Phils ride early lead, hold on to beat Dodgers 8-5

In a game that followed no logical script, the Phils earned all their runs without the long ball and received a 3-for-3, 3 RBI day at the plate by Brett Myers, as the Phils downed the Dodgers to take a 2-0 lead in the NLCS.

Shane Victorino continued his torrid Victober with a two-run single, two-run triple and a highlight-reel catch in the seventh. While Myers was a star at the dish, he labored on the bump, allowing five runs and four walks over five frames, including a three-run shot by Manny Ramirez to cut the Phillies’ six-run lead in half. To the delight of a sold-out Citizens Bank Park crowd, that's where the score would stay thanks to four shutout innings by the bullpen highlighted by Ryan Madson’s brilliant eighth. Brad Lidge turned the ninth into another adventure, but he struck out the side for his 48th-straight save.

Beerleaguer: Myers’ game will never be forgotten, but neither will the work of several others. Victorino has been a delight this entire post-season and has been the Phillies' best overall player for months, period. I loved the look of the Carlos Ruiz double into the gap that got it all started in the second. Old-school Chooch. The job of both bullpens cannot be overstated. Just when the game appeared to be slipping away, Chad Durbin worked a scoreless sixth, J.C. Romero was as nasty as I’ve seen against the left-handers Ethier and Loney. And then there was Madson, who dialed it up to the high 90s and absolutely annihilated Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal and Russell Martin in a huge spot in the eighth.

Something smells, and it's coming from the lockers of Myers and Victorino. It smells like destiny.

Comments

[p. Red]

Crowd didn't seem to be as into it as last night, but they sure were loud at times, as evidenced by this account.

The place is rocking … literally (5:15 p.m. ET)
They say one of the great things about RFK Stadium, where the Washington Redskins used to play football, was the place literally shook during big moments. Well, it happened last night in Philadelphia when Chase Utley and Pat Burrell went deep. It's happening again during Game 2. After Phillies pitcher Brett Myers singled home a run, the left-field seats -- where the auxiliary press box is located -- shook enough to have computers dancing on the tables.

--Nick Pietruszkiewicz, ESPN.com baseball editor

[phanatic's brother]

yeah baby
just think what the score would be if we were firing on all cylinders!

go Phils
Take it to LA !!

[EastFallowfield]

Phils second 2-0 postseason series lead since the 80 WS...

[vegas]

I'll be in La on Sun. and I hope it's nice and quiet there so I can enjoy Poppy Moyer dance around the plate.

2 to go!

[Replacement Player]

I dedicate the only thing I can, my vast satisfaction I feel right now, to the memory of June Manuel. For all his foibles, Uncle Charlie is our skipper, and my heart goes out to him. I can't help but admire his gumption in soldiering on today. Hats off.

[timr]

Vic is the kind of high energy player that is absolutely key to a successful playoff run. The guy is just excited to contribute every at-bat--it looked like he was smiling before he even made that catch!

[RSB]

I'm never one to make excuses for Brett Myers, but I have to think he would have pitched a better game if he wasn't all over the bases every time up.

[Mike]

Great that we took two. I'll be able to enjoy the game on Sunday at Dodger Stadium a little more now. Loge level seats here.

[GoPhilsGo]

Brett pitched just fine except for one mistake to Manny, and his plate appearances were very fruitful and even more entertaining. It was a good trade off, especially since the bullpen has been so strong.

[doubleh]

On PGL it was reported that Shane Victorino's Grandmother died today also.

Two in one day? My heart bleeds for Vic and Cholly.

[phanaticinDC]

I saw in one article that Vic was told about his grandmother after the game. My thoughts & prayers are with him, Charlie and their families tonight.

[EastFallowfield]

Myers said he twisted his ankle rounding second in his postgame interviews. Says he'll be fine.

[LA Jeff]

I'll be at the game Sunday. Who wants to meet up and do a round at Dodger Stadium? We can cheer to Beerleaguer!

[GoPhilsGo]

Wow, how sad is that. First Cholly's mother, now Vic's grandmother. Talk about a bittersweet victory.

[EastFallowfield]

The Phillies became the 19th team in history to win the first two games of the NLCS. Of the clubs that have jumped out to a 2-0 lead, 16 of the 18 teams have ended up winning the series.

[Kutztown fan]

Manny's homerun doesn't count because it would've been an out in any other ballpark. Right? At least that's the argument we got about the HRs from Chase and Burrell last night.

Oh, and I tried the mute button with McCarver and Buck today. Very relaxing to take a break from them.

[EastFallowfield]

Wondering if the Spanish SAP audio is worth a try. You get to hear the "BEAT LA" chants and no Buck and Timmy.

[BloodStripes]

That smell is wafting all the way down to Australia. Sniff, sniff.........smells good.

Go you Phils! Win the NL Pennant.

[Mr. Mack]

It still amazes me that even with a 3 run, 9'th inning lead, we all felt a bad case of nerves. As Philadelphia fans, we have been conditioned to expect the worst. For the fans of a city who has been punched in the gut more often than we care to remember, this is a perfect place to start cringing, bracing for a roundhouse blow.

However...Maybe, just maybe, this year becomes one of those magical sporting seasons that takes all of the Philadelphia fans for that once-in-a-generation joy ride that we all have prayed so hard for. Pinch me if it happens, 'cause it would be hard for me to believe it's not a dream.

[kbless]

Well said Mr. Mack! Just bought my tickets for Game 6. Hope the Phils can at least pull one out of LA. I would like to go to the game with the possibility of clinching, but I wouldn't complain if the series is over by then either.

[diggitydave]

I guess this is an interesting development, as according to my calculations Brett Myers threw offspeed stuff (curveball, slider, splitter, change) in 59 of his 98 pitchers (when you take away the IBB he had), resulting in a 60% clip.
I don't know if Brett just didn't have his good stuff, command, accuracy, velocity, etc.

I would say, however, that if Brett pitches at the pre-demotion-to-the-minors-Brett Myers, J Roll and Howard both look extremely lost at the plate, and yet we still are putting up 8 runs on the board and winning games, that bodes extremely well for this team once Jimmy and Ryan actually wake up and start mashing.

Oh and I was at the game tonight, I'll vouch for the crowd - I think everyone had that sinking feeling in their stomachs and expected the Phils to inevitably blow the game. Still, the place was rocking when Myers got his hits and Victorino's ridiculous catch sent the crowd into a frenzy. Madson shutting down the Dodgers' big bats in the 8th and, especially, Lidge slamming the door in the 9th took the noise to another level and the place really was rocking when Nomar went down swinging...

[Ben Rivera]

So who's the ump for Sunday? What's the word on his strike zone?

[GoPhilsGo]

I love the smell of destiny in the evening

[RSB]

Kuroda's going to be a much bigger problem for this team than either Lowe or Billingsley.

[Pops]

So where did Ryan Madson get this 96 mph heater from? He was filthy - good tonight.

[UD Hens]

Let's go Phils! Take it in LA. I'm tired of hearing from all the so called experts about how Manny is going to beat the Phils. whatever!

[doubleh]

Kuroda is good, but if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Go Phils! I still see this going 6 or 7 games, but if they can take at least 1 in LA, we'll be OK, I think.

[Bob]

Couple of comments:

-I found the trade off of the nuisance of a several second delay well worth the pleasure of watching the TV with no sound and having the local guys on the radio in the background.

-Was commenting to a friend when Nomar came up to bat, "Not exactly who you want to see come up now with guys on base. This guy has done this a few times before." Then we both watched with our jaws dropping as he took three horrendous swings that made Howard's worst K's seem smooth by comparison.

-Was dismayed by Myers' bottom line stat-wise. But...all in all, he ground through some jams and maybe picks up a little confidence boost knowing he doesn't have to be lights out to help the team. He picked them up, they picked him up.

-Was frustrated after the Manny HR. But again, after thinking about it, it did not seem as if Myers grooved the pitch. The guy turns on an inside pitch on his fists and muscles it out of the park with two guys on base? You kind of have to tip your hat to him. Same thing last night, different result. That liner that just happened to be right at Feliz' glove looked like Manny reached out across the plate for an outside pitch just below the knees and hit a rocket. Jeez, just pitch around him. I know, I know, it's a lot easier said than done.

-I missed the showboating/hot dogging by Manny that ticked some people off. What was that about? But I also saw a picture after the game of Cholly with his arm around Manny; he must have been consoling Cholly about his Mom. In all seriousness, a very touching shot about something more important than the ballgame.

-What a time to be a Phils fan. Loving the deafening silence of the Dodgers bandwagon as they realize the Phils just might not cooperate with an LA coronation.

[Pops]

Boston about to go up 1-0. Zero surprise there.

[BloodStripes]

Unless the following ballpark dimensions I researched off yahoo and rotowire are wrong. Could somebody please tell me why Cit Bank Park is a bandbox and Dogger stadium is a pitchers park? The Phillies have way more power bats but whats the diff aside from that? The biggest discrepancy is a lousy 6 feet in right center. This bandbox talk is crap. There is no argument. All 3 homers hit so far in the series would have gone out in LA as well.

Phils Park:

329 - LF, 374 - LC, 401 - C, 369 - RC, 330 - RF.

Dodger Stadium

330 - LF, 375 - LC, 400 - C, 375 - RC, 330 - RF.

[UD Hens]

Wow, look at that guy's sports coat on TBS!

[doubleh]

I know I'm a girl, but this quote from Victorino almost made me cry:

"Charlie stayed strong, kept us all strong," Victorino said. "It's a tough time. Charlie just lost his mom. I just lost my grandmother. It's definitely an emotional time, but it's all about baseball right now. That's what we're focused on. Like I said, it's about baseball. I'm still smiling about that. We won the game. Maybe she helped me make the catch. Maybe Charlie's mom helped me make the catch."

[Vonderful]

I think the ump took Myers out of his game a little bit. Brett seemed to be aiming the ball after the first inning rather than just letting it go. Billingsly was effected by the inconsistent strike zone also. Billingsly also complained about the "pitch selection" by his catcher tonight.

[BloodStripes]

That smell is getting more and more potent.

[BloodStripes]

"Billingsly also complained about the "pitch selection" by his catcher tonight."

Nice. A bit of in-fighting. Let 'em self combust.

[bay_area_phan]

Kuroda's only the third best starter on the Dodgers and a distant third at that. However, he has been lights-out for the last 2 months, and he seems to have the Phillies' number in a big way: 2 starts, 13 IP, 4 hits allowed, 1.38 ERA.

[Jack]

If people haven't read Jayson Stark's article on the game on espn.com, you need to.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3637332

[Ben Keeler]

Great article by Stark. Tough to read the part where he says Manuel wont get the daily phone call from his mom postgame.

[mike cunningham]

about to read the rest of the game thread that I kept up on at the ballpark.

what a feeling it was leaving the park... and heading out into town... there's something... well... i'll just say the weather is nice. a little nicer than the temperature says, if you know what i mean.

something.

reading the manuel stuff breaks my heart. i've been critical of the man in the past. onmy blog, i spent time mocking him. on podcasts i imitated him. but what he went through managing this game when really it's just an f'ing game, no matter how important it is. my parents are both away tghsi week... and my mom was texting me from Vegas. I get to share that with her. And cholly doesn't. that's a shame.

heck of a night fellas. i'll give more in in the morning on the crowd and other notes.

[GM-Carson]

That's what October baseball is all about. The Phils won a crazy game on a crazy day. Manuel lost his mom and Vic lost his grandmother. Vic made a great play and showcased his great bat. Myers is working his mystical powers, collecting his 4th hit of the playoffs after only 4 all season. Of note- Myers has a mild sprained ankle from running the bases, lets hope that's not more serious.

[EastFallowfield]

The percentage of Phils postseason runs scored on HRs dropped to 50% after yesterday's effort.

[EastFallowfield]

By the way, I wondered yesterday what the trolls would have to complain about after an 8 run/no HR game.

Turns out we're lucky to have such an easy playoff schedule.

First, the Sheets-less Brewers (who did have the 3rd best record in the league) and now the lousy Dodgers (who did have a better regular season record than the 2006 Cards, who won the WS and beat a certain clutch team in NY).

Whatever.

As for LA, they're still complaining about the dimensions of the park, because Blake's ball was caught by Victorino.

[Yikes!]

Complain about dimensions? Why not complain that he Green Monster in Boston is practically touching the shortstop's ass. Or that the right field pole is practically directly behind firstbase. Nope, bitch about the Brick Cit House, but Boston is golden and quaint for some reason.

[Ribbies]

God, what an emotional roller coaster. I'm now just reading the game reports and getting the news. It reminds me of that late 90s Yankees team when Torre's brother was sick and the team rallied around. Another amazing day.

I'm trying to follow all this from the Middle East but I will be back on Oct. 18 just in time for game 7, or maybe a few days before the beginning of the World Series. Go Phils!

[squatter]

Magnificent article about Charlie Manuel by Bill Lyon in the Inquirer today. Class-act writer (rare) writing about a class-act manager (rare).

[phargo]

Good Morning.

What a game. I am feeling me some extra Chooch-love right about now (I always love Vic). In addition:

I thought the Phanatic introducing the lineup was hilarious.

I don't get why Manny had his finger in the air after his homerun. It didn't even tie the game or the series, much less put them ahead. Whatcha pointin' at Manny, and why?

I sure do feel for Charlie and Vic. I like Vic's take on it.

Have a good day. It's a little tricky to truly enjoy the weekend when I am so eager for Sunday night!

[Bob]

squatter, thanks for the heads up. What a great picture as well. I bookmarked the article.

[RSB]

Ramirez was so over-the-top after that dinky homer that it was almost comical - almost as if he were deliberately trying to incite the crowd, or incite *something*. He gesticulated so frequently, it made Jose Reyes look like Scott Rolen rounding the bases, and then took the hackey sacks out of his mouth long enough to shout smack out to Myers (and then deny it later). I don't think it was even possible to get angry at him, you just had to look at him like some sorry freak from the circus sideshow. Maybe he's not a bad guy, as he so often claims, but him to put on the act he does, something ain't quite right with him.

[curt]

Laughable as it would have sounded 6 months ago, Vic is easily the 2008 Phillie MVP. His bat and energy were there all year, unlike any of the others. Lidge was great on ~45 days, but Vic takes it for 168 days (and counting) of solid work.

[Dave P]

Watching Howard swing over those curve balls last night reminded me of Pedro Cerano swinging over the curves in Major League. Not even close to close to those balls.

"You no help me now...I say f*$& you, Jobu."