What happened?

Cole Hamels was ineffective in his third straight postseason start, as the Yankees won the third game of the series to take a 2-1 lead.

Who did what?

Cole Hamels (L, 0-1) allowed five runs on five hits in four and a third. He walked two and struck out three.

Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 4 with an RBI.

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

Pedro Feliz went 1 for 4 with a double (1) and a run.

Carlos Ruiz went 1 for 2 with a homer (1), and an RBI.

Andy Pettitte (W, 1-0) allowed four runs on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out seven. He went 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Johnny Damon went 1 for 5 with a double (1) and a run.

Alex Rodriguez went 1 for 2 with a homer (1) and two RBIs.

Nick Swisher went 2 for 4 with a double (1), a homer (1) and an RBI.

What does this mean?

Another start from Cole Hamels, and another wistful glance to another time.

Despite setting down the Yankees early and often, Hamels ran into trouble in the fourth inning, which was the beginning of the end for the struggling lefty. After allowing a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez, he allowed three more runs to score in the fifth before he was pulled after recording one out in the inning.

And this time, it wasn’t a lingering injury or a botched play by the middle infielders that spelled his demise. It was his curveball. The same curveball that has haunted Cole throughout the season, the same curveball that he just can’t quite get a handle on, and the same curveball that he used sparingly during the first go-round in this game.

Notwithstanding the homer by Rodriguez, which could have been a double, Hamels was still pitching a very good game. He was locating this fastball and using his changeup with the same level of effectiveness that made him so dominant during the 2008 campaign.

But it was during the top of the fifth inning, with the bottom of the order coming up, that Hamels lost control of the game. After getting ahead 0-2 on Nick Swisher, Hamels threw a hanging curve on a 2-2 count that Swisher roped for a double to left. Two batters later, Hamels tossed a curve on the first pitch to Andy Pettitte, who promptly deposited the offering into shallow center to tie the game at three.

From that moment on, it was all New York, as the Yankees took the lead and never looked back. The Phillies bullpen, which has been a strength for most of October, gave up three more runs , while the offense failed to do much of anything off a mediocre Yankees’ pen.

But the issue in this game, as it’s been the entire post season, is Cole Hamels. As good as he has looked in all of his starts, he can never quite get over the hump and capture the same success that saw him win the 2008 World Series MVP.

To be fair, Hamels looked very sharp for the first four innings. Even after he gave up the homer to A-Rod, he recorded two quick outs to end the inning. It appeared to be nothing more than a small hiccup in what looked to be a very solid start from Cole.

Unfortunately for Cole, the offense couldn’t bail him out, as they did in his previous two starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They took the early lead against Andy Pettitte, but any signs of life from the bats disappeared after the fifth inning, as they couldn’t get anything going against the Yankees bullpen.

As bad as this game was, the reality is that they are only down by one game. And if there is one thing that his team is good at, it’s rallying after a tough loss.

What’s next for our heroes?

In game four, the Phillies send Joe Blanton (0-0, 4.66) to the mound to take on C.C. Sabathia (3-1, 1.52).

In the fourth inning of tonight’s game, Cole Hamels was efficiently mowing down the New York Yankees, making his three run lead look more and more insurmountable with each pitch. After walking Mark Teixiera on an oh-so-close pitch (Fox Trax revealed it would have been the third strike), Hamels gave up a line drive to right field to Alex Rodriguez that appeared to carom off the top of the wall for a double.

Upon further review, it appeared the ball actually hit the right field camera. Joe Girardi argued the call, and the umpires would review it and overturn the original ruling to give A-Rod a homer.

It was the first case of instant replay being used in the World Series, and while it would ordinarily be a celebration of MLB actually doing something that is beneficial to the game, it would, in fact, further muddy the waters of what has been some already poor officiating in the postseason.

Why? See for yourself.

Photo courtesy Big League Stew

It appears that the camera is actually hanging over the metal fencing in right field, and seeing that A-Rod’s hit connected with the camera on the way down, it is quite plausible that the ball would have caromed off the top of the fence and back into play for a double.

However, the camera’s presence there makes a bad situation worse, as there is no way, not with the naked eye and the available angles, that the umpires could have determined that the ball would have left the yard. At least, not with any sort of conclusiveness.

What say you, readers? Was the camera in the field of play? Did it have an impact on A-Rod’s homer? Will the MLB ever have a postseason where Murphy doesn’t have tickets to every game? Will Wanda Sykes ever be funny?

What happened?

A.J. Burnett shut down the Phillies offense as the Yankees took game two of the World Series to even it at one apiece.

Who did what?

Pedro Martinez (L, 0-1) allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out eight.

Matt Stairs went

A.J. Burnett (W, 1-0 ) allowed one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out nine.

Mark Teixiera went 1 for 3 with a homer (1) and an RBI.

Hideki Matsui went 2 for 3 with a homer (1) and an RBI.

Jorge Posada went 1 for 1 with an RBI.

Mariano Rivera (S, 1) pitched two shutout innings to earn the save.

What does this mean?

Pedro was good, but A.J. was better.

Despite only allowing three runs in six plus innings, Pedro Martinez couldn’t quite capture the magic that saw him toss seven shutout innings in his only start in the NLCS. He was solid against a tough Yankees lineup, but one well placed pitch to Hedeki Matsui was all it took to derail his first World Series start since 2004.

After taking a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning, Pedro allowed a leadoff homer to Mark Teixeira to even things at one. He worked a scoreless fifth, and after striking out Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez to start the sixth, he allowed a solo shot to Matsui to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

It would be all the Yankees would need, as the Phillies would be unable to mount any offense the rest of the way. Their only run of the game came in the second inning, when Matt Stairs singled in Raul Ibanez to take a 1-0 lead.

A.J. Burnett was superb over seven innings, striking out nine and never giving the Phillies a chance to mount a serious threat.

Their best chance to strike came in the eighth inning, when Marino Rivera allowed a one out walk to Jimmy Rollins and a single to Shane Victorino to bring the go ahead run to the plate, in the form of Chase Utley. Utley worked the count full, but grounded into a double play to end the inning and the rally.

It was a solid showing for Pedro Martinez, but unfortunately, the offense couldn’t quite get the job done. With the series even at one, the fate of the Phillies falls into the hands of Cole Hamels, who has the arduous task of facing off against Andy Pettitte in game three on Saturday night.

What’s next for our 2009 National League Champions?

In game three of the World Series, Cole Hamels (1-1, 6.75) takes on Andy Pettitte (2-0, 2.37).

What happened?

Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees over nine innings to lead the Phillies to a 1-0 lead in the World Series.

Who did what?

Cliff Lee (W, 1-0) allowed one unearned run on six hits in nine innings while striking out ten.

Jimmy Rollins went 1 for 4 with a run and a stolen base (1).

Shane Victorino went 1 for 4 with a run and an RBI.

Chase Utley went 2 for 4 with two homers (2) and two RBIs.

Ryan Howard went 2 for 5 with two doubles (2) and an RBI.

Raul Ibanez went 1 for 4 with two RBIs.

C.C. Sabathia (L, 0-1) allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out six.

Derek Jeter went 3 for 4 with a double (1) and a run.

What does this mean?

Eight down, three to go.

The Philadelphia Phillies, on the strength of Chase Utley’s bat and Cliff Lee’s arm, took the first game of the World Series as they defeated the Yankees by a score of 6-1.

With C.C. Sabathia on the mound, the Phillies knew that this date with destiny was sure to be an ardous one. But as the Phillies have proven, it’s not the size of the man in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the man.

The offense made C.C. work, as they worked themselves into deep counts to drive up his pitch count early on. But for all their patience, they came away empty handed in the early innings, as they left the bases loaded in the first.

They struck in the third inning on a solo shot by Chase Utley, but would be stifled by Sabathia, who would go on to set the next eight hitters down in order, until Utley found himself at the plate in the top of the sixth. With two strikes, Utley delivered another solo shot to pad the lead to 2-0.

It would prove to be all the offense the Phillies would need, but they would add two more in the top of the eighth on a two out, two run single from Raul Ibanez, and then two more in the ninth on RBI singles from Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard.

While the offense showed no signs up rust, it was Cliff Lee who stole the show in the Bronx. He was dominant against a superb Yankees lineup, allowing only one runner to reach second base in the first eight innings. He struck out 10 while not walking any.

Truthfully, the box score does not do any justice to Lee’s start. To put it bluntly, the Yankees never had a chance with him on the hill. From the first inning on, he absolutely owned them. As good as he was in his last start against the Dodgers, he was even better against the Yankees, in what could go down in the books as one of the greatest post season starts this decade.

With game one in the books, the Phillies now set their sights on game two, where they will send Pedro Martinez to the hill to take on A.J. Burnett. With the momentum on their side, they can put a hammerlock on the series with a strong showing in game two.

What’s next for our 2009 National League Champion heroes?

In game two, Pedro Martinez (0-0, 0.00) faces off against A.J. Burnett (0-0, 4.42).

First, let me say that I hope your respective teams’ off-seasons are going well. By now, Chipper Jones has probably bagged his fourth or fifth ten-point buck, and Jason Varitek is putting the finishing touches on his backswing. Sounds nice and relaxing, doesn’t it, and why not? Those fellas worked hard. They’re not sitting around feeling miserable about what might have been, so why should you?

Now, I’ve seen a few things here and there while perusing the ol’ blogosphere lately that have me a bit concerned. It seems that many of you who happen to be fans of teams like the Red Sox and the Mets have decided to root for the Phillies to beat the Yankees in this World Series. In your collective wisdom, you and others like you have reached the conclusion that because they are considered the lesser of two evils, the Phillies are worthy of your support.

Speaking as a Phillies fan, I would just like to say this in response: Take that support and cram it far, far up into your ass. We don’t want you rooting for our team. Fuck off. Really.

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Here we have the newest Adidas/Dick’s Sporting Goods collabo wherein Big Brown and Bossman Junior argue over which facet of their game was more beneficial to their team’s playoff success.

Howard contends you get to the Series with power, homers, and offense; while B.J. claims you need speed, stolen bases, and defense. Personally, I don’t think it matters how you get there, as long as your 3-4 hitters don’t hit a combined 3-for-37 once you finally do.

(A tip of my World Series Champion Phillies cap to Professer Cork Gaines of Rays Index)

While you were busy out Rocking the Vote, Vietnamese child laborers were making sure you could enjoy the Phils victory via candy-coated chocolates.

Now available, Phillies M&M’s! I’m pretty sure they do this for every team, and this isn’t as good as the Free Taco promotion, but the Phillies ones have World Series logos on ‘em.

I personally don’t care for candy. Let me know when they have other pill-shaped objects with Phillies logos on them. Those I’ll drop a couple Hamiltons on. So pop a couple of these babies in your freezer (next to the animal carcasses you plan to throw at Stephen Drew), they will only be made every 28 years.

Suck on these (more puns!!! OMGLOLZ!!) Tampa!

Wait a second, is there something missing on this next one?

Brian Knobbs’s fat ass will have to just settle for ordinary Tampa M&M’s.

Yup, it was that kind of night for the Fightin’s.

This handsome devil, Kerwin Danley, decided in the middle of punching out Rocco Baldelli on a check-swing strike three to appeal to first base. The first base umpire ruled that Baldelli had not in fact completed his swing, and instead of heading back to the dugout Baldelli was awarded first base. The Rays would later score in that inning on their way to a 4-2 victory.

Danley’s second screw-up of the night was missing a pitch that brushed Rollins’ jersey, which technically counts as being hit by a pitch. Rollins was not awarded first base and ended his at-bat by flying out to left field. Bad calls and missed opportunities were the order of the day for Game 2.

Whatever. Danley’s mistakes didn’t cause the Phillies to continue their hitless streak with runners in scoring position, nor did it cause a fielding error by Jayson Werth. The biggest cause of their defeat last night was themselves, plain and simple. The hitting has to get better. Howard finally came to life, going 2-for-5, but Rollins, Utley and Burrell went 0-for-14, stranding nine runners between them. The box score shows the Phillies left 26 men stranded on base, many of them in scoring position. That’s just inexcusable, and it’s how series are lost.

Griping aside, the Rays played a hell of a game last night and James Shields came up big in a must-win situation. Those guys deserve to be here, and they’re not about to go down without a fight.

The silver lining to all this is that the Phillies split the first two games at Not Made From Concentrate Field, which is about as well as could be expected. But sooner or later the offense will have to regain their mojo, especially with Garza taking the mound against a shaky Moyer in Game 3.

So in conclusion, the Fightin’s come back to Philly for a three-game set, tied 1-1 with Tampa (Bay). The Rays will be in a hitter-friendly stadium (which doesn’t exactly hurt them, but still). It will be cold. It will be wet. There are no freaky-deaky catwalks coming into play. The pitchers have to hit. The crowd will be INSANE. Let’s hope that provides all the advantages the Phillies will need.

Until tomorrow night (weather permitting)… GO PHILS!

(Read more about last night’s game — if you’re in a masochistic kind of mood — over on Todd Zolecki’s blog.)

Philly vs. Tampa means old school WWFers Hulk Hogan and Brian Knobbs versus ECW (which was founded in Philadelphia).

Now technically, I don’t know if the Sandman is a Phillies fan, but he’s from Philly. Bring it on, Hulkster.

E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W!

*Recorded last night at the Trocadero in Philly…*

Okay, maybe Amon Amarth’s Johan Hegg saying “[I don't know much about baseball,but]I hear the Phillies are in the World Series. I hope you guys win that motherfucker” was just a ‘[insert town] has the best fans in the world’ kinda statement.

But fuck that.

Amon Amarth is the best band on the planet (sorry, Satyricon). The ‘Tard has 2* passions, epic Viking metal and the Phillies, and the man-beast that is named Johan just combined them both. I almost creamed my pants, shit my pants, and cried simultaneously when he said that (yes, that is my shitty $70 camera recording that!). You’d cry too, brah. No one commands a stage like Johan Hegg. He’s like the Tom Brady of stage commanding, except he’s not a fuckin’ pussy.

That moment just put a cherry topping on a turd of a weekend for the ‘Tard.

Just remember one thing.

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