Tag: CC Sabathia (Page 3 of 17)

      Utley keeps season alive for Phillies

      November 3, 2009 /

      In the end, it wasn’t Cliff Lee who saved the Phillies’ season, but second baseman Chase Utley. Okay, so Lee definitely helped. But it was Utley who supplied most of the spark.

      Utley hit two home runs and finished with four RBI as the Phillies hung on to beat the Yankees 8-6 in Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night. Utley hit a three-run dinger in the bottom of the first inning to kick the scoring off for Philadelphia, and then later added a solo shot in the seventh to give the Phillies a much-needed scoring cushion. Only Utley and Reggie Jackson have hit five home runs in a single World Series.

      This is a game that many expected the Phillies to win with Lee on the mound. The ace wasn’t as dominant as he was in Game 1, as he allowed five runs on seven hits, but he did go seven innings to earn the win and only walked three batters.

      With two games left, the Yankees are still in a great position to wrap this series up. It’s hard to beat the same team three times in a row, nevertheless twice on their home field. The pitching matchups also favor the Yankees if the series goes seven games, because CC Sabathia would start Game 7 in New York, while Philadelphia won’t have Lee for that potentially pivotal game.

      That said, crazier things have happened and I’m sure the Phillies are taking things one game at a time. They needed three before tonight and now they only need two. Utley and Lee have given them a shot to come back.

      MLB

      Yankees take 2-1 series lead with Game 3 win

      November 1, 2009 /

      Apparently all Nick Swisher needed was a fire lit under his ass.

      Swisher, benched in Game 2, homered and doubled in the Yankees’ 8-5 win over the Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday night. With the victory, New York takes a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series.

      Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui also went deep for the Bronx Bombers. A-Rod’s shot was memorable because it was the first call overturned by replay in the history of the World Series. He finished 1 for 2 on the night with two RBI and a walk, while Swisher went 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI.

      The Phillies got two home runs from Jayson Werth and one from Carlos Ruiz to take a 3-0 lead in the second inning. But the Yankees answered with two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings on their way to victory. Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels was touched up for five runs on five hits in just 4.1 innings of work. He struck out three and walked two.

      With this win, the Yankees have the Phillies right where they want them because CC Sabathia opposes Joe Blanton tomorrow night. But a win is vital for the Bombers because if they lose, not only will Philly even the series but it’ll also have the momentum with Cliff Lee (who beat the Yankees in Game 1) starting Game 5.

      Tomorrow is critical for Joe Girardi, who decided to start Sabathia on only three days rest. If the Yankees can’t take a 3-1 series lead, then Girardi’s gamble could wind up costing his club.

      MLB

      Blanton to start Game 4 for Phillies – not Lee

      October 30, 2009 /

      Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has decided to start Joe Blanton in Game 4 of the World Series instead of ace Cliff Lee on short rest.

      What this means is that Lee won’t be available for a possible Game 7 because he’ll pitch Game 5 now. Considering Lee has never started on short rest in his career, Manuel may have had little choice but to pitch Blanton in Game 4.

      Blanton started Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays in last year’s World Series and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter in a 10-2 Philadelphia win. So he has World Series experience and shouldn’t be fazed by the pressure, although he did allow four runs in six innings against the Dodgers in his only postseason start this season.

      It’ll be interesting to see how New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi counters the move. There was talk that CC Sabathia would start Game 4, but Girardi may decide to save his ace to face Lee again in Game 5. Considering several Yankees (including Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez) have had success off Blanton in the past, Girardi might want to save Sabathia in order to go toe to toe with Lee.

      The chess game begins…

      MLB

      Lee, Utley power Phillies over Yankees in Game 1

      October 28, 2009 /

      The Phillies gave up quite the package to acquire starter Cliff Lee from the Indians at the trade deadline, but that doesn’t matter much now because he was definitely worth it.

      Lee shut down the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series, taking a shutout into the ninth inning of a 6-1 Phillies’ win. If it weren’t for Jimmy Rollins throwing the ball away in the ninth to give New York a run, Lee would have earned a shutout, although he’ll certainly take a 10-strike out, zero-walk performance.

      Chase Utley gave Lee and Philadelphia all the offense they needed, as he hit two solo shots off New York ace CC Sabathia. With his first home run of the game, Utley reached base in his 26th-straight postseason game, which broke Boog Powell’s record from 1966-71. He was also the first player to hit two dingers in Game 1 of a World Series since Troy Glaus accomplished the feat in 2002 against the Giants.

      If the trends from previous World Series hold up, the Yankees are in trouble. In the last six years, the team that has won Game 1 have all gone on to win the series, just as the Phillies did last year when they beat the Rays 3-2 in the 2008 opener.

      Philadelphia played like a team that had been to the World Series the year before, while New York seemed a little uptight. Not to take anything away from Lee, but it’s a little absurd for a Yankees lineup so filled with talent to only produce one run – especially given the park they play in. It was impressive how calm and collected Philadelphia’s players were, it almost seemed like they were playing in a spring training game.

      Now all the pressure is on the Yankees to win Game 2, because they can’t fall behind 0-2 and then hit the road for three. The Phillies essentially accomplished their goal of winning one game in New York, but if they take Game 2 they’ll certainly be in the driver’s seat when they head back home.

      MLB

      Sabathia, A-Rod carry Yankees again

      October 21, 2009 /

      For the time being, CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez have completely silenced their critics.

      Sabathia held the Angels to one earned run over eight innings on Tuesday night as the Yankees earned a 10-1 victory to go up three-games-to-one in the ALCS. Rodriguez went three-for-four on the night with three runs scored, two RBI and a home run, which was his third of the postseason.

      Both of these players have been ridiculed in the past for their lousy postseason play, but are now carrying their club. Sabathia is absolutely dominating hitters while pitching late into ballgames, while A-Rod is hitting a scoring .375, which leads all New York batters.

      This win was huge for the Yankees because if they can’t close things out in Game 5, the Angels have to go back to New York for two games. If the Yankees can’t win one of two at home, then they didn’t deserve to go to the World Series anyway.

      MLB

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑