![\"manny\"](\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3223\/2764395333_672c414170.jpg?v=1218794091\")
-Joe Buck and Tim McCarver criticized Charlie Manuel for walking Manny in the first inning, but it was the right move, as Manny showed later in the game.\u00a0 You just can’t get that guy out right now, and he should be avoided at every <\/em>opportunity.\u00a0 Russell Martin and Andre Ethier are solid hitters, but they’re no reason to throw a strike to Manny with runners in scoring position.<\/p>\n-Surprisingly, Buck and McCarver said something that I actually agreed with in the 6th inning when they said that Shane Victorino should not have been bunting with two on and no outs.\u00a0 Victorino is the hottest hitter in the line-up right now (and was even before the big homer in the 8th), so there’s no way he should be sacrificing and leaving it up to Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz to get the runs in.\u00a0 I don’t know if that call came from Charlie or if Victorino did it on his own, but he needs to be swinging in those spots.<\/p>\n
-The key to the game was definitely the Phillies getting out of the bottom of the 6th with only two runs allowed.\u00a0 When it was second and third with nobody out, I was just hoping they could keep it to one more run given up in the inning, but\u00a0thanks to\u00a0an Ethier line-out, an intentional walk to Manny, and the incredible unassisted double-play by Utley, they escaped with only a two-run deficit and were still right in the game.\u00a0 By the way, Ryan Howard really needs to learn\u00a0how to throw the\u00a0ball\u00a0this offseason.<\/p>\n
-I know Cory Wade had a great rookie season, but he looks hittable and it seemed like a matter of time before the Phils took advantage of him.\u00a0 And how about Matt Stairs coming in and clobbering that home run off of Jonathan Broxton, who had given up two home runs all year.\u00a0 I loved the interview with Stairs after the game.\u00a0 When players are asked about a home run, they always say the same things, like what Victorino said before Stairs, something like, “I was just looking to hit a line-drive and it happened to go out”.\u00a0 Stairs response was, “Yeah, I just did the same thing I’ve done my whole career, go up there and swing for the fences”.\u00a0 Awesome.<\/p>\n
-A final strategic note: I agreed with Charlie going to Lidge in the 8th.\u00a0 With Manny up and two out, it was the perfect situation.\u00a0 I know he didn’t get him out, but Sandy Koufax in his prime couldn’t get Manny out right now.\u00a0 It was still the right call.<\/p>\n
Kid Cole will take the ball tomorrow and hopefully the Phils will be cracking open\u00a0the champagne bottles for the third time in the last few weeks.\u00a0 As for the ALCS, the Red Sox are down 2-1 and have Tim Wakefield going tonight, but they’re far from out of this.\u00a0 It still could go either way, and I’m still rooting for the Rays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’m back from the extended celebration of my blog-mate’s marriage, and I’ll do what I can here\u00a0while he enjoys his honeymoon during one of the more exciting weeks in recent Philly sports history.\u00a0 After a late-inning comeback in Game 4, … Continue reading