Ibanez Conquers Mets For Series Win
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, June 11, 2009 10:30 PM | Comments: 58
2009 Recaps, Posts
At a certain moment, you realize what you’re watching isn’t merely some hot start, nor some speculation of sideways habits, but simply the work of a Most Valuable Player. Raul Ibanez is that MVP.
Ibanez’s three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning defeated the Mets, 6-3, giving the Phillies the win in a terrific three-game series worthy of documentation and conversation. And the home run strengthened his totals: 21 home runs, 58 runs batted in.
The home run — and Ryan Madson’s smooth four-batter save — ended a classic game that ended a classic series. With the fog positioned over Citi Field all evening and a ready rain mixing with an unseasonable chill, the game even felt like October. Couldn’t you see it? A National League Championship Series preview? And the Phillies were playoff tested, from Madson to the clutch two innings of relief patched together by Clay Condrey. Not to mention the second-straight night of tag-team work by righty Chad Durbin and lefty Scott Eyre, who grabbed the win. In all, that bullpen surrendered just one hit in four frames.
That group backed a gutsy Jamie Moyer, who allowed his share of big hits — including two doubles by the pesky Luis Castillo — but ultimately gave his Phils a chance to win. They almost seized the lead for him as the Phils mounted two in the sixth and seventh. Chase Utley slammed a clutch double for a run, then Matt Stairs knocked in another via a groundout. But yet again, it became a battle of bullpens. And yet again, the Phillies showed victorious.
All because of a certain MVP.
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
I hate the result,but good hard game with an Ibanez blast.Oh well,next we face the Yankees.
Posted: 10:33 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Greg V.
There’s no denying what a great series of baseball this was! I mean all three games were stellar hard fought games from both teams!
Posted: 10:37 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 mike s.
who used to be in left field????
(im kidding. i love you pat. get better soon)
Posted: 10:37 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Greg V.
Hey I love Pat the Bat! Always will. But the Ibanez era is something else so far!
Posted: 10:39 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Well its not Yankees/Red Sox,Dodgers/Giants,Packers/Bears,Cowboys/Redskins,even Jets/Dolphins.BUT This Mets/Phillies rivalry with 2 good teams feels good and natural.As much as I hate Bobby Cox,Larry Jones and the Braves it didn’t feel like a rivalry.To me a rivalry is when 2 cities are really driving distance away from the hated team.
Posted: 10:40 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Mike…..WHO was on First! everybody knows that.
Posted: 10:40 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Grumps, I know all those rivalries have history, but right now there is no better rivalry in sports than Phils/Mets. Sometimes they just gotta throw out history.
Posted: 10:43 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Lt.
What a great series.
Much love to Burrell, though – he’s the one so far with the ring on his finger with the 2008 WFC’s. And he put the winning run in scoring position.
Ibanez has a tall order to fill there, but so far, he’s just been absolute friggin money all year long.
Ibanez for MVP.
Posted: 10:45 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Tim….It would take a nuclear bomb to diminish the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry.It goes WAY BACK.Not saying Mets/Phillies is not a hot rivalry in which it is….but Nothing can really compare to Yankees/Red Sox.I happen to enjoy this rivalry and have a couple of friends I deal with who are Phillies fans and its been more gooder for the last 3 years.
Posted: 10:49 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Or in the words of Dubya “Nucular”
Posted: 10:49 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
I can already hear the MVP chants at CBP this weekend…
Posted: 10:50 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Flying Dad Bomb
Visiting Met fan here expressing congrats to ya guys. Wished surely for a better result, but you deserved it in this installment. Rivalry gets better with each passing series.
And Tim, in regards to the rivalry, try telling that to that one television station somewhere in Connecticut.
Posted: 10:58 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Oh I lived in Connecticut. I know all too well.
Posted: 10:59 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 JohnKruksLoveChild
Just got home from McFaddens, awesome win for the Phils capping off a really fun event put on by Phillies Nation. Many thanks to Brian and Tim for putting together such a great site and drawing out a fun community. This is hands down the best phillies blog around, at least to this bastard child of John Kruk.
Posted: 10:59 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Pat Gallen, Phils Examiner
Raul Ibanez gave a “stool sample” to the Mets.
Sorry I missed the McFadden’s party, shit.
Posted: 11:07 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Flying Dad Bomb
Oh and one other thing Tim. Whatever happened to those beer reviews? Perhaps other than checking on to see how the other half lives, I always look forward to those beer reviews.
Posted: 11:09 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
This is one helluva rivalry. Always has been always will be. GREAT showing by the future MVP. BEAST! ABSOLUTE BEAST!
Posted: 11:11 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Pat Gallen, Phils Examiner
Flying Dad Bomb….good to see a Mets fan come on here and congratulate instead of hate. It’s usually some moron with half a brain writing how the Phillies suck. Good work outta you.
Mets though are going to be dangerous, I can just feel it.
Posted: 11:12 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
To bad our Pitching sucked for the first month of the season. Had they not completely sucked for the first month, we would probably have won at least 6 more games. Oh well, its in the past, lets look forward not back.
Posted: 11:13 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
both Flying Dad Bomb and Grumpy seem pretty level headed.
Posted: 11:14 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Flying Dad Bomb
Thanks Pat Gallen. I feel the same way, yet at the same time, after the last two years, nothing shocks me with this Mets team anymore.
Posted: 11:15 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Flying Dad Bomb
Thanks Pat Gallen. I feel the same way, yet at the same time, after the last two years, nothing shocks me with this Mets team anymore. Again, I’m still optimistic and that they’ll come around once everybody’s healthy and playing swell.
Posted: 11:16 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Just got back from the game. Simply awesome. The Mets fans on the 7 train were in stunned disbelief. Awesome job by the bullpen and what more can be said about the MVP?
Just sweet.
Posted: 11:25 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Tim, I saw your handsome mug on the TV at around 6:30ish today at the stadium. I couldn’t hear what you were saying, but I’m sure it was good stuff.
Posted: 11:26 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 4daysrest.com
Raul Ibanez was not having a good game at the plate tonight until he came up in the 10th. He was getting himself out all night by swinging at high pitches that were out of the zone. Luckily this game allows for one swing of the bat to change everything.
He’s been playing a very solid left field and throwing runners out in key situations. That was big when Wright tried to stretch a double tonight. This guy continues to amaze me.
I’d also like to point out that the bullpen has been a rock the last two nights. A few walks and hits made it seem shaky last night, but tonight was a convincing few innings by our bullpen. Nice job all around.
Big win – it feels good to have a 4-game lead in the division rather than a 1-game lead.
Posted: 11:28 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Kimmy
tim-chase with the ashburn still?? i think raUUUUUUl is very deserving!!!
Posted: 11:30 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
Very true 4daysrest, but that one swing of the bat to change a game and win a game when you really need it (clutch) is what makes the a Very Valuable Player, in a Most Valuable Player. Dont get down on yourself, keep your head up, and do what you need to when you NEED IT MOST!
Posted: 11:31 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Bob
Raul should definitely have the Ashburn award for this game. He has also been unbelievable this year. He is playing with a chip on his shoulder–first as a big 1 finger salute to the Mariners for not paying him and now to that dumbass who said that he is on PED’s.
Posted: 11:34 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
The quality of “articles” on this website never cease to amaze me. I honestly would not even call this a blog, but really more of articles, and news. Tim, Brian and gang always post opinions backed up by facts, truth and links, unlike what the certain blogger did against the future MVP. Great stuff guys. PHenominal!
Posted: 11:35 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 bulldogmadson
Did anyone see how pissed Ryan Howard looked when Raul Ibanez hit that home run? I didn’t like that at all and it wasn’t very sportsmanlike. Howard should’ve been elated that Ibanez just won the game, but instead he looked completely absorbed in his own crappy at bat a minute earlier. Hope he doesn’t have trouble sharing the stage with another huge power threat and I hope he was just disgusted with himself and not jealous of Raul’s clutch hitting…
Good road trip. Sox will be tough.
Posted: 11:41 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Mazinman
Was watching the game with friends in D&B. The place went nuts when Raul hit that shot. What an ending to the game. Good job by him to bounce back from a bad hitting game and still deliver in the clutch. Ibanez is definately a MVP candidate. Very worthy to be the #1 vote getter among outfielders.
Posted: 11:41 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 4daysrest.com
@ bulldog – I wouldn’t worry too much about Howard or look into it. He should have been disgusted with his at-bats tonight. They were horrible and he kept getting himself out. He’s as grateful as anybody in that clubhouse that Ibanez was there to bail him and the Phillies out tonight. What an addition!
Posted: 11:45 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Brian of CO
I think Howard was disgusted with himself. I would look to much into and hope the media doesnt either because they will affect the team.
Posted: 11:48 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 4daysrest.com
Haha yes – Looks like we see eye to eye, Brian.
Posted: 11:53 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Shawn
What a great and exciting last 7 games. If Madson is perfect in the closer role, do you make Lidge the setup man when he’s healthy?
Posted: 11:56 PM on June 11, 2009
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Nation Sessions. Thank you. They will be back. Right now I’ve been concentrating on making sure the team is covered correctly, but soon we will get back to doing Sessions and all the other fun things I was doing before.
Posted: 12:02 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Brooks
I quite expected the Phils to be in first place for most of the season, and building quite the lead as they win over 100 games this year in the regular season but, I am sweetly surprised that the new guy on the block is hitting the living shit out of the ball, is a very dependable lf, has speed, an arm, and plays with a huge, huge heart. Raul is the Man!
Wow – my expected heroes this year were huge years from Ryan Howard & Jimmy Rollins, dependable starting pitching – and the rest of the marvelous offense – this is a great team made even greater with Raul Ibanez.
It’ll be fun to see the boys back in town for a while
Posted: 12:07 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Chutley
im in the NYC rockin my Burrell jersey at a club gettin free drinks cause the bartender is from phiilly. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Go Philssdssssssgssssgsssdsssdsfdddd
Posted: 01:07 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Miles
Just got done visiting a few Mets blog sites and the majority of the postgame posts revolve around how Ibanez is obviously on the juice. I try not to get too defensive on this issue, because you just never know, but in this case I feel like its really classless to just throw that out there.
Didn’t Chase have almost this many home runs at this time last year? Yet no one was saying anything then…
And as David Murphy pointed out in his blog on philly.com, Ibanez has most likely recieved his last big money contract in the MLB and is obsessed with being healthy. The two of those don’t add up to steroid use….what would be the incentive?
Aside from that nonsense….a great win, series, and road trip by our guys (the good guys as Tim M puts it). I’ll be at the park on Saturday to see Ol’ Dirty take his first shot at the BoSox. See ya there!
Posted: 01:27 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 nate
mlbnet played the home run with the csn spanish call… amazing!
Posted: 01:31 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Chutley
YAHHHHHHH PHILS PULLLED OUT A NIG ONE. STILL IN THE NYC ROCKKIN MY burrell jersey ahhhh go phils
Posted: 01:42 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Carlos@!
Does anyone sense, particularly in shots of the Phillies dugout during replays of Ibanez HRs, that Howard has a very competitive attitude about leading in homers for the team? He almost looks pissed when Raul cracks another one out…
Posted: 02:38 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 » Phillies Take 2 of 3 From Mets Ibanez’s 10th Inning Homer | Blogging-Baseball.com
[...] game without noting that not nearly enough credit is given to the Phillies bullpen 2009 circa. Phillies Nation’s Tim Malcolm sums up: Ryan Madson’s smooth four-batter save — ended a classic game that ended a classic [...]
Posted: 03:54 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Jeff Y.
Great win. Now the Muts have to face the Yanks, who should be pissed off after getting swept by the Sox.
Posted: 06:31 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 adam
i want the audio of that homer called by the spanish announcers..it was awesome
Posted: 06:53 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Jeff……and the Mets aren’t at the least pissed off or are feeling complacent about losing 2 of 3 to youse guys?Mets/Yankees is gonna b a good series as in Philly/BoSox.
Posted: 07:11 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Uptown MIke
Congrats Phils on the win….
As a Mets fan, every time we faced the 1- 6 men in your lineup it felt like navigating a minefield.
No excuses, you guys outplayed us.
Hopefully by the end of the season we are still in it to make it tough on your guys.
Ibanez is clearly the MVP and is playing better than anybody in baseball.
Posted: 07:54 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 joedad
This is really fun. Who wouldn’t want to see Phillies – Mets, NLCS, game 7? Tied in the bottom of the ninth and won by the WFC’s with a Raul Ibanez home run? By far the best rivalry among Philadelphia teams.
Posted: 08:26 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 Maverick
i love when we beat the mets in such a way that it rips the hearts out f every spiky haired guido watching the game…..
Posted: 09:31 AM on June 12, 2009
Posts: 0 jkov
anyone have that audio clip of the spanish broadcasters call of Raul’s 10th inning bomb last night?
Posted: 10:37 AM on June 12, 2009