Memo to Fox: There are other players in this series besides Manny Ramirez, and the ones wearing the red pinstripes - none of whom quit on their team - won Game 1 tonight 3-2.The Phillies came out flat against the Dodgers, causing Christine to groan a lot as she watched her squad's first National League Championship Series game since she was in high school.
But ace Cole Hamels hung in there after giving up two runs - one on a mammoth double by Manny in the first, the other on a sac fly in the 4th - and lasted seven innings tonight.
The Phillies offense still isn't clicking, managing just seven hits and a walk, but they pushed across the three runs they needed off Derek Lowe. For a guy who used to be clutch in the playoffs - including pitching a clincher at Yankee Stadium in 2004 - he looked really rattled by the fans in the 5th inning. He fell apart in the 6th after Shane Victorino reached on an error. Chase Utley, who may be snapping out of a playoff funk with two hits tonight, hit a game-tying home run. Pat Burrell quickly broke the tie with a solo home run two batters later. He looked very determined rounding the bases.
McCarverisms: "For those of you just joining us, Jason Bay was aquired by the Red Sox to replace Manny Ramirez."
Administrative notes: Tomorrow is a hectic day for those of us at SoxandPhils. We'll be at Citizens Bank Park for Game 2. We'll try to recap as quickly as possible to watch the Red Sox and Rays do battle in Game 1 and then get a few hours sleep before an early-morning drive to North Carolina to visit family. I don't know if we'll recap the AL game Saturday afternoon, but we'll definitely check in sometime Saturday night. Let's hope at that point we'll be four wins away from the SoxandPhils World Series.
[Photo credit: Associated Press]
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