Jonathan Broxton was untouchable in Los Angeles this season, allowing just 14 hits and no homers in 45 innings. The .095 average against and 73/9 K/BB ratio allowed him to convert 18 of 19 save chances.
Elsewhere, it was a different story. Broxton was still throwing 98 mph, but he allowed 30 hits and 20 walks in 31 innings in road games. He amassed a 5.81 ERA and blew five saves.
The road woes bit him again in a big way Monday, as he walked Matt Stairs, hit Carlos Ruiz and then allowed a game-winning two-run double to Jimmy Rollins in the ninth inning, giving the Phillies a 5-4 win in Game 4 of the NLCS and a commanding 3-1 series lead.
It looked like the Dodgers had a great chance to tie the series up when George Sherrill struck out Ryan Howard with two on in the eighth. Broxton came in then and retired Jayson Werth to end the frame and maintain the team's one-run lead.
Broxton, though, couldn't keep it going after a quick groundout from Raul Ibanez to start the ninth. Rest wasn't an issue, as Broxton hadn't pitched in three days. He just started missing with his fastball. Stairs worked his walk on only four pitches. Ruiz became just the second batter hit by the right-hander all season. Versus Rollins, he left a fastball right over the heart of the plate. Broxton's mistakes aren't punished all that often because of his velocity and movement, but Rollins got all of this one and it was obvious before the ball even landed that Ruiz would score from first.
Overlooked from the game will be the fine work from Philly's pen, as Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge combined to pitch three scoreless innings. Lidge came on after Rafael Furcal singled with one out in the top of the ninth and struck out Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in succession. It won't go down as a save or even a hold, but those may have been the biggest outs he'll get all month.
Regarding Lidge, who cares that he didn't get a save or even a hold, he got a win.
This is going to be one long hangover for having one day off tomorrow, especically for those of us not allowed to drink. The Phillies have been going down to the last out and last inning for excitment so often and for so long that it ought to have to have its own statistic.
Oh, there is a statistic for that?
Where's my whiskey?
The Dodgers need to go back to the drawing board and get a #1 and #2 starter. The team is loaded with #3 starters. However, they really have not hit as well as they had all year, either. They should be able to jump Lidge.
The Phillies should've won game 3 but for the premature pulling of Pedro Martinez (who still knows how to win games).
The Dodgers are a good team with many fine hard throwers but they don't have starting pitchers quite like Lee and Martinez or even Hamels, who will close them down Wednesday. The Phils also win because they get major production from the bottom of their line-up. I'm still not a believer in Lidge but they will win anyhow and they just might beat the Yanks too.
I was at the game last night at it was amazing, i don't have any words for that ending!!!! i am sick and tired of the phillies not getting the credit they deserve, TBS is all for the dodgers....well here is LA aka Losing Again in the playoffs, the phils are a great team and should get the respect they deserve.
You said it, Jen. It's time for the Phillies to get the respect they deserve. They pulled off a win at the last minute, which makes for an exciting game. 1 more win...
Ahh, i love it!!! "talking heads", baseballs so called "experts", Sports writers, and announcers........ Well let's just say if they don't work in Philly, they picked LA to win the series in either 6 or 7 games. Is this total deja' Vu or what people???
Last season the Cubbies were the favorites to represent the NL. LA Swept the Cubs, and were the obvious favorites, unless you were in Philly or the tri state area. Well we know what happened last season, Phills took it all.
This season the Cards were the choice of all the so called "experts" to represent the NL. La once again swept the "top dogs" (Funny the world series champs weren't even considered, even though they held first in their division almost all season long.)And here we are again LA was the obvious "winner" to represent the NL. All the hoopla about Torre facing NYY was all fascinating to everyone besides Phillies fans and the team themselves. "Our Phillies are the reigning WS champs, why is everyone forgetting about them?". So here we are, Phillies are once again putting the spank on LA in the NLCS. And just like last season the "experts" are back pedaling their predictions and I hear some are even calling them the champs again.... Wow!!! All I have to say from here on out is........
GO PHILLIES!!!! Show them how a repeat is done, I dare you.
Brenda is right on! The Dodgers don't have a number 1 or 2 starter. The pitching ace of the Dodgers was a late add-on and only because no other teams wanted him but he can pitch is the only STOPPER the Dodgers vaunted pitching staff have. Blame this shortcoming poor player selection and management by the Dodgers. They had the same lack of pitching last year - when will they learn. You need good pitching to win. As for hitters, the Dodgers had the same problem last year. Only Manny hit last year and he can't do it alone. Only Ethier has stepped up. C'mon Dodgers brass - go out and give me my money's worth of hitters and pitchers and quit masquerading around ...
I think that for baseball aficionados, a world series between the Phillies and the Borg will be a treat. These are two very similar teams, packed with power, well-balanced with fine pitching and some very slick fielding. King Kong versus Godzilla, and all. Unfortunately, even with the Borg in the series, nobody south of the Schuylkill or west of the Mohawk is going to watch the series (although fans north of Connecticut will check in from time to time in hopes of watching the Borg lose), and it isn't Alex Rodriguez' faul this time.
It's just that no matter how good the Phillies are, they still find ways to be boring. I don't know what or why that is. If Chase Utley were batting .399, Ryan Howard had 59 home runs and Cliff Lee was working on his 30th victory all during the last game of the regular season, you still wouldn't get the Neilson ratings of an aerobics program on Lifetime at 6AM. It's not that folks don't credit the Phillies with being world champs; it's just that the idea puts them to sleep anyway. I dunno. Maybe if the Philly area tried coming up with a local culinary icon more exciting than melting velveeta over horsemeat on a stale roll the entire region would attract more attention and interest.
In the meantime, speaking of stale rolls, the Bums are toast.
Old Gator, I'm kind of embarrassed for you... I'm not old, I'm a young man. And even I don't give a rats turd cutter what the ratings are. This is the world series you're talking about here. What's it about anyway? To me the World series is all about baseball. It's all about the suspense. It's all about the culmination of a long season coming to a head. It's all about the love of Americas favorite past time. It never was meant to be a race for ratings, but a race for the championship. And out of curiosity??? Have you ever eaten a Gino's steak? A pat's steak? I know for a fact you haven't, or the word horse meat wouldn't even come to mind. Unless you're describing your own derriere of course after wolfing one of these masterpieces on a bun down. ;>)~
Old Gator, you seem to be angry and especially at food when we are talking sports? BTW, you can get a Cheesesteak with Provolone, Mozzarella or whatever cheese they offer, one does not have to get the melted Velveeta.
Your noting of the ratings makes me think that you work for a network since all your thoughts are about ratings and revenues, not the sport itself. This is a cop out attitude noting that you either have a team you wanted to win that lost, or are working for the media?
And people say Philly fans are bitter!
BTW...I know of many people living in Los Angeles/Santa Monica that will be turning on the TV to watch a Phillies v. NYY World Series if this happens, as 50% if not more of the LA and vicinity population are not even born and raised in that area, but are all transplants.
If you are not interested in watching the World Series, I am sure there may be a re-run of the Antiques Roadshow on TV for your entertainment.
All I can say is perhaps you need a Sourdough roll with some tofu, guacamole and sprouts to make you happy!
Olg Gator, Probably from Florida where I am too now. you sound bitter, didnt your mommy give you enough attention when you were younger? I feel pity for you. Are you still mad that you latched onto the wannabe Tampa Gay Rays last year and you didnt find the pot of gold under their rainbow. Oh, and by your post you never had real CheeseSteak, Probably just the trash they serve down here in Fla, when they try to pass Roastbeef and green peppers and cheese on these horrible 'texture like a sponge' Florida rolls. Real CheesSteaks in philly are made from Shaved Ribeye with real cheese on an Amoroso Long roll, not the hot roastbeef sandwiches trash like down here. Gator, go back and hide in the weeds where an old toothless chomper should be
Hey Old Gator, you note the ratings and how many people will watch the game if it is a PHI v. NYY. Well I just got some interesting info about this past Sundays game: The Sunday night football game got better ratings in LA than the Phils/Dodgers game. This was noted to me this morning by my friends and family living in the LA area that work in the entertainment field.
Does not say all that much about who will watch and not watch, especially if the Dodgers win the NL Championship, but that is highly doubtful.
Why doesn't someone tell TBS that their PitchTrac (or whatever they call it) sucks....That stupid box is wrong a majority of the time. Does anyone at TBS reviewed it's actual accuracy versus what was really a called ball or strikes? To describe it as an "approximation" is ridiculous. At lease FOX only shows their's periodically and usually when it accurate!! GO PHILLIES!!!
I have been bleeding Dodger Blue since 1958 when they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The only championship teams that Los Angeles has produced always had an ace and a #2 starter plus a tremendous closer. In the ninth inning of Game 4 I could see that Broxton didn't bring his "A" stuff and when he hit that batter to put runners on first and second, Joe Torre should have brought the hook and let someone else take over. Broxton didn't have it on Monday night and that happens. It looks like the Phillies are going back to the World Series. They have the momentum right now. The Dodgers can't win the pennant when only two possibly three hitters are hitting. Belliard, who delivered down the stretch, stopped hitting; Casey Blake stopped hitting along with James Loney. Good luck Phillies.
The Phillies DID win Game 3.
If I said it once I've said it 100 times - It's the Mattingly J
Jinx! The Yankees never made it to the World Series with Mattingly, both as a player or coach. The minute Mattingly retired in the 90's they went to the World Series and continued going to the World Series until Mattingly returned as a coach. Now he's a coach with the Dodgers. Think about it.
If I said it once I've said it 100 times - It's the Mattingly
Jinx! The Yankees never made it to the World Series with Mattingly, both as a player or coach. The minute Mattingly retired in the 90's they went to the World Series and continued going to the World Series until Mattingly returned as a coach. Now he's a coach with the Dodgers. Think about it.
To go off of what Gerald said... there probably is something to the notion of "Donnie baseball". I have to agree, which stinks because I'm a huge Dodger fan. The Yanks never made it to the dance with Mattingly and as soon as he was gone, they were in. Bring him back as a coach and the black cloud cast it's shadow. I don't know if I believe in jinxes, but I'm just saying...
It hurt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OLD GATOR - SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE F#$% UP!!
Ahh two PhillyPhans - Philly Phans!
Thumbs up to ya!
I have to agree with Old Gator, you keep baggin' on him only because he's honest about the national media's perseption of Philly baseball, it's boring. You dont have any controversy to ya! No Manny, No A-Rod. You guys are just a great group of ball players and that's just not good enough for the media. it's good enough to win a championship though and maybe another one. Yes Dem Bums need better pitching! The team is solid and young maybe one more bat to strenghten the middle of the lineup but we need some great starts next year. Yes last nights game was ours, we had it but our man flinched. Broxton's still a great closer and we'd be fools to get rid of him. Let's hope for a miracle LA!!!
Yeah Yankee's suck, GO ANGELS!!
and yeah you might win this one (again) Philly, but ya still suck!!
>sigh
Now as for that horrible sandwich of yours, you can put any kind of cheese you want on it but it will remain the nutritional equivalent of taking a stroll in black rain without an umbrella. Gimme a tofu and sprout sandwich on wholegrain any day. Betcha I outlive the lot of you cholesterol-and-grease gulping, beer-belching young whippersnappers.
Not sure why but the system amputated the first paragraph of my last post, which asserted that my original post distinguished clearly (at least among those of us who are literate) between true baseball lovers, for whom a Phillies-Borg series would be a treat, and the national and/or media perception that the Phillies are boring. You Phillies fans who went apoplectic over my first post need some irony in your bellies or, as Shattner famously averred, get a life, boys n' girls. Mad or bitter I ain't; if the Bums roll over and die tonight, as I rather expect they will based on their uninspired play of the last week or so, I'll relish a chance to watch Cliff Lee go mano-a-mano with A-Rod and Texeira. But you can stand on a mountaintop and sacrifice goats to the gods of public opinion all you want and the Neilsons are still going to be dragging for bodies from the Andrea Doria. That'll be THEIR loss, though. I'll be glued to the tube for every game meself.
As far as the sandwich, well, I think I've made my position on that culinary train wreck pretty clear too. Fortunately, no irony is required to comprehend THAT.
You've made some interesting points here, and I appreciate reading them -- makes me think about things. So thanks for taking the time to make this post
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