Philadelphia Sports Fan Blog

Ryan Howard and the defending champs are back in the World Series — proving last year was no fluke and looking even more dangerous this time around.

Jayson Werth homered twice, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz also connected and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their second straight NL pennant.

Brad Lidge closed it out, Howard was selected NL championship series MVP and the Phillies became the first team to reach consecutive World Series since the New York Yankees in 2000-01.

“I can get used to it,” manager Charlie Manuel told a cheering crowd. “We got one more step and we’re going to get it!”

Now, Jimmy Rollins and crew wait for their next opponent. They’ll go for their third World Series title beginning next Wednesday night at New York or Los Angeles. The Yankees lead the Angels 3-1 in the ALCS, which resumes Thursday night at Angel Stadium.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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Twenty-four hours after learning that he had been left off the Phillies’ roster for the National League Championship Series, Brett Myers still was having trouble digesting the decision yesterday.

“I’m upset,” the pitcher said before Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers last night.

Myers, 29, had hip surgery June 4. At the time, team officials thought his season was over. The righthander stayed dedicated to a rehabilitation program and made it back in early September. The club hoped Myers could help in the bullpen, but he had a 6.43 ERA in eight games. He pitched just two-thirds of an inning in the division series.

“It’s tough going through all that [rehab],” Myers said. “This is the whole reason I tried to get back, to be in the postseason. Now they took that away.


Click here to read the full article – By Jim Salisbury of Philadelphia Inqurier

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Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz had an MRI on his sprained left wrist Wednesday in Philadelphia. He could miss the next three to five days, but that is considered a good thing because he has no structural damage.


Ruiz is far from the only injured player on the Phillies roster:

• Right-hander Brett Myers (strained right latissimus dorsi) rejoined the team Wednesday. He said he will throw bullpen sessions next Tuesday and Thursday. He expects to be ready to pitch after that. “I could throw a bullpen now,” Myers said. “The doc wants to wait. I’ll definitely be back before the end of the season. Definitely.” Asked if he could throw consecutive days upon his return, he said, “Yeah, why not? If it’s healthy, it’s healthy.”

• Right-hander Pedro Martinez (neck stiffness) threw off flat ground Wednesday. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Martinez told him he felt better and sounded optimistic he would start Saturday against Milwaukee.


Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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Davey Lopes started things in the fifth inning Tuesday with a simple question for Cole Hamels: When was the last time you slid? “It’s been a long time,” Hamels replied. Hamels, who was on first base, knew exactly why Lopes was asking. He wanted Hamels to steal second base.


Lopes has been the Phillies’ first-base coach since 2007 and is a major reason why the Phillies have been the most successful basestealing team in the Majors. The Phillies have stolen 85.1 percent of their bases the past three seasons. No other team in the Majors is better than 79.2 percent. Lopes is good because he has a knack for picking up a pitcher’s tendencies, much like a poker tell. A shift in body weight, a simple head movement, can tell Lopes if a pitcher is about to throw a pitch, which means a baserunner can take off without fear of being picked off. He also instills confidence in his baserunners that they can steal a base if they want.

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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The atmosphere resembled a playoff game from last season’s road to the Phillies’ first World Series title in 28 years.
With the sellout crowd of 44,828 on Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park buzzing much of the game, the Phillies held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Braves to take two of three in the crucial series. Philadelphia now holds a commanding eight-game advantage over Atlanta and Florida in the National League East.

Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz provided the offense and Joe Blanton gave the Phillies another solid start.

The Phillies played stellar defense all night and Brad Lidge secured his second straight 1-2-3 save for his 27th save in 36 opportunities. He seems to have regained much of his form when he was able to go 48-for-48 in save chances last season, including 7-for-7 in the postseason.


Click here to read the full article – By Andy Jasner of MLB.com

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Cliff Lee has tried not to analyze his accomplishments in his first four starts with the Phillies. He finds no value in that.


“I don’t know how special it is,” Lee said following an 8-1 victory over the D-backs on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. “It’s me doing what I expect to do every time I go on the mound. Every inning, I expect to go out there and put up a zero. [I] get that inning behind me, go out to the next inning and I expect to put up a zero. I’ve done that more times than not. Yeah, I’m pleased with it. I’m not too caught up in it. I’m not going to sit here and pat myself on the back. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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In a series where offense has been hard to come by, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has supplied plenty of it in key moments. After his performance at Turner Field on Sunday, the Braves will certainly be happy to see him leave town.

As if his ninth-inning home run on Friday wasn’t enough, Howard drove in four runs with two homers on Sunday to give Philadelphia a 4-1 victory after a one-hour and 37-minute rain delay for a series win and putting its National League East lead to 4 1/2 games. Howard’s three-run homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and Atlanta would never recover.

Howard started the game’s scoring with a solo homer in the second off Braves starter Javier Vazquez, but Atlanta would answer in the bottom half of the fourth inning with a solo home run by Matt Diaz.

Click here to read the full article – By Adam Rosenberg of MLB.com

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For five innings, Pedro Martinez was razor sharp.

He was hitting the corners with his fastball and his offspeed pitches had the Trenton Thunder hitters reaching.

Though Martinez unraveled a little bit in the sixth, he turned in his best performance in three rehab starts with the Phillies organization. On Wednesday before an all-time record crowd of 9,953 at FirstEnergy Stadium, Martinez gave up five hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings. More importantly, he threw 82 pitches, struck out 11 and didn’t walk a batter.

Click here to read the full article – By Andy Jasner of MLB.com

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Shane Victorino received another piece of hardware Tuesday.

Before returning to the starting lineup after a four-game hiatus, Victorino was handed the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote trophy, recognizing the impressive on-field and publicity campaigns that netted him a spot on the National League squad.

Click here to read the full article – By David Gurian-Peck of MLB.com

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The Cliff Lee Era begins Friday night.

Lee, whom the Phillies acquired in a six-player trade with the Indians, joins the Phillies rotation with high expectations. He won the American League Cy Young award last season, and the Phillies and their fans hope he can bring some of that pitching talent to the National League.
Is there any adjustment from the AL to the NL?

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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