamels walking to the dugout after a K is a thing of beauty
• From Ruben:

what great patience by werth and burrell.  that’s how you get to lowe

fuck

• The Dodgers are making Hamels work.  He ends the third with 55 pitches thrown.

• The Phillies are trying to pull everything, which means that they keep grounding weakly to the MIs.  With a guy like Lowe this team needs to go with the pitches. On the other hand, they may well put a hole in blake dewitt’s glove, so I guess maybe they should stick with the current gameplan
• The Phils last eight outs that have been grounders to the pull side.  That’s absurd. That’s a bad games worth, not three innings.
• He had no chance at him, but the throw Victorino just uncorked to try and get Kemp at home was unreal.
• Ruben, again chiming in from the TV broadcast:

haaa.  great dobbs moment.  they have him mic’ed, and he says to jenkins after the victorino grounder: “was he out?”  jenkins nods his head and says “yeah, he was”.  then dobbs goes “let’s go look at that in super slo-mo” and they both immediately leave for the clubhouse

• Chooch goes oppo and hits the ball hard.  Who’d have thunk that was possible? Rocket science Derek Lowe is not.

• Hamels gets in on the action – two on for Jimmy
• Derek Lowe got out of it, but he just heard the crowd.  Lets hope that wasn’t the Phillies’ shot.
• Jimmy Rollins is the best defensive shortstop in the league
• Speed kills.  Shane blazes down the line, forcing a hurried throw and a safe-on-an-error.  With a man now on second, Chase goes yard to tie the game.  The crowd gets loud
  
• It’s the Phillies left fielder who gets the long ball.  Derek Lowe has left the game and can not win.  So much for the whole ‘he doesn’t give up home runs’ theory. The crowd gets the assist.
• Hah! The left field crowd is chanting “Manny” during the pitching change and Manny is swatting at them like he’s a cow and they’re flies.
• It is far better reaction that Burrell, who doesn’t acknowledge them.  Oh well
• Wow, this left field section is on fire, and I think I’m in love.  Like seven rows down on the aisle of section 241 or something is my dream girl.  I can’t tell if she with her husband or her father.
• Ruben, from the couch:

that’s 2 phenomenal changes [Hamels] has thrown to lefties tonight.  usually lefties dont swing at his change

and of course, for the 23rd time tonight, mccarver calls it a cut fastball

• Hamels ends the 7th strong.  He’s at 105 pitches, I say bring him back.

• They don’t.  7 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, both earned, two walks, 8 Ks
• And So pops the bunt out.  Charlie is going to have to answer some questions postgame
• Awful inning.  This is no time to baby Hamels.  You need to get another inning out of him there.  Pleasepleaseplease don’t backfire
• So there is a mini press buffet out here, which is essentially just hot dogs and drinks.  The press is destroying the hot dogs
• Manny gets one pitch on what could (knock on wood) he his last shot of the day
• Pat Burrell hustles, cuts off a potential extra base hit, and tosses a strike to second.  It won’t show up in the box score, but Burrell just made a nice play to keep Martin at first.
• Charlie continues to have the golden touch.  Dodgers go quietly in the 8th, Lidge will get the bottom of their lineup with a chance to end the game
• Joe Buck: great and wearing hilarious shoes
• Lights Out?
• Lights Out.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 7:42 pm and is filed under live blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.