Tag: Cole Hamels (Page 3 of 6)

      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

      Rockies even up NLDS with Phillies

      October 8, 2009 /

      Catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s two-run homer helped the Rockies edge the Phillies 5-4 on Tuesday to even up the NLDS at one game apiece.

      From MLB.com:

      Ace Aaron Cook pitched five strong innings before turning the contest over to a bullpen that was constructed solidly, if on the run. Carlos Gonzalez had three hits (after two hits in the first game), Dexter Fowler drove in two runs on sacrifice flies, and Yorvit Torrealba knocked a two-run shot — his first home run in five months.

      What it adds up to is a golden chance for the Rockies to add to an improbable story that started with them going 18-28 out of the gate and replacing manager Clint Hurdle with Jim Tracy. After escaping Philadelphia and its raucous crowds — 46,528, which topped Wednesday’s Citizens Bank Park record — with a split, the Rockies will be greeted by their own wild crowd at Coors Field on Saturday night and Sunday.

      The Phils cracked Cook in the sixth when Shane Victorino and Chase Utley singled, and Ryan Howard doubled for one run. Jose Contreras replaced Cook, fanned Jayson Werth and gave up Raul Ibanez’s two-run single. Pedro Feliz singled, but Contreras worked Carlos Ruiz into a double-play grounder.

      Ryan Spilborghs led off the seventh with a double, and would score on Fowler’s one-out fly ball. The Rockies missed a chance to add to the lead in the eighth, when Phils lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo fanned pinch-hitter Jason Giambi with the bases loaded to end the inning.
      However, the Rockies’ bullpen kept the lead. Matt Belisle, who spent most of the season in the Minors but earned a playoff roster spot with a strong final three weeks, threw a perfect seventh. Rafael Betancourt, acquired from the Indians in July, gave up a Werth two-out homer in the eighth. But Franklin Morales, who also spent time in the Minors, ended the threat by coaxing an Ibanez grounder.

      This was a huge win for the Rockies because they’ve played so well at home this year, and rather inconsistent on the road at times. To earn a split (especially in the second game) on the road was big, because now the momentum favors Colorado and puts pressure on Philadelphia to go cross-country and play well on the road.

      Torrealba has been a nice role player over the years and it’s nice to see a guy that plays the game the right way get some recognition for his efforts. He’s a tough-nosed player and a fierce competitor. His play today no doubt lifted he and his team’s confidence.

      MLB

      Mikey’s MLB Power Rankings

      October 3, 2009 /

      We are barreling toward the playoffs, which begin next week. But some of the races are not determined officially yet…namely, the Rockies have clinched a playoff berth but still have a shot at the division title. The Twins are hanging tough, having fended off elimination one more day. Other than that, the races are decided. Here are the final power rankings for the regular season…..

      1. New York Yankees (102-58)—Absolutely no signs of slowing down, and that’s probably a good thing with the playoffs looming.

      2. Los Angeles Angels (95-65)—Will this be the year the Angels finally break their playoff curse against the Red Sox?

      3. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-67)—These guys have been playing mediocre ball since Manny came back, and now they are in danger of blowing the division lead.

      4. Boston Red Sox (93-67)—The Sox seem to be able to beat up on everyone except the Yankees. And that could prove to be a problem in the next two weeks.

      5. Philadelphia Phillies (92-68)—No matter who the closer is, this team has to like its chances with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels going 1-2 in a short series.

      6. St. Louis Cardinals (91-69)—Sometimes coasting to the division title makes a team complacent, and winning 4 of 10 games is complacent. Plus, the NL matchups are yet to be determined, so the Cards don’t know who their first opponent will be.

      7. Colorado Rockies (92-68)—You don’t get as hot as the Rockies, who are 74-40 since Jim Tracy took over as manager. I mean, are you kidding me? I’d be really worried if I were any other team these guys might face in the postseason.

      8. Detroit Tigers (85-75)—They’ve been in first place just about since day one, but the feisty Twins are making live miserable. Still, the Tigers have had to fight and that could give them momentum against the Yankees. Well, if they hang on to win the division.

      9. Minnesota Twins (84-76)—They earn a spot here because they are still in the race.

      10. San Francisco Giants (87-73)—Lots of promise this season, but couldn’t fend off a white hot Rockies team in the end.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Pedro Martinez a good signing for Phils

      July 15, 2009 /

      Any time a team can add a three-time Cy Young winner who has a World Series ring and can still throw 90 mph as a fifth starter, it’s usually a good thing. And when that three-time Cy Young winner only costs the club $1 million, it’s a great thing.

      The defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies signed Pedro Martinez to a one-year, $1 million contract on Wednesday in hopes he can rekindle some of the magic that has made him an eight-time All-Star over his career. While they did have to immediately place him on the 15-day DL with an shoulder strain, the club thinks that Martinez might be ready to pitch on July 30 when the Phillies open a series in San Francisco.

      This was a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Phils. Given Philly’s offensive firepower, Martinez essentially just has to give the club quality outings. They don’t need him to strikeout 10 batters a game or work into the eighth inning every outing, they just need him to stay healthy and keep them in ballgames. And even if he doesn’t stay healthy, then the Phillies would be in no worse shape then they were before they signed him.

      If Pedro pitches well and the Phils can hold off the Marlins, Braves and Mets in the NL East, then the Phillies will have a starting postseason rotation of Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Martinez, with Jamie Moyer moving to the pen to provide some long relief. That’s not a bad rotation, especially if Happ (6-0, 2.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) can continue pitching as well as he has up to this point in the season.

      Again, if Martinez’s arm or shoulder craps out again, then the Phillies essentially waste $1 million this year. But if he pitches well, then he was worth the investment – especially considering he wanted $5 million for one season (or so reports claim).

      MLB

      MLB All-25 and Younger Team

      June 8, 2009 /

      There’s a different feel to baseball again – a good feeling.

      Yeah, I know – there are probably still plenty of players who are cheating. But at least the league is (finally) making somewhat of an effort to clean up its image and for that, we as fans have hope that maybe someday the game will be juice-free again.

      Those who have watched their fair share of baseball this season should be reveling in how the game is getting younger again. Instead of teams waiting for dingers in order to score runs, clubs are bunting, stealing and manufacturing scoring opportunities – the way the game is supposed to be played.

      After watching how the Rays won last season, more and more teams are building their rosters by developing home grown talent rather than signing big-name free agents (save for the Yankees, of course) and it’s making the game exciting again. An onus has been made on youth and speed and for the first time in quite a while, baseball is once again a young man’s game.

      That said, I’ve decided to have a little fun by constructing an entire 25-man baseball roster (I’ve named the team “Team Youthful Exuberance”) by using only players who are 25 years of age and younger. Rules and guidelines for the roster are below so enjoy and as always, feel free to make an argument for any players that I might have missed.

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      MLB

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