NLCS Gameday: Phillies vs. Giants, Game 4
Posted by Michael Baumann, Wed, October 20, 2010 05:19 PM | Comments: 757
2010 Gameday, Posts
Philadelphia Phillies (1-2) at San Francisco Giants (2-1)
Joe Blanton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 3.00)
Time: 7:57, AT&T Park
Weather: Sunny, 62
TV: FOX
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As demoralizing as yesterday afternoon’s loss was, a 2-1 deficit is hardly the end of the world. After all, this was exactly the position in which the Phillies found themselves through three games in the 1993 NLCS, against a far superior Braves team–and we all know how that ended. Tonight, the Phils take another crack at San Francisco, and the national audience gets its first chance to see Joe Blanton.
Blanton, for his part, recovered in a big way after a rocky start to the season. In the Big Easy’s last 20 starts, he’s 8-1 with a 3.81 ERA. For his postseason career, Blanton’s 2-0 with a 3.89 ERA in eight appearances. What’s more, he’s been a Cody Ross killer (who’d'a thought that would become important?). According to ESPN’s Stats & Info blog, Ross is 3-for-11 in his career against the former Kentucky Wildcat, but has struck out in each of his last four plate appearances.
Opposing Blanton will be Madison Bumgarner, a 21-year-old lefty out of Hickory, N.C. Bumgarner, a former top-10 pick, had the dubious distinction of being about the fifth-most-hyped rookie to make his debut in the NL at age 20 this season. If you’ve got a name like Madison Bumgarner, you either get stuffed in a locker every day of your life or you grow up to be a total badass. That Bumgarner started and won a postseason clincher on the road against Derek Lowe, 10 weeks after turning 21, suggests the latter. Still, he’s only pitched 121 major league innings, so he’s far from a known quantity.
In other interesting news, Raul Ibanez has been relieved of his place in the starting lineup. After leading the Phillies in most offensive categories in the NLDS, Ibanez has gone 0-for-11 against San Francisco. With Madison Bumgarner, a lefty who relies on power breaking stuff, on the hill, Uncle Cholly has seen fit to remove his aging left fielder and replace him with righthanded-hitting Ben Francisco. The former Cleveland Indian had a .284/.344/.557 slash line against lefties this season and was hit in the head in his only plate appearance thus far this postseason.
Game 2 Lineup: Victorino CF, Utley 2B, Polanco 3B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Rollins SS, Francisco LF, Ruiz C, Blanton P
Your gameday beer: Left Hand Sawtooth Ale
Seems to me like this postseason’s narrative has been the performance of various lefthanded pitchers. All due respect to Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum, we’ve been hearing a lot about the continued domiance of Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, and the emergence of Jonathan Sanchez, C.J. Wilson (today’s shellacking notwithstanding), and Bumgarner (God willing, ditto). With that in mind, today’s offering comes form Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado. This is a solid, medium-bodied American ale that took home bronze in its category at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival. You won’t stop going to bars that won’t stock it, but if you try it, I dare you not to like it.
- PG
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
Wow 63 pitches and done
Vic was slow on getting that ball out of his glove too.
I am now worried with Contreras
Posted: 09:49 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jt
Blanton shouldn’t of faced huff they should brought in bastardo…come on let contreres…get the out..
Posted: 09:49 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Ryan H.
I’ve been the uber confident one on this board the last few days, but I gotta say I do not like matching up our bullpen against theirs
Posted: 09:49 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
Agree with you whole heartedly Ryan
Posted: 09:51 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
If Huff is hitting 2 for 20 against rightys, I understand why they’d leave Blanton in. It happens. But Contreras gotta get Posey here.
Posted: 09:51 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
nice pitch,
Posted: 09:51 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
BIG JOSE CONTRERAS!! BIG TRUCK! BIG GAME! BIG K!
Posted: 09:51 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
Francisco, Ruiz and Pinch Hitter. Make something happen again…more insurance needed!
Posted: 09:53 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 SAM
OK!!! Jose got that friggin knat Posey. Now let’s kick some butt.
Posted: 09:54 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
lets go phils, gets some runs
Posted: 09:54 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
I hate AT&T Park. That’s a homer in CBP. What a dump SF is.
Posted: 09:55 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
10 feet short
Posted: 09:55 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
are you kidding me domonic brown? swinging first pitch? this is the argument for NOT putting him on the postseason roster…
Posted: 10:00 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
12 outs to go…please Durbin pitch well.
Posted: 10:01 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 SAM
Domenic Brown’s still a rookie. Someone in the dugout should have told him to at least take a pitch to settle in.
Posted: 10:01 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jt
We need to keep scoring I don’t expect the giant go ddown wihout a fight…
Posted: 10:02 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
has durbin even appeared in the series yet?
Posted: 10:02 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Ryan H.
I’m not sure how we can piece together four innings here. durbin has to pitch two innings. I do not wanna see Romero out there. he’s been terrible since that suspension and various injuries.
Posted: 10:03 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 PhillyMike
You’re D Brown, you’re batting .210, with 2HR – and you swing at the first pitch? He’s going to need a talkin’ too by GG…again.
Posted: 10:03 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
dont walk burrell with cody ross coming up…c’mon Durbin
Posted: 10:04 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
SH*T. Damn Durbin. C’mon now.
Posted: 10:05 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
strike out come on
Posted: 10:06 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 PhillyMike
No excuse for a lead-off walk. Let’s go Phils – DP!
Posted: 10:06 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Terri
this is bad
Posted: 10:07 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
you got me flipping kidding me
Posted: 10:07 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
Durbin is a piece of Sh*t. It’s time to pull him the hell out of there.
Posted: 10:07 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff
durbin you s u c k…
Posted: 10:07 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
Can we stop pitching to this MFER
Posted: 10:07 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 SAM
WTF!!!
Posted: 10:08 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
he had 2 strikes on ross and didnt deliver. he’s a sh*thead.
Posted: 10:08 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Terri
why do we even pitch to cody ross?? how did burrell slow ass get to third
Posted: 10:08 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
ur up 4 to 2 and you have the all the energy, my god
Posted: 10:08 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Ryan H.
wow. foul by a centimeter
Posted: 10:09 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
even on foul balls they are killing Durbin’s pitching…he has NOTHING. let him walk in the offseason. Money wasted.
Posted: 10:09 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 biz
Someone want to tell Chuckles to avoid Ross?
Leadoff walks are killers.
We’re in real trouble.
Posted: 10:09 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
so with no force outs it available no outs it is pretty solid assumption that we will either be tied or losing
Posted: 10:09 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 SAM
We need another pitcher!!! Durbin didn’t do his job. Any other manager would lift him. PS I’ve never seen Burrell run so fast in all his life.
Posted: 10:09 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jt
Nide durbin you pos we got the lead and the bullpen choking.
Posted: 10:10 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
come on chad
Posted: 10:10 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
So Charlie can we toss Durbin after this at bat
Posted: 10:10 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Geoff
Why Is Durbin still in?
Posted: 10:11 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Terri
series is over
Posted: 10:11 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
He is going to rip the crap out of the ball if you don’t stop throwing it down the plate
Posted: 10:11 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 matt
i can;t take this
Posted: 10:12 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
Please pull AS*HOLE DURBIN out of the game now. 3 batters, No outs. Piece of C-R-A-P.
Posted: 10:12 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Geoff
Wow, you know what? We DESERVED those two runs, because it is a NO-BRAINER to take Durbin out before facing a power hitting left hander when Durbin..you know…is not that good really..
Posted: 10:12 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 Terri
bad managing by charlie. should not have PH for contreas
Posted: 10:12 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 SAM
Charlie’s inaction is giving this game away.
Posted: 10:12 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 jeff of Nova
BULLPEN SUX
THIS IS WHY I WANTED TO KEEP BLANTON IN!!!!!!!!
Posted: 10:12 PM on October 20, 2010
Posts: 0 AC in NJ
why is HE STILL IN THE GAME???
Posted: 10:13 PM on October 20, 2010