Chase Utley set the tone early as he belted a two run home run in his very first World Series at bat to plate Jayson Werth in front of him in the first inning. It would be a lead that young Phils ace Cole Hamels would not relinquish as the Fightins won game one of the 2008 World Series.
Carlos Ruiz plated the Phillies third run in the fourth inning as he grounded out to score Shane Victorino who had led off the inning with a single and had advanced to third base. Carl Crawford scored the Rays first run on a home run to right field off a hanging curve by Hamels, the only mistake pitch he made in the entire game! The Rays second run was scored on a double off the bat of Rays second baseman Akinora Iwamura. Iwamura had three of the five hits that Hamels allowed in his seven innings of work.
Ryan Madson pitched a perfect eighth for the Fightins flashing a couple 97 mph fastballs! Madson has really stepped it up in the playoffs and is throwing as hard as I have ever seen him! Super closer Brad Lidge was lights out in the ninth to earn the save. Lidge struck out two of the three batters he faced in a dominating appearance. He got the Rays 3-4-5 hitters out without even a loud foul ball!
Big win for the Fightins to get the first one on the road. Back at them tommorrow with Brett Myers taking the ball. Brett is a big game guy so I expect a huge effort from the right hander! Cole Hamels is earning that “Hollywood” nickname of his as he is indeed performing like a star!
Chatter
Jimmy Rollins said this past offseason that this team would win 100 or more games this season, with this win the Philies have won 100 games! They captured 92 in the regular season and 8 thus far in the post season! Rollins struggled at the plate going 0 for 5 and looked bad in his last two at bats swinging at high pitches above his head to strike out. J-Roll just needs to calm down a bit and lead our team! Ryan Howard was punked by Rays skipper Joe Maddon as Maddon intentionally walked Chase Utley in the top of the ninth with one out after Jayson Werth had doubled to get to Howard. The big guy had a poor at bat as he struck out looking against left hander Trevor Miller on two pitches down the heart of the plate. Howard and Rollins will make the Jays pay at some point in this series, mark my word! No worries so far as the Phillies found a way to win but we need these two big guns to step up at some point in this series before we have our parade!
Was it just me or did B.J. Upton dog it a bit on the two ground ball double plays he hit into to. I think if he had ran hard on the first one he may have beaten it out! The World Series stage is not the place to show lack of hustle!
