Myers, Victorino Lead Phillies Past Dodgers in Game 2
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Brett Myers was shakey on the mound in his 5 inning outing, but found some hitting skills going 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs. Centerfielder Shane Victorino drove in 4 other runs with a single and triple as the Phillies parlayed 4 runs each in the 2nd and 3rd innings pummelling Chad Billingsley enroute to an 8-5 win over the Dodgers in the NLCS game 2 on Friday.
Meanwhile, in the other league, Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka, off an 18-3 - 2.90 ERA regular season, shut out the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on 4 hits by a 2-0 score in Friday’s opener of the ALCS. Dice-K walked 4 but struck out 9 over seven innings. 2 relievers bridged the Red Sox over the eighth inning to get to closer Jon Papelbon who closed out the ‘Rays on 12 pitches in the ninth striking out 2.
In a game where manager Charlie Manuel found out that his Mother passed away, and where Shane Victorino was told after the game that his grandmother died, Myers quickly put the Dodgers down in the first inning striking out 2. Billingsley followed suit retiring the Phils in their half of the first, including 2 strikeouts. 2nd baseman Chase Utley was walked on 5 pitches, the 1st of 4 times in the game that he was walked.
L.A. was first to hit the scoreboard in the second on a single, double and a sacrifice fly. The Phils responded with 4 runs in their half. The Dodgers notched a 2nd run on 2 walks and a single after which the Phils responded with 4 more runs in their 3rd to take an 8-2 lead.
In the fourth, the game appeared to be taking a wild turn as a 3rd strike wild pitch with 2 outs gave the Dodgers new life. With two men on, leftfielder Manny Ramirez nailed Myers’ 1-1 pitch to the seats in leftfield to draw the Dodgers to within 8-5. But the Phils held on with some gritty relief pitching.
AP Sports writer Rob Maaddi describes the game for Yahoo sports;
Myers unnerved some of the Dodgers’ hitters [early]. He threw some high-and-tight fastballs in the first inning and the one really wild pitch that sailed behind Ramirez.
Myers knocked down Russell Martin with a fastball right before he struck out on a slow curve. That brought up Ramirez with two outs and nobody on.
Myers’ first pitch was in and the next one, a 94 mph fastball, was several feet behind the Ramirez. Never shy to tell a pitcher he doesn’t appreciate getting brushed back, Ramirez didn’t say a word and ended up striking out on a 3-2 slider.
Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley allowed eight runs—seven earned—and eight hits in 2 1-3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander pitched 6 2-3 strong innings in a win over the Cubs in Game 2 of the division series.
Myers had a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in a four-run second inning, and his two-run single chased Billingsley in the third. Myers was 4-for-58 in the regular season and is a lifetime .116 hitter.
“It’s crazy,” he said.
Billingsley struck out four of the first six batters he faced, but quickly ran into trouble after fanning Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth in the second.
Greg Dobbs hit a soft single up the middle and scored when Carlos Ruiz hit a double to left-center. Myers lined the next pitch to right-center to drive in Ruiz and give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
Jimmy Rollins bounced a single up the middle and Myers chugged toward third. [Matt] Kemp misplayed the ball in center field or he could’ve thrown Myers out to end the inning. Rollins hustled into second on the play.
Victorino followed with a two-run single to left-center to make it 4-1. The Flyin’ Hawaiian slapped his hands after rounding first and the fans went wild.
Loney’s two-out RBI single to center cut it to 4-2 in the third. The Dodgers loaded the bases when Kemp reached on third baseman Dobbs’ fielding error, but Myers escaped the jam by striking out Blake DeWitt on a slow curve.
Pumped up by his pitching, Myers came through at the plate again. The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs. After Ruiz’s grounder forced Burrell at home, Myers slapped a liner past first baseman [James] Loney down the right-field line to give the Phillies a 6-2 lead.
Chan Ho Park came in and struck out Rollins, but Victorino tripled to right-center to make it 8-2. Los Angeles used two more pitchers to get out of the inning.
Victorino made a leaping catch of Casey Blake’s drive at the center-field fence to end the seventh.
“He hit it well,” Victorino said. “I just told myself, try to get back.”
Myers had thrown 102 pitches after five innings and replaced by reliever Chad Durbin who gave up a sixth inning hit but retired the Dodgers on 10 pitches. J.C. Romero retired 2 in the seventh and Ryan Madson finished out the the inning and retired the Dodgers in the eighth. Closer Brad Lidge finished the Dodgers off in the ninth by striking out the side for his 2nd save of the series. Billingsley, who gave up 8 runs in 2 1/3 innings, was charged with the loss.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s games, click here.
The teams have a travel day on Saturday before 45 year old veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer opposes rookie Hiroki Kuroda in Los Angeles on Sunday. On Monday, Joe Blanton is listed to start for the Phils while the Dodgers have not yet determined their starter.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, click here and here.
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