What happened?

The Phillies came from behind to defeat the Rockies to advance to the National League Championship Series for the second straight season.

Who did what?

Cliff Lee (ND) allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits in seven and a third. He walked three and stuck out five.

Shane Victorino went 2 for 5 with a homer (1), two runs, and an RBI.

Chase Utley went 1 for 2 with a run and three walks.

Ryan Howard went 1 for 4 with a double (3) and two RBIs.

Jayson Werth went 2 for 4 with a homer (2) and two RBIs.

Ryan Madson (W, 1-0) allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk.

Brad Lidge (S, 2) struck out one in one-third of an inning to earn his second save of the post season.

Ubaldo Jimenez (ND) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings.

Troy Tulowitzki went 1 for 5 with a double (2) and an RBI.

Yorvit Torrealba went 2 for 4 with a double (2) and two RBIs.

Jason Giambi went 1 for 1 with a run and an RBI.

Huston Street (L, 0-2) allowed three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. He walked and struck out one.

What does this mean?

Has everyone caught their breath? Yes? Oh, one guy in the back? Take your time, champ. Drink it in.

One inning after the Phillies damn near had the NLDS wrapped up, they were down to their final out. Then their final strike. And then their final out again. And then they had the lead. And then the Rockies had the tying run on base. And then the winning run was on base. And then there was silence. The deafening silence that is found only when the unthinkable has happened, and no one can muster so much as a syllable, for their tongues crawled into the pit of their stomachs.

That was the mood in Colorado tonight, as 50,000 baseball fans witnessed a pitcher’s duel for seven innings, only to be followed by a comeback from the home team, which was then washed away with a three-run dagger from the visitors, who reclaimed their rightful lead en route to their title defense.

But allow me to back up a bit.

The Phillies got off to a fast start, with Shane Victorino lining a solo shot in the top of the first to jump out to an 1-0 lead. Despite making Jimenez throw a lot of pitches early on, the Phillies couldn’t break through, as they failed to scored with a bases loaded, one out situation in the third. In the sixth, Jayson Werth added a solo shot to give the Phillies a two-run lead.

Cliff Lee followed up his complete game effort in the series opener with another solid start, this time allowing one earned run in seven and a third. Despite running into some trouble in the first inning, Lee would toss five shutout innings before  Troy Tulowitzki double brought home Todd Helton for Colorado’s first run in the bottom half of the sixth. Lee would pitch around an error in the bottom of the seventh, before heading to the hill in the bottom of the eighth to preserve a 2-1 Phillies lead.

After retiring Carlos Gonzales for the first out of the inning, Lee walked Dexter Fowler on four (great) pitches to bring up Helton. With Fowler at first, Helton hit a knubber to Chase Utley for what looked to be an inning ending double play. Fowler, trying to avoid Utley, literally leap-frogged Chase, whose shovel pass to Jimmy Rollins was bobbled, allowing Fowler to be safe at second.

It was the end of the night for Cliff Lee, who was pulled in favor of Ryan Madson, brought on to face Tulowitzki with two on and one out. Tulowitzki hit a dying line drive to left, which was fielded by Ben Francisco, who made a spectacular diving catch to record the out and prevent the tying run from scoring.

Madson wouldn’t be so lucky with the next hitter, as Jason Giambi blooped a single to left field to bring home the tying run. With the score at two-all, Yorvit Torrealba laced a two-run double to center, giving the Rockies a 4-2 lead heading into the top of the ninth.

Huston Street, who recorded a save in game two of the series, struck out Greg Dobbs to start the ninth. Jimmy Rollins beat out an infield single before being erased on a fielders choice grounder off the bat of Shane Victorino for the second out of the inning. After Chase Utley walked, Ryan Howard delivered a two out, two run double to right field to drive in Victorino and Utley to tie the game at four. With Howard at second, Werth blooped a single to center to score Howard and to give the Phillies the lead.

With a one run lead, Charlie Manuel turned to Scott Eyre to record the final three outs. After recording the first two outs, Eyre allowed a single to Todd Helton to put runners on first and second. With Troy Tulowitzki looming, Brad Lidge came on to record the final out of the game, a strikeout on a 2-2 slider.

And here they are, yet again, heading to the National League Championship Series to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Without question, this is among the best (if not THE best) come from behind win of the season for the Phillies. Early on, the Phillies couldn’t seem to solve Ubaldo Jimenez, and twice they squandered one-out, bases loaded situations. Things looked to be over after the Rockies rallied in the eighth, but the Phillies proved, yet again, that this game has 27 outs – and they play every. Single. One.

Three Most Important Things:

1. Cliff Lee once again came up big. If not for Jimmy’s error in the eighth, he might have the W next to his name.

2. The Phillies’ offense once again comes up big against a tough pitcher.

3. Brad Lidge recorded his second save in as many nights.

What’s next for our 2009 National League East Division Series Champions?

The Phillies are facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS for the second straight season, with Cole Hamels (0-1, 7.20) taking on Joe Tibba (No record) in game one.

Rocktober comes crashing down. BEAT LA.

What happened?

Brad Lidge earned his first save of the post season as the Phillies took game three of the NLDS to take a 2-1 series lead.

Who did what?

Jay Happ (ND) allowed three runs on five hits in three innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 5 with a run.

Chase Utley went 2 for 4 with a homer (1) and an RBI.

Ryan Howard went 1 for 4 with two RBIs.

Carlos Ruiz went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Chad Durbin (W, 1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning to earn the win.

Brad Lidge (S, 1) walked two in a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

Jason Hammel (ND) allowed four runs on four hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Carlos Gonzalez went 3 for 4 with a double (2), a homer (1), three runs and an RBI.

Todd Helton went 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Garrett Atkins went 2 for 4 with a double (2) and two RBIs.

What does this mean?

Three quick hits about tonight’s game:

1. The Phillies came up huge with runners on base, to the tune of 4 for 11 with RISP.

2. Carlos Ruiz totally loves October.

3. Brad Lidge earned the save.

(Also, I have a bone to pick with Major League Baseball. You see, the game just ended four minutes ago, at 2:16 EST. That’s a problem, because the late start time effectively wiped out a good portion of the fans watching on the east coast. It didn’t need to be this way, of course. They didn’t need to start this game at 10 PM. In fact, it could have very easily started two hours earlier. Allow me to explain: At noon Sunday, the Angels/Red Sox game started. If you allow four hours for your typical AL game, it means you could start the second game of the day (Yankees/Twins) at 4 PM. Allowing another four hours to play, that means you can start the third game (Phillies/Rockies) at 8PM. If someone (Bud Selig, I’m looking in your direction) had any amount of common sense, then I’m not dreading a night of four hours sleep. Granted, this game would have ended just past midnight, but it’s a much, much better alternative than 2Am.

Big picture, the MLB is doing a fine, fine job of alienating their fans with the late start times. We have this discussion every. Single. Year. Yet, nothing ever changes. Let’s fix this, Bud. There is NO excuse for this to happen. The fact that the game in Denver, Colorado (where it gets cold) had to have the latest start time as opposed to a domed stadium (where it doesn’t get cold) is inexcusable. It’s ridiculous that these players had to take the field as late as they did, when they could have taken the field four hours earlier, when the weather was much (or at least a little bit) warmer.

Sorry for the rant, folks. I’ll have an actual recap up tomorrow. G’night.)

What’s next for our 2009 National League East Division Champion Heroes?

In game four of the series, the Phillies go for the series victory as Cliff Lee (1-0, 1.00) takes on Ubaldo Jimenez (0-1, 9.00).

What happened?

Cole Hamels allowed four runs in five innings as the Rockies held off a late Phillies rally to take game two of the series. The series is tied at a game apiece.

Who did what?

Cole Hamels (L, 0-1) allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out five.

Shane Victorino went 3 for 5 with a run.

Chase Utley went 1 for 4 with a run.

Ryan Howard went 2 for 4 with a double (2) and an RBI.

Jayson Werth went 1 for 4 with a homer (1) and an RBI.

Raul Ibanez went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Aaron Cook (W, 1-0) allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Carlos Gonzalez went 3 for 5 with a run.

Todd Helton went 1 for 5 with an RBI.

Yorvit Torrealba went 2 for 3 with a homer (1) and two RBIs.

Huston Street (S, 1) walked one and allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth.

What does this mean?

When you think about it, it all came down to one pitch.

It was the top of the fourth, and the Phillies were trailing 1-0. Cole Hamels, despite allowing a first inning run, was looking every bit like the MVP of last October. With a man on first and two outs, the lefty was looking for this third straight scoreless inning, and Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba was all that stood in the way.

On a 1-1 count, Hamels went to his curve ball, his third best pitch. Torrealba promptly deposited the offering into the left field seats to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead, and essentially, the game.

Hamels, who had been cruising through the lineup, wouldn’t get back into a rythm. After getting the lead off hitter in the fifth, he gave up a single to the pitcher on a 1-2 count, followed by a double to Carlos Gonzalez to put men on second and third. Carlos Gonzalez drove home a run on a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-0 affair. The inning would end on a Todd Helton popup, but the damage had been done to Cole. His day was done, and his line was far from respectable.

And it all goes back to that curveball.

Before Torrealba gave the Rockies a three run lead, Hamels was in control. He was spotting his fastball on the corners, which he used to set up his bread and butter pitch, the changeup. It was that same formula that made him so successful in 2008; the same formula that he used through the first four innings of today’s game.

But the curve that he never quite could figure out reared its ugly head, and at the worst possible time. Maybe it’s irrelevant, because the Rockies could have jumped on his fastball or caught a high changeup and they could have wont he game anyway. But maybe not.

Whatever the case may be, the Phillies are now even with the Rockies as the series shifts to Colorado, where literally tens of Rockies fans will be waiting to greet their hometown heroes, awash in a sea Denny Neagle and Dante Bichette jerseys, recently sprung from their musty, moth infested asylum.

Although the Phillies have lost home field advantage, they can take solace in the fact that their rotation is much deeper than that of Colorado’s. With Pedro, Joe Blanton and Jay Happ all on standby, the Rockies have only Jason Marquis or Jason Hammel to turn to for the final games of the series. Advantage: Philadephia.

It was a tough game to lose, especially having won eight straight postseason games at The Bank. No matter, the Phillies are still the game’s best road team – something that we can all expect them to carry into Colorado.

What’s next for our 2009 National League East Division Champion Heroes?

The Phillies head to Colorado for game three of the series. Pitchers have not been announced, but you can be sure a pitcher from the Phillies will toe the rubber and face off against a pitcher from the Rockies. (This is hard hitting journalism, folks.)

CITIZENS BANK PARK

Thursday 10/8 at 2:37PM

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What happened?

Cliff Lee dominated the Rockies over nine innings to lead the Phillies to a victory in the first game of the National League Division Series.

Who did what?

Cliff Lee (W, 1-0) allowed one run on six hits in nine innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter, while going 1 for 2 with a stolen base (1) at the dish.

Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 4.

Shane Victorino went 1 for 4 with a double (1).

Chase Utley went 1 for 4 with a run.

Ryan Howard went 2 for 4 with a double (1), a run, and an RBI.

Jayson Werth went 2 for 3 with a triple (1), two runs and an RBI.

Raul Ibanez went 2 for 4 with a double (1), a run, and two RBIs.

Pedro Feliz went 1 for 4.

Carlos Ruiz went 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Oooooh snap, son. Did that just happen?

Yes, it did.

EVERYBODY HITS! (Playoff Edition)

In honer of such a momentous occasion, here is a picture of the co-o-o-lest Phillies fan in town, courtesy of @cranekickers. They say that the glasses make the man, amirite?

Ubaldo Jimenez (L, 0-1) allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Carlos Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with a run.

Troy Tulowitzki went 2 for 4 with a double (1) and an RBI.

What does this mean?

If Cliff Lee was affected by the pomp and circumstance of the big stage, then he’s got an awfully funny way of showing it.

The veteran lefty, making his first career postseason appearance in front of 46,000 Philadelphians, dominated the Colorado Rockies with a complete game, six hit gem that saw the Rockies cross the plate only once.

After allowing three hits in the first two innings, Lee retired 16 straight and 23 of his last 25 he faced. With a pitch count hovering in the low 100s, Lee was one strike away from recording a complete game shutout in his first October action until Troy Tulowitzki doubled to drive in Colorado’s only run of the game.

While Lee shut down the Rockies, the Phillies’ bats were being stifled early on by Ubaldo Jimenez, who held the offense at bay for the first four innings. It was in the fifth inning that the Phillies struck, when Jayson Werth walked to leadoff the inning. Raul Ibanez doubled to bring him in, and would score when Carlos Ruiz singled to right to make it a 2-0 game.

The Phillies went back to work in the sixth inning, as Chase Utley led of the bottom of the sixth with a single. After stealing second, he was plated on Ryan Howard’s double to left. Werth followed with an RBI triple, and would score on a single from Ibanez.

That would cap the scoring for the Phillies, but it was more than enough support for Cliff Lee, who is proving to be the best midseason acquisition in baseball.

It was just the start that the Phillies were looking for, and quite honestly, better than many could have expected. The Rockies were, just like in 2007, a team that headed into the playoffs with a head of steam and a starting pitcher that is among the best in the National League.

But the Phillies picked up where the left off in 2008: Winning at home. Today’s victory marks the eighth straight home playoff win for the Phillies, dating back to game one of last year’s NLDS versus the Milwaukee Brewers.

With today’s win, The Fightins are set up nicely for game two, as Cole Hamels, the reigning NLCS and World Series MVP, toes the rubber. Although his struggles this season are well documented, and while he didn’t end the season on a particularly high note, if there’s one thing about October baseball, it’s this: The cream always rises to the top.

What’s next for our 2009 National League East Division Champion Heroes?

In game two of the NLDS, Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32) takes on Aaron Cook (11-6, 4.16).

Charlie has set the Phillies NLDS roster. There are definitely a couple surprises and snubs in the roster. Here is the list as provided by Scott Lauber:

Pitchers (12): LH Cliff Lee (Game 1 starter), LH Cole Hamels (Game 2 starter), RH Joe Blanton, LH J.A. Happ, RH Pedro Martinez, RH Ryan Madson, RH Brad Lidge, LH Scott Eyre, RH Chad Durbin, RH Brett Myers, RH Kyle Kendrick, LH Antonio Bastardo.
Catchers (2): Carlos Ruiz, Paul Bako.
Infielders (6): Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz,Miguel Cairo, Greg Dobbs.
Outfielders (5): Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, Ben Francisco, Matt Stairs.

Yes you read correctly. No Eric Bruntlett (Thanks Phylan) and no Clay Condrey. That means Cairo takes Beardo’s place and Kyle Kendrick and Antonio Bastardo are in. The surprises are no Bruntlett, even though we were all crying for it, and Kyle Kendrick being in and the snub would have to go to Condrey. Yes Condrey was injured most of the second half but he has pitched decent after coming back. Tyler Walker could be considered a snub but personally I wouldn’t want him on my post season roster. Everyone else on the roster could pretty easily be labeled as no-brainers.

Anything you would have done different, or was Charlie dead on?

CITIZENS BANK PARK

Wednesday 10/7 at 2:37PM

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As many “experts” predicted, the Phillies won the series in four games. The pitching throughout has been excellent (Moyer’s first inning on Saturday night excepted), and the bats have been productive enough to get the Fightin’s to Round Two.

On Thursday, the Phillies host the L.A. Dodgers, who did us an enormous favor by knocking out the snake-bitten Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers will return to the Bank for the first time since getting swept in a four-game series in late August.

I’m quite ecstatic, at least as much as I can be without waking up my seven-month-old son. Our pitchers have plenty of time to rest their arms and prepare for Man-Ram and company. This is good, and it makes me happy.

As for the Eagles: you ruined what could have been a perfect day. You make me sad. Go to Hell.

Normally, I could care less than nothing about what the “experts” say. For what it’s worth, they and their opinions can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

Unless, of course, they’re telling me exactly what I want to hear.

Over at ESPN.com, the baseball geek committee have submitted their picks for the winner of the Phils-Brewers NLDS. Milwaukee fans, now would be a good time to click over to the Onion…

If this turns to be some kind of a coordinated jinx, then simply print out the above image and let it serve you as a handy-dandy, “Kill Bill”-style revenge list.

• TonyIsDynamic on Phils Re-Sign Chan Ho P- err, Sign Jose Contreras
• will.H on Phils Re-Sign Chan Ho P- err, Sign Jose Contreras
• HS on Ex-Phillies 3rd base coach is a contestant on ‘The Amazing Race’
• HS on CSN cameras catch David Murphy trying to mack on Amy Fadool
• World Fargin Skinny Cholly Champion '010 on Phils Re-Sign Chan Ho P- err, Sign Jose Contreras