Although the Yankees won this game 8-5 because their bats came alive, including Alex Rodriguez getting his first hit in the World Series, there were a few key plays that changed this game. Jayson Werth got things started in the bottom of the 2nd inning with a homerun to leftfield, as he golfed a pitch from Andy Pettitte out of the ballpark to give the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phillies used the leadoff homerun by Jayson Werth to help ignite their offense as they had a big inning, scoring three runs all told in the inning. A key part of the inning was when Cole Hamels laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with two outs, but it instead turned into a base hit that went in between Posada and Pettitte and there was no throw on the play as Cole Hamels ran to first. Therefore, it became a bases loaded situation with just one out, instead of second and third with two outs.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Cole Hamels looked silky smooth through the first three innings. However, a close call to Mark Teixeira on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the fourth inning was the first walk of the game given up by Cole Hamels, and then a controversial call on a homerun ball, (originally ruled a double), hit the opposite way by Alex Rodriguez, making it a 3-2 ballgame, (which was the first hit of the game for the Yanks), led to the unraveling of Hamels. Hamels got out of the fourth inning, but then in the fifth he was shaky again. Hamels gave up a double to Nick Swisher and then a base hit by the pitcher Andy Pettitte, who hit a first pitch curveball by Cole Hamels…why do you throw the pitcher a curve? Pound him with fastballs! Jayson Werth continued his good night as he hit a solo shot to leftfield to lead off the bottom of the 6th inning…he hit it off the Geico sign almost reaching the fans in the upper decks to make it 6-4 at the time. The Yankees bats proved to be too much though, and the bullpen of the Yankees out-dueled the Phillies bullpen.
Key Notes: Hamels came out of the game giving up five runs, and the bullpen couldn’t hold this tough Yankees lineup down, which was a big factor in the loss…Hero of the game for the Phils: Jayson Werth….Goat: Umpire crew. The rule is that it has to be conclusive video evidence to overturn a call, and I believe it was not. The ruling on the field was a double for Alex Rodriguez, and from every camera angle they showed, it looked like the ball was on the decline when it hit the camera, which was in the field of play hanging over the right-field wall. Meaning, the ball would not have cleared the fence if the camera was not there. That totally changed the game, and Cole Hamels seemed to lose his confidence, going away from his fastball, and throwing more curveballs after that. Nonetheless, it is 2-1 Yankees, and Joe Blanton and the Phillies will have a tall task tonight going up against C.C. Sabathia in game four to try to even up this series.
Topics: Alex Rodriguez, andy pettitte, Ballgame, Bats, bullpen, Cole Hamels, Curveball, Fastballs, Homerun Ball, Jayson Werth, Leftfield, Mark Teixeira, Mash, nick swisher, Phillies, Runners, Sacrifice Bunt, Upper Decks, World Series, Yanks
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the key play of the game came inthepivotal second inning. Wih Pettite on the ropes and the bases loaded, Rolllins had his most disciplined at bat of the post season, eventually walking to drive in a run. Victorino then swung at the first two pitches, which were clearly out of the strike zone, before eventually hitting a sacrifice fly for the Phillies third run. It could have and should have been a much bigger inning. After escaping further damage, Pettite shut the Phillies offense down, giving his team the chance it needed.
The goat was definitely the umpires, as they have been making incorrect calls the whole series at the plate, and in the field. Utley was safe in a prior game; however, the game before, the Phillies got the break. One would think that in a World Series, the Major League umps would be more accurate. That’s baseball….it’s the hard that makes it great. Otherwise, everyone would be major leaguers. We need an All Star stint from Blanton tonight, and we need CC to falter. Let’s play ball!