Brewers Beat Phillies, Avoid Elimination
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The Brewers put 2 quick first inning runs on the board Saturday when veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer walked the 1st 2 hitters, threw a wild pitch and saw a run score on a sacrifice and another on a single. The Brewers scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings and the Phillies scored their only run off of Dave Bush in the sixth. They attempted a ninth inning rally loading the bases with none out. But closer Salomon Torres and the Brewers benefited by interference on centerfielder Shane Victorino on a doubleplay to top the Phils by a 4-1 score and to live to play game 4 on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the L.A. Dodgers got by the Chicago Cubs by a 3-1 score to sweep their Division championship round and will play the winners of the Phillies/Brewers series later this week when the NLCS begins. It was the 2d straight season that the ubs were swept in the first round of playoffs.
The Phillies mounted easily their most potent threat of the game in the ninth inning 1st baseman Ryan Howard, pinch hitter Greg Dobbs and Victorino all singled to center, center and left respectively with none out against closer Salomon Torres. 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz came oup with the chance to do some real damage. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo describes what happened next;
Charging toward second base when Pedro Feliz hit a routine double-play ball toward third, Shane Victorino never slid. Instead, he ducked his head and rammed directly into Brewers second baseman Craig Counsell, knocking him backward as he received Bill Hall’s throw — but not disrupting Counsell’s relay to first.
Hovering over the second-base bag, umpire Jim Joyce immediately called out Victorino for interference to complete the first half of the double play, and Counsell’s relay easily beat Feliz to the first-base bag to complete the trick.
Ryan Howard scored on the play and Greg Dobbs moved to third, before all six Division Series umpires gathered to discuss everything that had just transpired. After a brief conversation, the crew sent Howard back to third base and Dobbs to second, clearing a run off the board. Both outs stood.
With runners back on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out, Torres got catcher Carlos Ruiz to ground out to the pitcher to kill the threat and nail down the Brewers’ win.
Other than the ninth inning, the Phillies never got more than 1 runner on in any inning and scored their only run in the sixth as rightfielder Jayson Werth led off with a triple after which starter Bush was pulled in favor of Mitch Stetter. After 2nd baseman Chase Utley popped out to shortstop, Werth scored on Ryan Howard’s ground out and Carlos Villanueva took over and retired leftfielder Pat Burrell to end the inning on a grounder to 3rd base.
From then on, Villanueva and Eric Gagne held the Phils to a single base runner until closer Torres entered in the ninth.
Bush threw 70 pitches through 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. Moyer lasted 4 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks to take the loss. Moyer, who was charged with the loss, was pulled in the fifth inning for pinch hitter Matt Stairs who flied out to centerfield.
Relievers Clay Condrey and Scott Eyre gave up the Brewers single runs in the fifth and seventh inning.
Mainly, this game was about the symtoms of sleepy offense which the Phils have exhibited throughout this series, even though they managed to win the first 2 games with clutch hits in key situations. When the offense finally appeared to crank up in the ninth, the interference call on Victorino was a critical miscue.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s and Saturday’s games click here and here.
On Sunday, the Phils will start Joe Blanton against Jeff Suppan. If a 5th game is necessary on Tuesday back in Philadelphia, it will be a battle of lefties as ace Cole Hamels will oppose C.C. Sabathia.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s games, click here.
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