Chad Billingsley, the staff "horse", started for the Dodgers this afternoon and Brett Myers for the Phillies. Billingsley was tagged for 8 runs in 2.1 innings. Myers made it through five to get the win, while being effective at the plate and erratic on the mound. Truly a bad hitter (despite his classic at-bats against CC Sabathia), Myers went 3 for 3, driving in three and scoring one. That's baseball. I guess. Myers singled in the 2nd for his first RBI, then got two more on another single in the 3rd. He had four hits all season long; he now has four hits in postseason. Go figure. By the end of the 3rd inning, the Dodgers had already used four pitchers. In the 4th Myers gave up a 3-run homer that just cleared the left field fence to Manny Ramirez, to make it 8-5. Till then Manny was hitting .193 off Myers. The Dodgers threatened a couple of times but the Phillies' bullpen was excellent. So for that matter was the 'pen for the Dodgers. In the 7th Shane Victorino, who tripled and had 4 RBI, made an outstanding catch on a Casey Blake deep fly that would have scored two. Brad Lidge got Nomar Garciaparra flailing to end the game. The Phillies scored four in the 2nd and four in the 3rd, all without the help of the long ball.The Phillies lead the series 2-0. Will home court rule? The Phillies are the better, and tougher, team, have been the better, tougher team all season long, and they should win the series. But who could foresee a 3-RBI night for Brett Myers? Anything can yet happen. Winning a game in LA is imperative. Taking two would be bliss.
I watched the first inning on TV. FOX did a very funny starting lineup using caricatures for each Phillies player. The Phillie Phanatic mimed hilarious impressions of each player. For pitcher Brett Myers, batting 9th, the Phanatic just made the sign for wacko next to his head and nodded.
