Top Moment No. 23: NLCS Game One
Throughout the month, Phillies Nation will be counting down the Top 25 Phillies Moments of 2009.
Top Moment #23: Ruiz and Ibanez Back Hamels for NLCS Game One Victory
It didn’t take long for the Phillies to get their first victory in the National League Championship Series. The pitching was shaky, but home runs from Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez proved to be the difference in the 8-6 victory.
Young Clayton Kershaw cruised through the first four innings, but it wouldn’t last. Carlos Ruiz smacked a three-run home run to left field, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead. “Choochtober” has a .303 batting average and a .905 OPS in his playoff career.
Ryan Howard started his NLCS MVP campaign with a two-run double. Not only did Howard’s eighteenth RBI give the Phillies a 5-1 cushion, but Howard set a Phillies record for most RBIs in a postseason.
Hamels continued to struggle and the Dodgers took advantage. The first of Chase Utley’s throwing errors led to Manny Ramirez’s two-run home run. The lead was cut to one. Raul Ibanez changed that with a three-run blast, and some breathing room. Ibanez was the first left-handed hitter to homer off George Sherrill in over a year.
Chad Durbin, J.A Happ, and Chan Ho Park picked up Hamels’ pieces. Brad Lidge closed the doors to secure the Phillies first win in the National League Championship Series.
