It was a pitching match-up that lived up to the hype. Both Pedro Martinez and Tim Lincecum delivered but Pedro was just a tick better. The Giants' Eugenio Velez led off the game with a homer to deep right on the first pitch he saw, but that was all Pedro allowed in seven strong innings. He struck out nine and did not walk a man. Sixty-two of his 87 pitches were strikes. When he struck out the side in the 3rd, I started having flashbacks to that September game at Yankee Stadium when he struck out 17. Seven of his strikeouts last night came in the first three innings.
Lincecum, who struck out 11 and walked one, was very good. His first mistake came in the 2nd when he hung a pitch to Jayson Werth, who blasted it deep into the second deck in left field. His next mistake was hitting Chase Utley in the 6th. Ryan Howard, who had struck out twice, responded with a ringing double. Utley's sprint home from 1st was a thing of beauty---and gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
Madson pitched a clean 8th, then it was time for Brad Lidge. He got two quick outs, then gave up a little single to Randy Winn. Winn stole 2nd; Lidge walked Uribe. Winn stole 3rd, but Lidge got pinch-hitter Fred Lewis on ground-out to Utley. Phillies got the 2-1 win in a great game that took two hours and eight minutes. I was home shortly after 10:30.
Tuesday night when Hamels was twirling his gem, no one moved from our row all game long. Last night, the two guys next to me got up once for beer. It was the "murmur of the bee hive" all night long. Two great nights at the ballpark in three games. Who'd have thought that the Phillies would score three runs in three games and win two of them?
I heard Tony Clark on MLBN saying that a power hitter is a guy who drives in a man on first with a double. Hello, Ryan Howard, who yesterday was named NL Player of the Month. In August he hit .299 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. Before last night's game he received his NL Player of the Week award.
