PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils and Dodgers squared off in L.A tonight in game 1 of the NLCS. A year ago in this same series the Phils dismissed the Dodgers in 5 games en route to winning the world series. Tonight they looked to pick up right where they left off. Cole Hamels got the start and appeared to be in good form dueling with Clayton Kershaw to a 1-0 Dodger's lead through 4 innings. Then in the 5th inning both pitchers lost it. First in the top of the inning, Kershaw issued 2 walks and threw 3 wild pitches, as Carlos Ruiz slammed a 3 run homer, and Ryan Howard slapped a 2 run double for a 5-1 lead. Then in the bottom of the inning Hamels was this close to shutting down L.A, before JRoll and Chase Utley botched a double play, allowing a run to score and opening the door for Manny Ramirez to slam a 2 run homer to cut it to 5-4. Hamels then could not get through the 6th inning, and exited having allowed 4 runs on 8 hits, not his best stuff but enough to get the win if the bullpen could just hold the lead. Fortunately on this night they were up to the task. First Chad Durbin, and J.A Happ combined to bail out Hamels and escape a bases loaded jam in the 6th. In the 7th Antonio Bastardo allowed a leadoff double to Andre Ethier, but Chan Ho Park, finally back from his hamstring injury, picked him up, retiring Manny, Matt Kemp, and Casey Blake in succession. Finally in the top of the 8th, the Phils struck oil again, as Raul Ibanez followed back to back walks to Howard and Jayson Werth, with a 3 run bomb to put the Phils up 8-4. Still, the Dodgers did not go away quietly. Ryan Madson had a rough time in the bottom of the 8th, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, but he got out of it by retiring Manny again, to preserve an 8-6 lead. In the 9th, in came Brad Lidge to get the save, and again it was not easy. Kemp led off with a single, Blake hit into a double play to leave the Dodgers with no one on base and 1 out to work with, but they still would not give up. James Loney followed the double play with a walk to once again run to the plate, but again Brad was up for it, forcing Ronnie Belliard to pop out, to finish off an 8-6 Phils win. I am running out of superlatives to describe this team with, but there are 2 things I'll take with me from this game. First much was made of the Dodger's having a bullpen far superior to the Phils'. On this night however, it was Phils' bullpen that held up, and Dodger bullpen that floundered. Second, much also about this Dodger team no longer needing to rely so much on Manny, yet it seemed to be tonight that when things really got tight they looked to Manny to come up with something and he could not. Well's that it for tonight, Let's Go Phils!