Phinally Philly

For the record, I hate the Big Piece nickname, but it works well for a post title, so I’m going with it.

Going into the World Series, Ryan Howard was on a tear.  In the first 9 games, he was 11-31 for a .355 BA to go along with 14 RBIs and 7 extra base hits, including a triple.

He hit a brick wall, literally speaking, in Game 1 of the World Series.  Since facing off against C.C. Sabathia in Game 1, he’s gone 3-19 with 12 strikeouts, tying the record for strikeouts in a series, with at least one more game to play. He’s batting. 158 with 1 RBI in the World Series this year. Now, he didn’t do much better in last year’s World Series, going 6-21, but he also hit 3 home runs in that series.

Howard just can’t seem to figure out the Yankees’ pitchers in this round. He tore through Colorado and Los Angeles, but he’s stuck at this point. Game 2 was a complete disaster, going 0-4 with 4 strikeouts, 3 against A.J. Burnett and 1 against Mariano Rivera.

The Phillies’ offense showed signs of life in the Game 5 win, but they’re going to need to continue that and have Ryan Howard find his stroke in order to win the next two games. The new Mr. October, Chase Utley, can’t carry this team by himself against the Yankees.

It’s time for Howard to come around and deliver, as my favorite nickname of him suggests. He’s UPS because he always delivers.

Honestly, there is no one in Philadelphia, probably the sports world who would have ever imagined Pedro Martinez making his second start of the World Series for the Phillies in New York at the beginning of the season. Hell, even when he signed in Philly, there wouldn’t have been anyone who could have seen this coming.

Ever since admitting that the Yankees were his “daddy” when he was with the Red Sox, Yankee fans haven’t let him forget it. Even though he didn’t get the win, he went 6 innings while giving up 3 runs and struck out 8. In New York. In Game 2 of the World Series.

This is exactly the type of game for which the Phillies signed Pedro. He has all the big game experience necessary to get the job done. He’s been in this pressure situation before and knows how to get through it.

If he can put up the same kind of numbers he did last Thursday, I’m sure the Phillies offense will be able to put up more than 3 runs against a “well rested” (3 days) Andy Petitte. Yes, he’s won the most postseason games in MLB history, but he’s also pitching on short rest, which he hasn’t done in 3 years.

For the first time in 6 years, there is going to be a Game 6 in the World Series. the last five have either been sweeps or 4-1 for the winner. It’s exciting to see two pretty well matched teams battle for the championship. All the talk in New York leading up to the World Series was about how easily the Yankees were going to win. I think New Yorkers forgot, or most likely didn’t know, that they were playing the World F*cking Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Fightins have put up a valiant effort to defend their title, and obviously aren’t going down without a fight.

The season comes down to these last two games. If the Yankees win one, it’s over, and they have their 27th World Series Championship. The Phillies need to win two straight in New York. Do that, and it’s a 2nd straight title and 3rd in franchise history.

The pitching matchups seem to favor the Phillies, with full rested starters going against Petitte and C.C. Sabathia on short rest. Now it’s just up to the offense, mostly Ryan Howard, to show up and get it done.

In what many Phillies’ fans knew, and all hoped, the Fightins’ beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 to stave off elimination and send the World Series to the first Game 6 since 2003.

Cliff Lee was his usual solid self, going 7+ while giving up 5 runs on 4 hits. He walked and struck out 3 as well. As for his availability, he said “I’m available.” Of course you are Clifton, it’s the last game of the season. Everyone is available.

Chase Utley set a National League record for home runs in a World Series with 5, which also tied the MLB record. Uts knocked in 4 runs with his 2 HRs. He just looks locked in at the plate right now, going 16-51 through the first 14 games of the postseason for a .314 BA. When Utley is on point, the rest of the offense just seems to follow.

Jimmy Rollins got two hits and scored a run, Jayson Werth knocked in a run, while Raul Ibanez knocked in 2.

One scary moment of the game came when Shane Victorino was hit in the knuckle while attempting a bunt and later got an x-ray on that hand. He was pulled for Ben Francisco in the late innings, most likely as a precaution and with the big lead, to get some rest.

With the win, the Phillies head back up to Yankee Stadium to take on Yankee pitchers coming off short rest. With Andy Petitte and C.C. Sabathia lined up for the next two games, you have to think that the short rest and the long season will wear on them. Hopefully it just so happens to be this week. The Phillies knocked Sabathia off his string of short rest starts last postseason. Here’s hoping they get throughout Petitte in order to get Sabathia again.

Jay-Z makes all kinds of noise about how big a fan of New York he is, but then he goes and says he’s more famous than the Yankees are.

The Phillies don’t need “fans” like that.

We’ve got true fans like Guerriladlephia and G. Love saying how “Unstoppable” the Phillies are.

They’re going to need as much support as they can.

The video was put together by Krisitn Sugden for PHL17′s Phillies Road to the Repeat. Nice work.

Hopefully we can play this song a few more times this week

As we sit here, 14 hours from the Phillies possibly being eliminated from the World Series, it’s hard to see just how quickly things can change in the World Series.

The Phillies had the Yankees down to their last strike, and then all of a sudden, the Yanks put up a 3 spot in the top of the 9th against Brad Lidge. The entire game was a back and forth battle, but the end of the game was about as extreme a roller coaster ride as I’ve ever seen. After Pedro Feliz knocked one out to tie the game, it brought the rejuvenated Lidge into the game. Two quick outs and CBP was rocking. Johnny Damon made the heads up play of the year in order to spark the Yankees to 3 runs.

Now, as I was leaving the Bank last night, I heard a lot of people saying, “Well, they won last year, so this is just icing on the cake. It’s OK if they lose.” Who the hell are these people? They obviously can’t be from Philly.

I never understood why, after winning a title, that city’s fans only seemed to want another one even more. I had never experienced that in Philly. However, after the Fightins’ did it last year, it only made this city, or so I thought, wanting a championship even more.

Last year was last year. Yeah, it was awesome and incredible, but this is a whole new season. I’m going to be extremely disappointed if the Phillies lose. I’ll take no solace in the fact that they won last year and then make it back this year. This would be devastating.

Jimmy Rollins predicted the Series would be over in 5 games. With Clifton Phifer going tonight, the Phillies have an excellent chance of not letting that happen. The Phillies have overcome deficits from New York teams before, and the Yankees have blown bigger leads before.

Facing elimination, the Phillies need to pull out all the stops and take this on a game by game basis. Of all the teams in Major League Baseball, the Phillies may just be the team most suited to this position. Playing all 27 outs is how they will get back into this.

If that doesn’t work, how about Cliff Lee pitches the next three games?

I’m sure I’ll have more to say about the Phils tomorrow and why they find themselves in this 3-1 hole, but for now all we can do is sleep this one off and come back strong tomorrow. Each game from here on out is a Game 7, and that’s the approach this team is going to have to take.

The Phils will have a decided advantage up to Game 7 in the pitching department, with Lee and Pedro set to go in Games 5 and 6. Let’s focus on getting this series back to New York and take it from there. More to come on this tomorrow.

Evidently Cole Hamels made a cameo in a promotional video for Modern Warfare 2…laying down the law on random ‘nade tossing and pulling a Chase Utley at the end for good measure.

My immediate reaction? The Phillies hat should be an unlockable piece of “armor”!

Maybe this will help keep you entertained during the rain delay.

Cole Hamels Reminds You That Grenades are “for Pussies.” -- Kotaku

When the Phillies won the World Series against Tampa Bay last year, I wondered when that World Series atmosphere would return to Citizens Bank Park.

Little did we know that it would return in just over a year.

After going 15 years between World Series appearances, the Phillies are back in the World Series as defending champions for the first time in their history.

With the series tied 1-1 with the American League “Varsity” club New York Yankees, the Phillies finally get a chance to play in front of their home fans. Yankee Stadium was dull and lifeless, but Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez played a part in that.

With Cole Hamels on the mound for Game 3 tonight, the Phillies need the pitcher who took the mound in last year’s World Series. Hamels hasn’t been the same as last season, but that was a pretty high bar to set. even if just pitches to half of that, I’m sure the Phillies would be more than happy.

With the home fans behind him, Hamels needs a good start. 45,000 rally towels will be waving, so Hamels just needs to forget about the endorsements for a few hours and channel last season.

The Phillies are 19-6 in the playoffs the last two seasons. How about they make it 20-6 tonight?

With all the exciting innovations we’ve had here at the site over the past few months we figured the one thing missing is the opportunity for you to listen to us BS about sports for 45 or so minutes. Hence the Phinally Philly Podcast was born!

Myself and Chris Shafer got together to discuss all four Philly teams (some more than others…sorry Sixers fans) in what we hope will become a weekly feature on the blog. If you think you’d make a terrific guest, have some feedback, or have a question you’d like us to talk about shoot us an email at “phillypodcast@gmx.com”.

The inaugural Phinally Philly Podcast

Major league sports schedules are released months in advance. I don’t think MLB, the NFL, and the NBA thought a weekend like this was possible.

In a span of 48 hours, teams from Philadelphia and New York will meet four times, three of those taking place at the sports complex in South Philly.

Saturday
7:30pm – Sixers @ Knicks
7:57pm – Phillies vs Yankees – Game 3

Sunday
1:00pm – Eagles vs Giants
8:20pm – Phillies vs Yankees – Game 4

This could be the greatest weekend in Philly sports history and to celebrate, we’ve launched a new Flickr account and group. Feel free to jump on and share pictures you’ve taken at games, tailgates, parties, anything Philly sports! Try to include dates and locations and please keep it clean and respectful.

We especially want to see photos of you guys celebrating Beat New York weekend.

The rivalries between teams from Philadelphia and New York have only been intensifying the last few years and the only scary thing this Halloween is not going 4 for 4.