Phillies Edge Rays for 2-1 Lead on Walk-Off Single by Ruiz
|
|
|
|
|
Catcher Carlos Ruiz, light-hitting during the regular season and during the NL playoffs but hitting .500 through 3 games of the World Series, drove in the winning run with none out and runners on 2nd and 3rd base in ninth inning on an infield single to 3rd base as the Phillies took a 2 games to 1 lead edging the Tampa Bay Rays by a 5-4 score in Saturday’s game 3 of the World Series.
Ruiz, who hit a paltry .219 in 117 games in the regular season and .200 through the NL division series and the NLCS, is 4 for 8 with 2 doubles, has a homer and 3 RBIs through the first 3 games of the World Series. The 29 year old 3rd year catcher homered in the second inning to break a 1-1 tie in the first of 3 games to be played in Philadelphia.
After the 91 minute rain delay to the start of the game, 45 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer, with a 16-7 mark during the regular season but tenuous in the NL playoffs, was shakey through the first and second innings. The Rays’ scored their first run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by rightfielder Gabe Gross which scored leftfielder Carl Crawford whose double lanced off of the glove of a sliding Pat Burrell in leftfield. Crawford stole 3rd base to set up the sacrifice fly score.
Meanwhile, Matt Garza was touched for single Phillie runs in both the first and second innings. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins led off for the Phillies with a single to centerfield on Garza’s 2nd pitch. Rollins went 2 for 4 for the game breaking out of his post-season slump. Rightfielder Jayson Werth walked on 5 pitches. Both runners advanced a Garza wild pitch to 2nd baseman Chase Utley who later drove in the Phillies 1st run on a ground out to 1st base. With 2 outs in the second inning, Ruiz solo homered to leftfield on Garza’s 2nd pitch to put the Phils up 2-1.
Moyer settled down after the shakey start and retired 12 of the next 14 hitters he faced from the second through sixth innings before things came apart for him in the seventh.
As Moyer took care of the Rays, the Phillies big guns Utley and 1st baseman Ryan Howard put on a power display lighting up Garza for back-to-back homers to open the sixth inning staking Moyer and the Phils to a brief 4-1 lead. Howard’s homer was the second of his career in the post-season. He solo homered in last season’s division championship game 2 against Colorado. He has struck out 6 times in the 3 games with Tampa Bay.
But things went a bit awry in the seventh for Moyer and reliever Chad Durbin.
AP baseball writer Ben Walker recaps the last 3 innings for Yahoo sports;
Garza, who beat Boston in Game 7 to win the MVP award of the ALCS, never seemed comfortable and kept fidgeting with the rubber.
Moyer left in the seventh with a 4-2 lead after an RBI grounder by Gabe Gross. He tipped his cap toward plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth and then to the crowd that gave him a rousing standing ovation.
Chad Durbin relieved and gave up Jason Bartlett’s RBI grounder that pulled the Rays within a run.
Minus Moyer, the Rays sped back to tie as [centerfielder] B.J. Upton became the first AL player to steal three bases in a Series game.
Upton beat out an infield single to open the eighth, swiped second and third on consecutive pitches, and dashed home on a wild throw by Ruiz to make it 4-all.
Tampa Bay’s rally dampened the moment Moyer waited for his whole life. The 45-year-old lefty finally got to pitch in the World Series and threw a game that defines his career, bedeviling the Rays with his slo-mo repertoire.
It all came down to this: Rays reliever J.P. Howell hit Eric Bruntlett with a pitch to start the ninth. Enter Grant Balfour, who threw a wild pitch that caromed off the backstop to catcher Dioner Navarro, whose throw trying to get Bruntlett skipped into center field.
With Bruntlett on third, the Rays issued two intentional walks and brought in right fielder Ben Zobrist for a five-man infield. Ruiz followed with a nubber down the line and third baseman Evan Longoria charged. He dived for the ball, and rushed an underhanded flip home that sailed over Navarro’s head.
The single was just the Phils’ second hit in 33 chances with runners in scoring position this Series.
The Phillies rushed from the dugout to congratulate Bruntlett at the plate and Ruiz at first base. The giant Liberty Bell in center field clanged in celebration—no cowbells here at Citizens Bank Park.
Scott Eyre relieved Durbin with 2 out in the seventh recording a strikeout to retire the side. Ryan Madson came on in the eighth and was charged with the tying run which closed the book on Moyer. Lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero came on with 2 outs io the eighth and retired Crawford on one pitch, a fly to rightfield, to end the inning. Romero set the Rays down in order on 14 pitches in the ninth inning to record the win.
Howell, who was charged with the winning run, took the loss.
In Sunday’s game 4, Joe Blanton contests against Andy Sonnanstine. On Monday, lefthanders Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir face-off in a rematch of game 1.
del.icio.us |
digg |
Furl |
Reddit |
YahooMyWeb |