Every day until Opening Day arrives, Phillies Nation will take a daily look back at a regular season victory from that particular day in history that you can watch in full in lieu of live Phillies baseball. Think of it is as your daily Phillies watch recommendation.
In the first series of the season, the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies were looking to avoid a sweep against the rival Atlanta Braves. The team did not get off to a hot start. Joe Blanton pitched just four innings, giving up seven earned runs. After being down 10-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Phillies sent 13 men to the plate and scored 8 runs to take an 11-10 lead. Brad Lidge earned his first save of the season, making him 49-for-49 in save attempts in his Phillies career.
At first, it seemed like a typical businessperson’s special in April, but the game became much more meaningful five days later. Beloved broadcaster Harry Kalas tragically passed away on April 13, 2009 in the broadcast booth at Nationals Park. The Phillies embarked on a six-game road trip beginning April 10. The game marked the final time Kalas would broadcast a game in Philadelphia.
Braves Lineup
Phillies Lineup
You can watch the full game down below or by using this link.
You can also watch it on your Smart TV or streaming device with the Youtube app. Just put in “ATL at PHI April 8, 2009′ into the search bar and click on the video.