Results tagged ‘ World Series ’
Game 4 Lineups
Here is tonight’s lineup for Game 3 of the World Series:
- Jimmy Rollins, SS
- Shane Victorino, CF
- Chase Utley, 2B
- Ryan Howard, 1B
- Jayson Werth, RF
- Raul Ibanez, LF
- Pedro Feliz, 3B
- Carlos Ruiz, C
- Joe Blanton, P
Yankees lineup: 1. Derek Jeter, SS; 2. Johnny Damon, LF; 3. Mark Teixeira, 1B; 4. Alex Rodriguez; 5. Jorge Posada, C; 6. Robinson Cano, 2B; 7. Nick Swisher, RF; 8. Melky Cabrera, CF; 9. CC Sabathia, P.
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Pitching coach Rich Dubee said Chan Ho Park, who wasn’t available last night for Game 3 because of the flu, is available to pitch tonight.
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Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounos has been covering the games in some capacity, and today she signed a ball (at the request of Shane Victorino) for Phillies batting practice pitcher Ali Modami.
Menounos is waving here to Modami.
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Manuel Talks About Hamels
Charlie Manuel isn’t sure what Cole Hamels meant when he said he couldn’t wait for the season to end, but he said today he was “totally surprised” by it.
“I understand his frustration and everything,” Manuel said. “He was the MVP of the World Series last year. He’s been a good pitcher ever since he came up. Ever since he’s been in the big leagues he’s been a top-flight pitcher. It’s been tough on him. He’s kind of had a weird year. What he’s going through right now, it’s going to take experience and everything because he’s going through a part where he’s failed. He’s been very inconsistent and it’s been like a failure to him. Things haven’t been going his way.”
It should be noted that Hamels also said that he wanted the ball in Game 7.
“I really do hope I have that opportunity,” Hamels said. “It’s one of those games that you can definitely redeem yourself. I would know it’s the very last game that I would ever have that season. It’s not the type of game you want to have in your last game. It’s just kind of something where if you could end it on a good note, why not? Having a Game 7 opportunity that would be mean a lot. I hope my teammates believe in me and want me to be out there for it.”
I’m guessing when Hamels said he can’t wait for the season to end, he meant he can’t wait for his struggles to end. He wasn’t saying, “Whew, let’s get this World Series over with so I can take a vacation.” That said, it didn’t sound good, which has people wondering if the Phillies should start him in Game 7, if the series gets that far. Of course, his performance has people wondering if he should start Game 7 more than last night’s comments, but the comments only seemed to compound things.
Manuel said he isn’t sure what he’s going to do. He’s worried about Game 4 tonight because, hey, if they lost Game 4 their probably won’t be a Game 7.
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Manuel said Chan Ho Park was unavailable in Game 3 because of the flu. He was uncertain about his status for Game 4.
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The Collapse of Cole Hamels
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Cole Hamels last night in Game 3 of the World Series. I figured he was due to pitch a good game, but I wasn’t going to be surprised if things fell apart.
Neither was Hamels.
“That’s been the story of my whole season,” he said following the 8-5 loss to the Yankees at Citizens Bank Park. “I can cruise through hitters and then all of a sudden — boom. I don’t hit a small speed bump. I hit a big one.”
Asked about the last pitch to Mark Teixeira in the fourth inning that resulted in a walk, which led to a two-run home run from Alex Rodriguez, Hamels said, “It was a strike. It’s the story of my season.”
He thought Rodriguez’s home run was a pop up.
“For it to go over the fence … you know what?” he said. “This is the park I play in, so I definitely know to expect this.”
But then came an intresting comment as he talked about a season that has been a struggle since spring training. Hamels, who is 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in four postseason starts, told reporters, “I can’t wait for it to end. It’s been mentally draining. It’s one of those things where, a year in, you just can’t wait for a fresh start.”
Hamels lines up to pitch Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, if the series gets that far. Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee have to wonder how confident they can be sending him out there? Hamels is 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in four postseason starts and he does not sound like a confident man. Asked if he would feel comfortable pitching Hamels in Game 7, Manuel would not commit.
“I wouldn’t be hesitant to start him,” he said. “But at the same time, we’ll see how the series goes.”
But after sounding like a mentally beaten man, Hamels also said he would like the chance.
“I really do hope I have that opportunity,” he said. “It’s one of those games that you can definitely redeem yourself. I would know it’s the very last game that I would ever have that season. It’s not the type of game you want to have in your last game. It’s just kind of something where if you could end it on a good note, why not? Having a Game 7 opportunity that would be mean a lot. I hope my teammates believe in me and want me to be out there for it.”
If the series gets to Game 7 — Hamels put the Phillies in the difficult position of having to win three of four games against the Yankees — the Phillies have two options: Hamels or J.A. Happ. Do they stick with Hamels, or do they look at what they have seen and heard and take their chances with Happ?
Of course, before we get in a lather about Game 7, Joe Blanton must outpitch CC Sabathia tonight in Game 4.
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Teams that fall behind 2-1 in the World Series are 26-55.
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Jayson Werth has seven home runs this postseason. He would tie Barry Bonds (2002) and Carlos Beltran (2004) for the single-season playoff home run record with one more homer.
It certainly would help if more than Werth were hitting. Jimmy Rollins (.200), Shane Victorino (.182), Chase Utley (.182), Ryan Howard (.154) and Pedro Feliz (.091) are struggling. Werth (.400), Carlos Ruiz (.333) and Raul Ibanez (.250) are the only players hitting .250 or better.
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Game 3 Lineups
Here is the lineup for Game 3 of the World Series tonight at Citizens Bank Park:
- Jimmy Rollins, SS
- Shane Victorino, CF
- Chase Utley, 2B
- Ryan Howard, 1B
- Jayson Werth, RF
- Raul Ibanez, LF
- Pedro Feliz, 3B
- Carlos Ruiz, C
- Cole Hamels, P
Yankees lineup: 1. Derek Jeter, SS; 2. Johnny Damon, LF; 3. Mark Teixeira, 1B; 4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B: 5. Jorge Posada, C; 6. Robinson Cano, 2B; 7. Nick Swisher, RF; Melky Cabrera, CF; 9. Andy Pettitte, P.
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Congrats to We Should Be GM’s on a Halloween tribute well done.
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Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced CC Sabathia would pitch Game 4 on short rest. He also said he possibly could bring back A.J. Burnett and Pettitte on short rest for Games 5 and 6 with Sabathia pitching Game 7.
He said pitching Mariano Rivera two innings probably is out of the question.
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Get Well Soon
Greg Dobbs has the flu or a stomach virus, but it can’t be too serious.
How do I know?
Because somebody boarded up Dobbs’ locker at Citizens Bank Park with cardboard, yellow “caution” tape and masking tape. In the middle was a sign that read:
Greg Dobbs Update
Thomas Jefferson Hospital
Room #—
Visiting hours for family and friends from 6-8 p.m.
Please be advised to wear a mask!!
Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies still did not want Dobbs, who was sent to Philadelphia before Game 2 of the World Series last night, around the team until his condition improves. Pedro Martinez complained of illness before his start last night and Tyler Walker, who is not on the active roster, was sent home because of sickness.
“I think pretty much guys are OK,” Amaro said. “We have some guys getting checked out, but most guys seem to be OK.”
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Charlie Manuel has been asked plenty about why he didn’t send his base runners in motion in the top of the eighth inning in Game 2. Chase Utley hit into a double play, although replays show he beat the throw.
I’ve got to agree with Manuel here. Utley is not a double-play threat. He hit into just five double plays this season, and just 49 in his career. Remember what happened when the Mets sent runners in motion against the Phillies at Citi Field this season? Eric Bruntlett made history with a game-ending unassisted triple play. At the time the Phillies were puzzled why the Mets would send their runners in that situation. Crazy things happen. Jorge Posada would have had a clean throw to third to get Jimmy Rollins, too, had Utley swung and missed.
“I don’t know if we’ve ever done it,” Amaro said. “Have we done it all year? I don’t know that we’ve ever done it. So why change things that we haven’t done all year? I think that becomes a fatal mistake when teams start doing things they haven’t done before. That’s just not what we do. Not in that situation. I can’t recall one time in the five years Charlie has been manager that he has done that.”
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It's Blanton in Game 4
Charlie Manuel announced today that Joe Blanton will pitch Game 4 of the World Series.
He decided Cliff Lee, who pitched brilliantly in Game 1, would not pitch on short rest for a few reasons. First, he has never pitched on short rest before and Manuel felt this is no time to experiment. Second, Lee has thrown a lot of innings this season and feels Lee would be more effective on normal rest.
“He hasn’t pitched on three days’ rest, although I talked to him and he told me he had, or I thought he did,” Manuel said. “I also like him in Game 5 because we’ve got an offday Tuesday. If it goes seven games or something, that would be on his bullpen day and he might be able to pitch or whatever … I don’t think he’s ready for it on three days’ rest. That’s really pushing him because he’s never done it before. If he had done it before like CC (Sabathia) has, and CC pitched consistently last year on three days’ rest. I think you’re taking a chance on really pushing him. He’s the kind of guy that he gets into the game and with his adrenaline going and everything, and definitely we don’t want to hurt him.
“And I think Blanton fits for us because I think we want to keep (J.A.) Happ in the bullpen, especially kind of in the middle where he could do some innings. Also Joe pitched last year in the World Series and he’s got a little bit more experience.”
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Making Mariano Work
The Phillies had a chance to take a 2-0 stranglehold over the New York Yankees in the World Series, but they left Yankee Stadium last night with a split instead.
They felt pretty good about that, and they even felt good about the fact they had some success against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in the eighth and ninth innings. They made Rivera throw 39 pitches as he allowed two hits and a walk in two innings, which meant a few hitters got pretty good looks at him.
“We felt pretty good up there,” said Jimmy Rollins, who worked a one-out walk in the eighth. “That’s always the question mark, what is he going to look like … and I think we saw some things.”
Shane Victorino followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Chase Utley grounded into an inning-ending double play, which left Charlie Manuel steamed after the game because he said replay showed Utley beat the throw. I haven’t seen the replay to know either way, but Utley also said he was told he was safe. But like Rollins, Utley thought some good could come from seeing Rivera last night.
“I think so,” he said. “We don’t really have the opportunity to face him at all because he’s in the American League. The more you face him the more comfortable you can get off him.”
Of course, not that the Phillies want a few more cracks at Rivera in late-inning comebacks.
“That’s a guy you obviously don’t want to see a whole lot,” Ryan Howard said. “You’d like to keep him in the bullpen as much as possible.”
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Rollins Takes A Poke at New York (Again)
A few thoughts about Game 2 of the World Series before I hit the sack for an early morning train ride back to Philly:
A.J. Burnett pitched great last night. Sure, there were a few opportunities to score, but he mostly dominated.
Pedro Martinez pitched good enough to win. He has allowed three runs in 13 innings this postseason. The Phillies have scored just two runs for him in those two starts.
The Yankee Stadium crowd? I considered it a non-factor. I wasn’t alone. Jimmy Rollins was asked about the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium compared to other ballparks.
“It’s really more of a different atmosphere at our ballpark compared to the others,” he said. “Our ballpark is so loud and rowdy. I was really expecting some of that here, but it was very tame and civilized actually.”
In New York?
“Yeah,” Rollins said. “You only heard one big cheer and that was on the home runs. Other than that … those expensive are running the loud fans out.”
Rollins later was asked if this feels more like a World Series compared to last year’s series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“When we get to Philly it will,” Rollins said.
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Game 2 Lineup
Here is your Phillies lineup for Game 2 of the World Series:
- Jimmy Rollins, SS
- Shane Victorino, CF
- Chase Utley, 2B
- Ryan Howard, 1B
- Jayson Werth, RF
- Raul Ibanez, LF
- Matt Stairs, DH
- Pedro Feliz, 3B
- Carlos Ruiz, C
Pedro Martinez is on the mound.
The Yankees have Jose Molina behind the plate instead of Jorge Posada. They also have Jerry Hairston Jr. in right field in place of Nick Swisher. Otherwise their lineup remains the same.
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Greg Dobbs has the flu, and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Dobbs has been sent home. The Phillies do not seem to think the flu is too serious, and are not considering removing him from the 25-man roster. If they did that, Dobbs would be ineligible for the remainder of the season.
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Some Odds and Ends Before Game 2
It’s got to be the pen.
Charlie Manuel is a bit superstitious. Since last season he has been using the same orange-topped pens from Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York to write out his lineup cards.
“I started using those last year because we started winning games,” he said. “It’s just a pen.”
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Manuel gave each player a rubber duck before Game 1 of last year’s World Series. It was based off something Chase Utley likes to say when he feels his team is right: “Get that rubber duck out of your (butt).”
Manuel said he bought no rubber ducks this year, but he would order them if he feels they need them.
Based off Game 1, it doesn’t look like they do.
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Jay-Z and Alicia Keys will be performing “Empire State of Mind” before Game 2 tonight. Tired of that song yet? I’m sure you’ve seen it, but here is the NeeKo version.
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The Onion: Phillies Hope to End 364-Day World Series Drought. Someecards: Let’s terrify Yankees fans this Halloween by dressing up as Cliff Lee.
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Todd Zolecki
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