Phillies Preview: World Series Game One

2009 World Series
Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) v. New York Yankees (0-0)

Wednesday October 28, 2009
Yankee Stadium, New York, NY

48° F - Overcast, Rainy

Cliff Lee, LHP (0-0, 0.00) v. CC Sabathia, LHP (0-0, 0.00)

The 2009 World Series opens up on a rainy night in the Bronx between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. This game features two former Cleveland Indians' aces and Cy Young award winners in Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia. The two lefties will both aim to shut down strong opposing offenses and get their respective teams off to a solid start in the series. The field and playing conditions will be wet, which will add another dimension to this already intriguing matchup. Which ever team can get to the opposing starter and take advantage of opportunities, while limiting weather-related errors, will likely win this game.

Starting Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Phillies

Cliff Lee was a mid-season acquisition for the Phillies and he didn't disappoint. Since the Phillies acquired him, the 31-year old lefty won seven games and struck out nearly a batter per inning. Overall, Lee is a pitcher that can dominate and go deep into games, which will help the Phillies' bullpen. He tossed 231.2 innings, marking his fourth 200-inning campaign in the last six seasons. Still, Lee has no post season experience and has not proven whether he is a big-game pitcher or not. He has emerged as the clear ace of the Phillies staff in this postseason, with dominating performances against both of the Phillies' National League opponents.

Against the New York Yankees, Lee has done very well, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA this season. Lifetime against the Bronx Bombers hitters, Lee has allowed a high .285 opposing batting average in 224 plate appearances lifetime. Yankees hitters have victimized him for eight homers in that time, and clearly the key for Lee will be to keep the ball in the park tonight. Lee works well to both sides of the plate, and can neutralize the Yankees' hitters by keeping them off balance and mixing his pitches well. The Yankees will need to be aggressive against Lee, as he throws a lot of strikes and can put hitters away when he gets ahead.

Starting Pitcher: CC Sabathia, Yankees

CC Sabathia was a major free agent signing by the Yankees prior to the 2009 season. He earned his huge contract this season, winning 19 games and accumulating 230.0 innings. The big 28-year old has enjoyed his best post-season ever, carrying the Yankees team to another World Series appearance. Sabathia is a dominant left-handed pitcher with ace-caliber stuff and the ability to pitch deep into games and shut a team down. He is hands down the best pitcher that the Yankees have and will pitch on short rest if needed.

Sabathia will have an apparent advantage over the Phillies, being that he is left-handed. This season against the Phils, he took a no decision after pitching eight solid innings in a Yankees loss. Lifetime against the Phillies, Sabathia has allowed a .275 batting average in 118 plate appearances. He has only allowed three long balls against the Phillies, but famously allowed a grand slam to Shane Victorino in the playoffs last season. For Sabathia, pitch count will not be as important as effectiveness, so if he can throw strikes early in the count, it could be a long night for the Phillies.

Starting Lineup: Philadelphia Phillies

Statistics versus CC Sabathia

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS (5/13, 0 HR, 0 K)

2. Shane Victorino, CF (5/9, 1 HR, 0 K)

3. Chase Utley, 2B (0/5, 0 HR, 3 K)

4. Ryan Howard, 1B (3/9, 0 HR, 3 K)

5. Jayson Werth, RF (2/8, 0 HR, 2 K)

6. Raul Ibanez, DH (11/40, 2 HR, 10 K)

7. Ben Francisco, LF (1/5, 0 HR, 0 K)

8. Pedro Feliz, 3B (1/8, 0 HR, 3 K)

9. Carlos Ruiz, C (2/5, 0 HR, 0 K)

Starting Lineup: New York Yankees

Statistics versus Cliff Lee

1. Derek Jeter, SS (11/27, 0 HR, 3 K)

2. Johnny Damon, LF (2/22, 0 HR, 3 K)

3. Mark Teixeira, 1B (9/23, 1 HR, 2 K)

4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B (5/15, 2 HR, 3 K)

5. Jorge Posada, C (6/21, 2 HR, 2 K)

6. Hideki Matsui, DH (5/17, 0 HR, 4 K)

7. Robinson Cano, 2B (4/18, 0 HR, 3 K)

8. Nick Swisher, RF (6/18, 0 HR, 4 K)

9. Melky Cabrera, CF (3/11, 1 HR, 1 K)

Phillies World Series Previews
Overview, Rotations, Bullpens, Hitters, Benches

Game Previews: One, Two, Three

Game Recaps: One, Two, Three

Phillies Recap: September 20, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Atlanta Braves 2

W - Walker (2-0), L - Hanson (10-4), S - Lidge (31)

Watching the Phillies every day, it's easy to lose sight of a simple fact: they are a really, really good team. Cliff Lee pitched well but had his outing cut short by a rain delay in the fifth inning, and he did not qualify for the win. But the Phillies did a great job of scoring organic runs against Braves' rookie Tommy Hanson. After the rain delay, the Phils held off the Braves to win the series with a final score of 4-2.

It was the third straight game in which the Phillies' starter didn't make it through five innings. With a double-header coming on Tuesday, the bullpen will get a much needed day off tomorrow. But today, they picked up Cliff Lee and helped the Phillies win the ball game. Lee went four innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and struck out two. But the Phillies' pen came in and tossed five solid innings, fanning nine batters and allowing just one earned run. Brad Lidge pitched well again, despite allowing an earned run, to record his 31st save in 41 opportunities.

Tommy Hanson pitched well early for the Braves, tallying several strike outs. However, his pitch count escalated quickly and the Phillies hit some balls hard in the gaps against him. Though he did not allow a homer, he left after five innings, having allowed four earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Hanson did strike out seven, but the damage had been done. Shane Victorino was thrown out of the game in the first inning, on a disputed strike out double play. The Braves' piece-meal bullpen came in to keep the Phils off the score board, in a nice effort.

What a bounce-back win for the Phillies. Their offense was solid all series, scoring 17 runs and not relying too heavily on the long ball. They won the series from the Braves, though they still finished 2009 with a losing record against Atlanta. More importantly, the Phillies push their magic number to six as they prepare to play three in Florida this week. This weekend all but eliminated the Braves from playoff contention, and once again proves that the Phillies are the class of the National League.

The Remarkable Jayson Werth

After watching Jayson Werth demolish his second grand slam of the season tonight, Phillies fans must have wondered where this guy came from. A journeyman outfielder who was set back by a terrible wrist injury has finally received a chance to play full time. And he has exceeded expectations that were once very lofty.

Last season, Werth was slated as a platoon right fielder with Geoff Jenkins. He demanded to play full time and has shown that he is fully capable. Buried on a team that features former MVPs like Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, and one of the best players in the game in Chase Utley, Werth is often overlooked. But now, carrying the duty of the team's primary right-handed stick in the middle of a stacked line up, Jayson Werth could very well be the Phillies' MVP this season.

In what will be his highest games total in his career, 2009 has been a magnificent this year. The knocks on Werth have always been his lack of hitting against right handed pitchers and his streakiness. This season, in which Jayson earned an All Star appearance, Werth has shown that he can handle the righties. And Werth has had his most consistent seasons of his career, with his homer totals each month this season are 2, 6, 7, 7, 7, and 5. Let's take a closer look at what he has done this year, through tonight's action:

2009 Stats: 141 G, 90 R, 34 HR, 88 RBI, .272 BA

versus RHP: 137 G, 60 R, 21 HR, 53 RBI, .258 BA

Some might consider the circumstances of Werth's break-out season a byproduct of home field advantage. This is not the case, though, as Werth has put up nearly identical statistics at Citizens Bank Park and on the road. Take a look at his home/away splits:

Home: 71 G, 48 R, 19 HR, 48 RBI, .259 BA

Away: 70 G, 42 R, 15 HR, 40 RBI, .285 BA

The 30 year old outfielder has certainly also brought a professional glove with him, as always. He is versatile and has spent time at all three outfield positions this season, and never misses a beat. Despite six errors this season that have led to a modest .981 fielding percentage, Werth has a career-high 11 outfield assists this year, including four double plays. He has one of the best arms in the game, and the threat of that keeps countless runs stranded at third base. His defensive speed is the perfect compliment to Shane Victorino in center field.

In the batting line up, Werth typically hits 2nd, 5th, or 6th. It would seem logical that as he has proven his consistency, the five-hole would suit Werth and allow the Phillies to split up their lefty hitters. Additionally, he will be in prime RBI-situations and can also balance the order with his speed. As the Phillies move towards the playoffs, it would make sense, especially against teams with multiple lefties in their pens, to use this configuration. However, based on the results of the 2009 season, it really doesn't matter where Jayson Werth hits, throws, or plays; he will be great.

Phillies Recap: September 13, 2009 - Game 1

Philadelphia Phillies 5, New York Mets 4

W - Kendrick (1-1), L - Maine (5-5), S - Lidge (29)

The Philadelphia Phillies got everything they could have wanted from Kyle Kendrick and more. Kendrick pitched deep into the game and the Phillies offense tacked on to an early lead against John Maine of the Mets. Brad Lidge returned as the closer and didn't make things easier, but finished the job in what was a 5-4 win for the Phillies over the Mets.

Kyle Kendrick hadn't started a game since the middle of 2008, but he looked sharp all day. Early on, Kendrick dominated Mets hitters and kept them off balance. It felt like he worked ahead of every hitter. The Mets rarely threatened and Kendrick pitched into the eighth inning. He allowed a two-run homer in the eighth and left to a standing ovation from the crowd. Kendrick went 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk. He fanned three and threw 106 pitches overall. Brad Lidge came in and allowed two runs but struck out a pair to record his 29th save of the season.

John Maine returned and only went three innings for the Mets. However, the Phillies tagged him for a run early. After Maine left, allowing the one run on a pair of hits and a walk, the Phillies got to the Mets' bullpen with a couple of long balls. Shane Victorino's two-out two-run shot in the fifth gave the Phillies a decent cushion that they road to the victory. In the eighth inning, the Phils responded to the two runs allowed to tack on another, important run, which proved to be the difference in the game.

This was a huge win for the Phillies. Though the bullpen situation is still very much uncertain, the Phillies have found a way to win. They take a huge step forward and showed a lot of heart in this game and the ball park was electric. Going into tonight's game, this win will help alleviate some of the pressure. With a win tonight, the Phillies can lower their magic number to 14 and eliminate the Mets from division contention.

Phillies Recap: August 23, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 9, New York Mets 7

The Phillies jumped all over Oliver Perez (3-4) and knocked him out before he finished the first inning. Pedro Martinez wasn't much sharper but he got the outs he needed to, as he went six innings and picked up his second win with the Phillies. The game was an offense show, as neither side pitched especially well. But when all the scoring was finished, the Phillies snuck out with a 9-7 win over the Mets, capped off with an unassisted triple play by Eric Bruntlett.

Pedro Martinez (2-0) seemed to battle some emotions in the game and gave up a number of hard-hit balls. Angel Pagan of the Mets hit two home runs, including a ball that Shane Victorino played into an inside-the-park home run. Pedro ended up going six innings, giving up four earned runs. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out five. The bullpen wasn't as sharp but Brad Lidge earned his 25th save of the season, on a walk-off unassisted triple play by Eric Bruntlett (I have always wanted to use the term 'walk-off triple play' in my vocabulary).

In the first inning of the game, Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz each hit three-run homers to knock Oliver Perez out of the game. Perez went .2 innings and allowed six earned runs. The Phillies tacked on a few more runs, but again did not deliver the knock-out blow, though they did have chances. Eric Bruntlett had a nice day at the plate with three hits and the Phillies put together 10 hits and six walks on the day. However, the Mets bullpen did a good job limiting the damage after Perez had departed.

Obviously, this was a much closer game than it needed to be. When Brad Lidge entered in the ninth inning, it shouldn't have even been a save situation. However, the Phillies and Lidge were bailed out by Bruntlett's unassisted triple play, the 14th such play in Major League history. It was a good win for the Phillies, who are now a season-high 21 games over .500 at 71-50 and will have a 6.5 game lead in the East after play today.

Phillies Preview: August 19, 2009

Arizona Diamondbacks (54-66) at Philadelphia Phillies (67-49)
7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Cliff Lee, LHP (10-9, 2.86) v. Dan Haren, RHP (12-7, 2.50)

After a solid win last night, the Phillies will look to continue their hot streak against the Diamondbacks. The middle game of the Diamondbacks series features two of the game's best arms. Dan Haren, a Cy Young candidate toes the rubber for Arizona against Philly's Cliff Lee, last year's Cy Young winner. The duo will face off in a challenging game for the Phillies. However, they beat the Diamondback's ace earlier this season in a close game.

Cliff Lee will need to again be sharp as he works against a formidable opponent in Dan Haren. In one home game this season, Lee worked effectively in seven innings, allowing only an earned run while whiffing nine. However, he has not faced the young Diamondback's lineup at all in his career, with the lone exception of Chris Synder, who has had three at bats against him. Facing a right-handed heavy lineup, Cliff Lee will want to keep the ball down and work ahead of the hitters as much as possible.

The Diamondbacks will send their ace, Dan Haren, to the mound. Haren has been dominant this season, with a minuscule 2.50 ERA. He has also faced current Phillies numerous times, holding them to a .198 career average in 119 plate appearances. Raul Ibanez does have decent numbers against Haren and also has the most appearances against the righty in his career. Shane Victorino also homered against Haren the last time the teams faced off. The key for Haren, as always, is his devastating split-finger fastball which creates a lot of ground ball outs.

Tonight the Phillies will face a playoff-caliber ace as the continue their quest towards another division title. They have had moderate success against Haren and will look to continue that tonight at home. While their opposition is tough, they are fortunate to have their own top of the rotation starter on the hill in Lee. Ultimately, this will be yet another important game for the Phillies, not only in the standings but also for their confidence level.

Phillies Recap: August 14, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Atlanta Braves 2

Both Joe Blanton and Jair Jurrjens pitched well early in the game, as the teams traded two runs. The Phillies and the Braves played that way until the ninth inning, when the Phillies took the lead and won the game 3-2. It was a well-played, nail-biting game, right until the final out was recorded. But the most important part is that the Phillies have opened the series strong and defeated their division foe.

Joe Blanton gave up an early earned run and then scattered several hits early through the game. He seemed to be somewhat wild in the strike zone but only walked one. A Pedro Feliz error led to the game tying, unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. However, the defense picked him up as Shane Victorino made a pair of highlight-reel catches at the centerfield fence to save certain trouble. Blanton ended up going seven innings, allowing seven hits and just one earned run, while striking out a pair. Ryan Madson (4-4) pitched an easy eighth inning and Brad Lidge bounced back from a blown save to record his 22nd of the season.

The Phillies finally found a way to score on Jair Jurrjens, as Chase Utley ripped a two-run homer in the fourth inning. The Phillies offense showed its trademark patience in that inning, dealing a more important blow to Jurrjens's pitch count. However, the young righty was still sharp, with good command of all of his pitches. Jurrjens turned the game over to the bullpen after seven sharp innings, but in the top of the ninth, Ryan Howard crushed a centerfield homer off of Rafael Soriano (1-4), who took the loss.

The Phillies have now won four in a row on the road, already securing a winning record on the trip. The win was text book, as the Phillies got a strong performance by Blanton and two shut-down innings from the back end of their pen. It's a good start to the weekend, as they open up a six game advantage over the Braves and maintain their 4.5 game lead over the Marlins, who won again as well. Tomorrow, the Phillies will look to carry on their momentum on the road.

Phillies Preview: August 14, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (64-48) at Atlanta Braves (60-54)

7:30pm - Turner Field, Atlanta, GA

Joe Blanton, RHP (7-6, 4.02) v. Jair Jurrjens, RHP (9-8, 3.01)

Joe Blanton is coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Marlins, 3-2 last Friday. He has had six days off to prepare for his next start against the Atlanta Braves, who are playing well right now. The Braves will send their young, star righty Jair Jurrjens to the mound in the opener of the series. This will be a match-up of solid right-handers in a pitcher's park, so we could be headed for a tight game. Blanton will need to have strong command in order to give the offense a chance to get the jump on Jurrjens in this one.

Despite his most recent loss, Blanton is still pitching very effectively lately. His ERA is still somewhat inflated from early season struggles. However, Blanton has struggled against the Braves this season, allowing 10 earned runs in nine innings pitched, over two starts. He didn't factor in either decision, but the Phils were 1-1 in those games. Current Braves are hitting a lofty .315 against him in 120 plate appearances, led by Brian McCann's .600 average and two homers. The name of the game for Blanton tonight will be to keep the Phillies close against a tough counterpart. The task will not be easy as the Braves' lineup is significantly better than in recent years.

Jair Jurrjens toes the rubber in opposition of the Phillies tonight. The under-the-radar pitcher is quietly having another superb season. Despite the mediocre record, his ERA and peripheral stats are fantastic. Jurrjens has dominated current Phillies hitters, hold them to a .194 batting average against him in 142 plate appearances. Jurrjens is 2-0 against the Phils this year, holding them without an earned run in 12.2 innings pitched. Of the current Phillies, Shane Victorino might have the best numbers against Jurrjens with a modest .267 batting average. However, in order for the Phillies to break through against this tough righty, they will need their table setters on base, early and often.

This won't be the easiest match-up for the Phillies. But coming off of their sweep against the Cubs, they can build some momentum to carry them through the weekend with a win tonight. More importantly, the team can make a statement in the NL East against their division rivals starting tonight. This series is extremely important, and that starts with game one tonight.

Phillies Recap: August 12, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 12, Chicago Cubs 5

The Philadelphia Phillies (63-48) and their fans have not felt this good in two weeks. The offense broke out in a big way and for the first time in several days, the Phillies gained a game in the NL East standings. Pedro Martinez was effectively wild for five innings and the Phillies sluggers earned him a win. All in all, a big eight-run fourth inning put the game out of reach and led to a 12-5 victory for the Phillies over the Chicago Cubs.

Pedro Martinez (1-0) was not especially sharp tonight, but he didn't need to be. He made it through five innings, will striking out five and allowing three earned runs. The bullpen came in to finish off the final four innings, giving up a couple of meaningless runs in the ninth. But on a night with great expectations for Pedro Martinez, he pitched about as well as you could have expected. Martinez danced out of trouble with minimal damage in his fifth and final inning. It was Pedro Martinez's 215th career win.

Jeff Samardzija (1-2) had a rough time in his first career start in the big leagues. The Phillies opened up the offense early with two in the first and two more in the third, before erupting for eight runs in the fourth inning. By then, Samardzija was long gone, having surrendered seven earned runs. The Phillies had homers from Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, and Raul Ibanez. But the real key was the way the Phils strung together hits to score three of their first five runs, rather than with the long ball.

The Phillies have now put together two quality wins in a row against a quality opponent on the road. Now the Phillies will go for the sweep in an afternoon affair against the Cubs in the finale. With the momentum starting to build and the offense showing some much-needed signs of life, things are finally looking up again for the Phillies.

Phillies Recap: August 9, 2009

Florida Marlins 12, Philadelphia Phillies 3

The Phillies are not playing like the defending champions of baseball. Right now, they aren't even playing like a playoff contender. The Florida Marlins came into town and punched the Phillies in the mouth, sweeping the three game series and cutting the NL East lead down to a mere four games. After all the dust settled, the Phillies dropped the final game to the Marlins, by a score of 12-3.

Jamie Moyer (10-9) was not his dominant self against the Marlins, as their hitters were more patient than usual. Moyer pitched to contact and surrendered three earned runs on 11 hits over five plus innings. In an ugly seventh inning, the Phillies gave up six more runs and lost control of the game. After a sequence of innings that featured some highly questionable umpiring, the Phillies' Shane Victorino was ejected in centerfield by the home plate umpire, Ed Rapuano.

The Fish, behind Josh Johnson (11-2), were patient against Jamie Moyer and finally broke through with three runs in the fifth inning. Johnson, pitched well in six innings, giving up just one earned run and scattering four hits. The Marlins bullpen, which had pitched well all weekend, came in to seal Johnson's 11th win of the season. Overall, this is exactly what the Marlins wanted out of this series in Philadelphia.

All in all, this was a disastrous weekend for the Phillies, who let the Marlins back into the race in the NL East. The lead is now just four games as the Phils hit the road to begin the stretch run of the season. They will have an off day tomorrow to regroup, and then will need to come out firing and swinging to get back in the winning mode. Overall, the team is just 3-7 in their last 10 games.