Phillies face elimination after heartbreaking 6-5 loss

Chad Durbin's carelessness and the Giants' clutch hitting have put the Phillies' backs against the wall.

Beerleaguer: Lead-off walk to Burrell and a middle-in fastball to Cody Ross. Durbin gets what he deserves on the Sandoval two-run double. There's simply no room for that kind of failure in the postseason. Nobody said it was easy, to be handed something so precious as a one-run lead when Durbin hadn't pitched in forever. But it's not supposed to be easy. This attrocity falls at the feet of the bullpen, which included Roy Oswalt tonight. It should have worked. Why didn't it work? For starters, Oswalt was overthrowing. I couldn't get a read on what he was trying to do, but the Giants seemed to know. Credit Buster Posey with maturity beyond his years. Posey's single in the ninth set up Juan Uribe's game-winning sac fly. Besides that, Posey delivered a pair of two-out RBIs earlier in the game. The Giants' third run also came with two outs when Aubrey Huff chased Joe Blanton after 4 2-3 innings. The Giants look like they've done this 1,000 times: big hits, hits to the opposite field, all night long.

Careless pitching. Carelessness throughout. Carelessness, like waving home Carlos Ruiz with one out in the fifth. Carelessness, like Shane Victorino failing to move up to second on the play; to Vic's delight, Placido Polanco made it moot. Carelessness everywhere. Carelessness and head-hanging. Chase Utley has head-hanging down to a science.

It should have worked. They always finish on the right side of a crazy game like this; the Phillies previously cashed in on plays like Chooch's laserbeam throw, Howard's tremendous lead-off double, Werth's follow-up knock and feel-good weirdness like turning Oswalt into essentially a closer on two days rest.

Tomorrow we find out if the Phillies still float with the same buoyancy, or if this is the end of Phillies baseball as we know it.

Cavalcade of carelessness: "They didn't deserve to win tonight. Chooch should have blocked those pitches in first, Ben should have caught the ball that lead to the second run, Polly had a chance to turn a double play that lead to the third run, Leadoff walks in both the fifth and sixth, Durbin's location was horrendous, not bunting with Jimmy in the eighth, not pinch hitting with Ben in the eighth and Oswalt coming in the ninth was plain stupid. They may win tomorrow, but this offense has showed me nothing that they can win two straight let alone three straight. They are being outhit, outpitched, outmanaged, and the Giants are playing much better defense, and I know the Sabermetricians won't like this, but they look like they want it more, they are doing everything right with alot of emotion." - Jim

Comments

[Jim]

@Dude

Not bunting Rollins was one of the 100 dumb things they did tonight let me sum them up since your here to see me vent.

1. Chooch needs to block ball in 1st
2. Fransisco needs to catch that ball
3. Polly needs to turn Dp in 5th, better D, Blanton doesn't give up a run
4. Chooch can't take 2 steps back to 2nd on Vic's hit/Shane has to be on 2nd on that play eventhough that didn't hurt them
5. Perlozzo can't send him
6. Leadoff walks in 5th and 6th after taking lead
7. Durbin was awful
8.Contreras should hit for himself
9. Vic has to run after leadoff walk in 7th
10. Jimmy has to bunt in 8th
11. PH for Fransisco in 8th
12. Have to use Romero in 9th

11 mistakes in a must win, is not an option for a team that has gone to back to back WS
and managed with a bizzare desperation that didn't add up to the situation, I thought Blanton was right move, but they managed this game like it was Game 7, which cost them, which contradicts the decision to start Blanton

[PhilliesDude]

I wish I were working to take my mind off last night's fiasco. I just can't sleep now.
Dominic Brown hasn't had a clutch hit since about his 3rd game with the Phillies. It's hard for me to imagine him as a future superstar. (I guess I needed to see him play for Reading or Lehigh Valley).
Even though Blanton didn't solely blow tonight's game, I'm always angry that he wasn't non-tendered last winter and instead given a 24 million dollar contract. He's nothing more than an average picher and if he were on a bad team, I shudder to think what his record would have been this year. And for all that money, we couldn't even trust him to start one game in the playoffs and go six innings.

[PhilliesDude]

@Jim

As much as I hate miscues in the field,bad at bats, and especially leadoff walks after your team scores - strategic errors drive me insane and there is NO reasonable rationale for Rollins and his light hitting bat not to try to move the runner to third in a tie game in the 8th inning. Strategy boners trump execution failures to me.

[Jim]

@Dude

I'm not as big on strategic errors, fans and media usually overblow their importance to the outcome of the game, players win and lose games, it will always be that way...

Now having said that Charlie had an awful game, but if they play better defense or at least if Polly turns that DP, they have a 4-2 lead going into the 6th, Blanton may even get you 6, if not you have Contrearas there and he has been dominant this series..

If that happens your pen is set-up and all that madness isn't even a factor...There are 54 outs in a baseball game, a manager usually effects 1, 2, maybe 3 of those plays....the players have plenty of chances to win or lose games, as they did tonight..

Having said that Charlie/Dubee had an awful game, they were part of the reason, not the reason, but it will bother me forever why they didn't bunt, and even if they didn't if your J-Roll you can't pop up, you have to roll over the ball and pull it on the right side, popping up means he is trying to kill the ball, which is selfish and unexcusable, so if the player executes there, the manager isn't a factor...

[Jim]

This loss is going to drive me nuts for weeks, well unless they get back in this thing....

[Zudok]

Doc, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you...

[EastFallowfield]

David Murphy article today says that only 6 of 30 teams that were down 3-1 in an LCS came back to win...actually 1 in 5 doesn't sound so bad...thought it'd be worse.

[Jim]

The last being the Red Sox, they were down 3-1 in a similar spot, their ace Beckett on the road against Sabathis.....Beckett pitched a gem they took it back home and didn't lose another game en route to their 2nd WS in 4 years....sound familar....lets hope

[EastFallowfield]

Murphy compares it to the 96 Braves, who won it behind their big 3.

[EastFallowfield]

30 Years Ago Today

[Jim]

Yea and scored 14 runs, and had Smoltz, Maddox, and Glavine.......I see that parallel as well.....either way it gives me something to feel positive about...

And lets not forget about the Flyers

But mistakes and bad offense has to stop

[Spliff Lee]

Oswalt wanted the ball. He wanted to play hero for whatever reason, so he was throwing like a madman. I think he wanted to prove something out of it.

[derekcarstairs]

I agree with Jim's position that Contreras should have hit for himself in the sixth. It makes no sense to me to waste an effective reliever by pinch hitting for him with two outs, nobody on. Most managers play it the conventional way that Charley did, but I don't agree with that strategy generally.

[Rant n Roll]

JRoll came up way small. Picked off, left runners on base, error on a sure double play that almost blew the game, then the worst big at bat I have ever witnessed. After Werth ties it and momentum is swinging our way, he pops up. He %^&*ing pops up. He needs to advance the runner to third. What is so wrong about a bunt in a tie game in the eight inning?

Giants to this point have been the smarter, clutcher, and hungrier team. So what - Phils still win the series.

[phargo]

Good Morning.

I couldn't decide whether to cry or vomit.

[The Truth Injection]

I'll say it again because so many people harped on it after I retired for the evening.

If today is our last game of the year we still have the knowledge that this team went to 3 straight NLCS, and 2 straight World Series. Our 3 aces are back next year along with a good portion of our line-up and I'd be willing to bet we aren't as injury ravaged as we were this season. Even if we don't make the playoffs next season we still have what we had for the past three seasons. Any fan of almost any other team in baseball would gladly trade us to be in that position.

The people who are complaining, or acting entitled, are the people who weren't Phillies fans prior to 2008. Some of us who are on here have been with this team through the dark ages- at various spots- and would've been fine with the World Series in 2008. This is a team though that made baseball fun to watch again, and hopefully changed the culture of how this organization approaches fielding a team. Hopefully our management team no longer views this as a "good investment," and realizes that when you sink money into the team you can get good results.

There is a reason that so few teams go to 3 straight World Series- it's hard to do. It's hard to get to three straight LCS series and the Phillies did that. If today is the end of the season appreciate what we had the past few years and know that we have at least 2-3 more years where we are going to be in the mix before we start seeing some massive line-up turnover.

[cut_fastball]

Denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance... hell, I can't get past disbelief. I know that luck is where preparation meets opportunity, but I stand by my feeling that the Giants are a bit of a mirage.

It took a 10-game losing streak by San Diego to help them get in! There number 1 starter is a convicted pot user. Aside from that, who really feared Cody Ross, Buster Posey, and that creepy, terrorist-like bullpen featuring Brian Wilson and his circus prop (paint-on beard)?

If we lose, so be it. Stuff happens in baseball. Chase Utley has the look of a man with a chronic illness, and if I'm RAJ, I hold him at gunpoint until I know each and every result of his complete physical examination. If I’m RAJ, I also want a face-to-face with Ryan Howard and hear him fully disclose his reasons for his precipitous power drop off. He scored big money to hit home runs, and Howard's long ball threat no longer appears to be an issue for the opposing manager.

There will be hard decisions, but there was a time at the outset of the July slump that RAJ said “…they’re paid not to stink…”. This goes twice for Utley and Howard.

Finally, Halladay. Here’s hoping that his iron will extinguishes or banishes the Giants mojo, to wherever it came from. Can’t play more than 1 at a time. All 27 outs. If Halladay comes up big, God bless the courageous Oswalt. If we get to a game 7, God bless the Giants for having to show up for Game 7 baseball at the Citizens Bank Park!

As I’ve stated, a few Phils are playing for contracts. All better be playing for pride. They’re the NL champs, and they must not slink away into the anguished aura of their rabid and unprecedented fan base.

[Bob]

Momentum can change quickly, but as much confidence as I have in Halladay, the Giants are on a roll. The stats guys probably won't like this non-numeric analysis, but here goes.

I remember back in 2008 on the run to the WFC, it seemed like whenever the going got tough, the Phils came back with the answer. It was a blast watching the Phils ride to wins on that incredible DP by J-Roll and Utley, Myers working Sabathia for a walk, Blanton hitting a dinger in the WS, Stairs' homer, clutch hits by the likes of Feliz, Jenkins, and Burrell, on and on...

Now the shoe is on the other foot. The Giants are the brash young upstarts this time. Every time the camera panned to their dugout, they were laughing and having a great time. By contrast, the Phillies looked like the tentative team that knew in their hearts that another shoe would drop and that ultimately the game would not end well for them.

We have a couple of guys playing pretty well such as Howard. They have Cody Ross Dent out of his mind. When Ross-Dent comes back to earth a bit, Posey puts on a transcendent performance. His last at bat with the line drive to the opposite field was an incredible piece of hitting. The Phils have not had anyone put on one of those "Get on my shoulders, guys, I'm taking care of business" games, except maybe Oswalt in Game 2.

For the Phils' part, Chooch is on second and hesitates, Rowand (who?) makes the throw of his life, and Posey makes an incredible play to complete the out. In contrast, the Giants send their guy fron second and Vic double clutches and the Giants score.

I remember many, many games this year that the Phillies ultimately won in kind of a matter of fact way, as if they really had the game in hand all along, and knew it was simply a matter of time until they drove a stake in the heart of the other team. Well, it is looking to me like the Giants are playing that way now. The way they finished the ninth against Oswalt (who they had struggled with previously) seemed easy, methodical, like they knew what they had to do, then simply went out and executed the plan to perfection. Every time the Phils would claw their way into the game, the Giants had the answer (or the Phils provided the answer). It's hyperbole I know, but the Giants seemed to treat the Phils last night like an annoying fly that wouldn't go away as opposed to the feared juggernaut of the East.

It can be done, the Red Sox proved that, but the way the Giants are playing, their attitude now, and the way their opponent seems frustrated that nothing quite goes right, reminds me a bit of the 08' Phils team.

[R.Billingsly]

After the World Series last year, I had a sense of pride even though the Phils did not win. But for a few miscues, they could have won that series, but it wasn't meant to be. At the end of the World Series, though, I was able to look back and be happy that the team made it back to the playoffs, NLCS and World Series. They played tough the entire season and postseason.

Should the Phillies not get to the World Series this year, I will not have that sense of pride. It's not that I have this sense of entitlement or that they were the better team and the better team should always win, but the way they lost the series (should they go on to lose) leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My issues are the fact that they played bad fundamental baseball for 4 games and played scared. The Giants played with confidence, played better fundamental baseball and Bochy made several key adjustments in the series to help his team. The Phils did not.

I expected a better effort thusfar, even in the Reds series. That is what bothers me and will continue to bother me until the end of March '11. It's like when your parents said "I'm not mad at you, I'm disappointed." Somehow, you'd rather them scream and yell. In this case, I'd rather the Phils got beat playing good baseball, so I can "scream and yell" that "they did all they could, but the Giants just beat them." Right now, I cannot say that.

[The Truth Injection]

Another thing- I know Kevin Millar took some (deserved) grief about his comments before the series, but I'm going to quote him here.

In 2004, when the Red Sox were down 3-0 to the Yankees he said, "Don't let us win today." The Giants need to end this series tonight if they want the best chance to win it. If they let us get this one it could start a domino effect.

[EastFallowfield]

Nice injection of truth above.

Watching the Giants win with 3 good starters and a bunch of Value Village types mixed in gives me hope that the Phils might have a run or two left in them in the next couple seasons, despite the gloom and doom.

[Bob]

TTI,

Very true. As I noted above, momentum can shift very quickly. Things don't look good, but Halladay is a beast, and if we can get back to Philly...

[MG]

Billingsley- Pretty much how I feel.

[Joe Cowley]

last night's loss rests squarely on the manager, but this series if it is over was doomed when we lost game one. You had Linsecum on the ropes at home and you let him off the hook. That game was more devastating then last night because you didnt have a bum on the mound for us.

[STHS]

cut_fastball:

"Chase Utley has the look of a man with a chronic illness, and if I'm RAJ, I hold him at gunpoint until I know each and every result of his complete physical examination."

Good analysis, but why do so many fans always assume that it's physical with Utley yet behavioral or abilities with the others? Maybe Utley's just plain stubborn about pulling the ball, or that everyone knows how to pitch him and that he hasn't made/won't make adjustments?

He's just an average player now, and that's a problem in this lineup.

[jozefi]

As a Phillies fan, I wish the Phils would have swept. As a baseball fan, I am looking forward to seeing the best pitcher in baseball pitching in an elimination game against the best young pitcher in baseball. The young upstart team against the veteran team considered the best in baseball.

I'd like to see Halladay pitch another masterpiece and the Phils, reinvigorated, going home and taking the series.

[Joe Cowley]

It's one thing to play through injury to help a team win, but when it's so obvious that you are hurting the team on both sides of the ball, it becomes selfishness.

[Bubba]

Trust the Gut , CM says:
"I think if we like to play with our backs to the wall, we're there now."

Hard to keep the phaith after last nights game, but maybe the uptight, head hanging team we have been watching will morph into the loose, happy, "get me to the plate, boys" team we fondly remember.

[tutpsu]

Will people stop peddling this BS that Ruiz should have blocked those pitches early on? Did you see how far in front of him they were?

[Jbird]

My back and neck hurt after this game because I was hanging on every pitch. It was scintillating baseball. But really it was only scintillating because the Phillies let the Giants stay in the game. I was yelling at the tv trying to get Charlie to take Durbin out of the game because it was obvious he didn't have it tonight. Should have let Contreras hit and continue pitching into the next inning. That's not 20-20 hindsight, that's what I was telling my dog while watching. Yelling at the TV for our hitters to not swing at those sliders Romo was throwing 2 feet off the plate. Sloppy baseball on their part. JW's writeup is spot on. So, so frustrating.

[phils and nova]

i told my buddies that i wasn't confident in winning last night and if they lose, they better lose 8-6, 7-5, etc. they better score some runs and wake up the offense. i think the offense had a nice game, albeit, not clutch, and they did hit the ball hard.

if the phillies win tonight, i'll take oswalt and hamels over sanchez and cain in games 6&7.

i think the phils win tonight and this series goes to a game 7. will the phillies win g7? i dont know but i think it gets there.

[Jbird]

STHS - because Utley's had hip problems before.

[Bob]

"Good analysis, but why do so many fans always assume that it's physical with Utley yet behavioral or abilities with the others?"

There has to be something going on with Utley, his body language is awful. He looked miserable in the dugout with his head in his hands. Just don't see the same fire he used to have.

[GBrettfan]

I feel good about Halladay pitching tonight. Problem is, we have to face Lincecum.

I would love to take this to at least 6 games, preferably 7, even if we ultimately lose, just to make it a good fight.

I would really love to see us play our best defense throughout the game, show baseball smarts at the plate and on the basepaths as well, and if they beat us...well, it happens.

Regardless, it's been a great run. Those who say the Giants aren't worthy because they needed SD to start losing in order to win the division should remember that we got to the playoffs in '07 and '08 with help from the Mets' losing, too. The Giants still had to win games to get to postseason, and they've come out firing in this NLCS. I won't begrudge them the pennant...if they win it.

It's a little ironic that the one year we have a terrific rotation looks like the year we won't get the rings, but then without H2O, we wouldn't even be in the playoffs. And our hitters aren't exactly facing Little Leaguers; H2O is well matched by SF.

The Phillies have done a great job battling through injuries and slumps this year, and a fantastic job making it to the postseason 4 years running and to 2 World Series. I might be a little embarrassed to be the favored team and lose, but overall, I'm proud of this team. And I've had a lot of fun cheering them on.

Go Phillies!

[no name fame]

Don't Let Us Win Today, because then you have to deal with Oswalt at CBP (we all know those stats) and ANYTHING can happen in game 7.....So Don't Let Us Win Today, Tim, because if you do, you come back to the comforts of Philadelphia.

The Giants have played better baseball, but if they really want to make it to the World Series, don't let us win today.

[jason.tp]

I hate to watch them lose, but I love professional baseball so I watch this team every f'n night knowing damn well that they'll lose around 35-40% of the time and still be proud.

But how can you watch the garbage they are putting on the field right now? Wild pitches, pickoffs, hit batters, misplayed balls, fielding errors, baserunning blunders - its just nonstop absolute garbage.

Anyone who thinks that 6-5 game was exciting can go f themselves - it was a complete waste of time and pretty much unwatchable. I would almost feel worst if they won that game, that'd be more of a disgrace to the game of baseball - to credit this team with a win right now.

"I hope Halladay throws a perfect game and drives in a run tonight" - that would be fine for a quote from beerleaguer, but guess what? Thats the thought from the people in Phillies uniform and it'll show on the field when they do nothing to help their own cause.

[Bob]

Joe C,

If you're talking about Utley playing hurt, we don't know if he's hurt or in some kind of slump. He was playing well in the runup to the post season.

I cannot imagine that the team doesn't know whether he is hurt or not, and if there is an injury problem, that there aren't a number of parties including the player, the manager, the doctor, etc. providing input as to whether he can play at all, whenter he can play at 75% and hopefully will not make the injury worse, etc.

If he's not hurt and is just slumping, it's the manager's call as to whether the player will break out of it, or whether to call in the reserves.

Finally, most players are conditioned to play through pain. If he's been told, "Look, you can play and you probably will not hurt yourself worse, you will just be uncomfortable, and you won't be as effective as ususal", what is the player going to say? At that point, it's really the manager's decision whether to play him or bring in Valdez somehow.

I'm just not reading this type situation as player selfishness.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Dire straits. Manuel's getting a lot of heat for blowing this game. This was a distinct possibility when he chose to hold Halladay back for tonight. The wisdom of that move lies in the ability to match the guy on the mound for SF. Tough call either way.

The loss last night doesn't rest on Manuel's shoulders. It was the result of poor execution. Blanton's two WP in the first were tough plays. You're not prepared for 55' fastballs. But, once he uncorks one, you better be alert and Ruiz simply couldn't get it done. One run.

Polanco booting a DP ball was horrible due to timing. Another run.

Rollins popping up with Werth on second was a failure. I don't blame Manuel for eschewing the bunt there but, in hindsight, wouldn't ahve mattered. Ruiz striking out on 3 pitches was poor. He just watched Francisco K on three straight frisbee sliders. He has to go up there thinking that, if hte ball is on hte plate out of the pitcher's hand, it's going to end up in the other batter's box. And it did, 3 times, and he swung at all 3.

Contrast Buster Posey, a rookie who was absolutely f'ing huge in this game. Some hack on philly.com is bitching about pulling Blanton in the fifth. Does he realize that Contreras is the only guy who got him out?

As for letting Contreras bat in teh 7th - what are these people smoking? Give away an at bat in a game like that? Never. Good job Manuel.

I have no problem with sending Ruiz in the 4th. Hell of a play by SF to get him - execution. Vic double clutching and allowing Torres to score stands in stark contrast. Victorino staying at 1st on teh play on Ruiz was unconscionable in any game, much less a huge game like this one (even if it had no effect).

Biggest failure of the night - Durbin missing his spot big time on the pitch to Ross. You simply can't let that ball drift onto the inner half of the plate to that guy.

Oswalt coming in in the 9th was a little too heroic. Loved the moxie and the manager's decision. I take the horse over the horse's asses left in the bullpen there, every time. Hated the pitch selection and location at times.

[Bob]

BTW, I'm not the same Bob who posted at 9:13 about Utley's body language. But I saw that too, and he doesn't look right.

[GBrettfan]

New thread, BLers.

[3 Games]

Negativity is easy and contagious. People use words like ‘realistic’ so that they don’t have to admit that they like being a downer. Do you feel better when they lose b/c you were depressed about it before the game started? Doubt it. So think about this: Have the Phillies ever won 3 games in row before? Just 3 games? Is Halladay the man? 3 games. That’s the only way to look at it. Otherwise, you might as well watch your Everybody Loves Raymond reruns or whatever else they show on TBS while the fans are listening to the nonsense that makes my ears bleed that is Fox baseball. 3 games.

[Old Phan]

How exactly was Chooch supposed to stop those pitches in the 1st? There is a reason they are referred to as "wild pitches".

[sneed]

We could debate starting Blanton ad nauseum, but whoever said that he was lucky not to have given up more runs is probably right. There were a lot of hard hit balls that went right into gloves, and he was aided by some flash up the middle from Rollins. Initially I thought our defense had sparked us to that 4th run inning, but then we bobbled and misplayed a few that we should have had and the game got away from us. It was a long game.

Chad Durbin does not have good control (3.9 BB/9 for career), and I'm not surprised that he was the one to blow the game like this after not throwing live action in 20 days. That said, this is what you get for having a shallow pen. This is also what you get for not leaving Blanton in longer and bringing 11 pitchers, one of whom was Kyle Kendrick who basically is on the roster to pitch if someone was injured. I would expect that Charlie would have left Oswalt in the game until we took a lead, or if there had been a situational advantage to use Romero in.

If they wanted to start Blanton, they should have been prepared to push him deeper into the game. I'm not saying that adding Baez or Herndon to the roster would have made a difference, but the Phillies are essentially operating with 4 relievers that they trust to throw a complete medium to high leverage inning, and they yanked their starter after 60 pitchers and 4.2 IP last night.

[Shane]

Being able to pitch 3 times in a 7 game series was one of the reasons Halliday was brought here.

Time and time again Manual has shown us that he is inept at handling pitchers.

[James Dugan]

Great work here -- they are careless. They are playing like a team that has won two pennants and their life just doesn't match SF.

The play that hurt was Rollens pop up with Werth on second. I would have let him hit also, but to the right side of the field, just in case it goes through. You can not hit a pop up, especially off a slider thrower. The two strike outs that followed were bewildering. Thanks for the read.

It was an exciting game though. Go Phils.

[Jackson]

FINALLY!!! someone who knows what they are talking about http://shortme.eu/exk