CC Sabathia and Brett Myers throw warm-up tosses before yesterday's Game 2 of the NLDS.Myers started the game by loading the bases in the first and walking in a run to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. With Corey Hart at the plate, one of the sweet guys next to me sang out, "C'mon, Brett, one, two, three." And just like that Hart grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning and effectively put the Brewers to sleep for the rest of the game. Myers was solid for seven, giving up just 2 runs on 2 hits. The Brewers had one hit in the 1st, their second (and second run) came in the 7th.
With one out in the 2nd, Jayson Werth doubled and Pedro Feliz then doubled him in. Game tied. Ruiz grounded out to move Feliz to third. It was the pitcher next and Myers, on an 0-2 count, hunkered down and took Sabathia to nine pitches to work a walk. With each pitch, the crowd went wilder and wilder, towels flying. Sabathia then walked Rollins on four pitches to load the bases. Then, on a 1-2 count, Shane Victorino, back to batting in his customary 2-spot, sent a Sabathia slider into the left field seats for the first grand slam of his career. (More about that below.) The Phillies were up 5-1. At 98 pitches, Sabathia was gone before the end of the 4th. In two at-bats, Myers, who is not a good-hitter, worked him for 19 pitches. Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero worked a scoreless 8th and Brad Lidge came in for a quick, clean 9th. Shane Victorino (who else?) caught the Craig Counsell fly ball that ended the game.
On the downside, the Phillies stranded 10 and the big guys (Utley, Howard, and Burrell) again did not hit. Yes, two exciting games in the win column but we still need the offense to show up.
Last night's attendance set a record at Citizens Bank Park: 46,208. Some Milwaukee fans were across the aisle, watching their team do what the Phillies did last year and suffering through it all. One of the guys in the group was a total hunk with a truly amiable aura.
