Rough 6th inning downs Dodgers in Game 1…

If last nights game proved anything, it’s that a postseason baseball game doesn’t have to last 4 hours to be engaging and entertaining.  In a game that ran just over 2 and a half hours, the Phillies squeaked by the LA Dodgers by a score of 3-2, thanks in part to a 3 run 6^th inning, which knocked Dodgers starter Derek Lowe down for the count. 

Lowe was rolling along against the sluggish Philly offense, which apparently hadn’t shaken the offensive problems they had in their series against Milwaukee.  As the announcing crew point out, Lowe had a GO/FO ratio of 10 to 2 before the first homerun, which is a phenomenal statistic.  Just so everyone knows, one of the statistics I use to evaluate a pitcher since I think overall wins are useless is groundout versus fly ball outs.  That statistic, much like strikeouts per 9 innings, can tell you how a pitcher is handling the lineup he is facing on a nightly basis.  The simple reasoning for this is a pitcher is most likely to give up fewer runs when the ball is hit on the ground, since those hits tend to be singles instead of doubles or homeruns. 

Anyways before I went off on my sabermetric rant, I was saying that Lowe was cruising and it looked as if the Dodgers were on their way to their 4^th straight postseason win of 2008.  Lowe, who was backed by a Manny Ramirez double (which he of course watched bounce of the wall) and a Blake DeWitt sac fly in the 4^th, seemed to lose his focus for a moment in the 6^th inning, and in Citizen’s Bank ballpark that is never a good idea.

I’ve heard some people argue that the error changed the game, since it was the next pitch Lowe threw that Utley ripped for a 2 run homerun.  It also happened to be the first Philadelphia hitter who hit a first pitch thrown by Lowe.  However I don’t know if I really buy that excuse, because its not as if Pedro Feliz hit the homerun, but Chase Utley who is arguably the best player on the Philadelphia roster.  Also the ball Utley hit wouldn’t have been a homerun in most other parks (as well as Burrell’s, but ironically Manny’s double in the first would have been), so Lowe caught some tough breaks in that regard. 

You also have to wonder if Lowe getting jammed in on the hand in the 4^th inning played a role in him serving up the homerun balls.  As I already pointed out, Lowe had an outstanding GO/FO ratio, so perhaps the sting of the cold weather caused him to lose the feel of his sinker a bit.  I seriously doubt this is true but you never know, and its part of the reason why I’m in favor the designated hitter (although I am biased since I’m in AL fan). 

The Dodger offense, which was basically shutdown after the first inning needs to rebound in game 2, which should be a possibility now that Cole Hamels is behind them.  The Dodgers offense did take some good hacks against Lidge in the 9^th, but Victorino was able to track them down with relative ease in centerfield.  I believe the key player for LA in Game 2 will be Russell Martin, who should come to the plate with a few men on over the course of the game.  I’d also like to see Matt Kemp display some patience at the plate and take advantage of his raw tools to put some runs on the board for the Dodgers. 

So will the Dodgers put their disappointing performance in Game 1 aside?  I think they will and I’m a big fan of Chad Billingsley.  Still pitching in Philadelphia with those fans in attendance will be tough for the youngster, however the Dodgers know what’s on the line now and I’m not the biggest Brett Myers fan, so I favor the Dodgers in Game 2.  Be sure to tune in at 4:35 ET to catch what should be another exciting ballgame. 

Like this post? Share it »

Last post (s) by Joseph Gallo

• 2009 MLB Hall of Fame Debate.... - January 9th, 2009
• Yankees sign Mark Teixeira - December 23rd, 2008
• Report: Burnett to Yankees for 5 years, $82.5 million - December 12th, 2008
• 3 Team, 12 Player Blockbuster Deal - December 10th, 2008
• Sabathia signs with Yankees for record setting contract - December 9th, 2008