It’s quite simple. Roy Oswalt has to pitch better than Roy Halladay did last night and the Phils’ bats have to wake up. They need Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley to get some hits with people on base and they must drive the ball tonight.
When it’s all on the line, your great players need to be great and your good players need to be good.
The bats need to wake up.
Your lead-off man can’t go 0 for 5. Shane Victorino needs to get on base and he must at least put the ball in play. He struck out two times. Placido Polanco was only 1 for 4.
Ultey did get a hit in the game, but it was a weak ground ball to Giants shortstop Juan Uribe. The shortstop couldn’t get the ball out of his glove and Utley beat the throw. He scored on Jayson Werth’s two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
The rest of the day, Utley was held under control. He’s got to give us more. The left-handed slugger has to be patient and go up there with the goal of hitting the ball hard. Everything will come off of that.
Howard drove the ball one time but it wasn’t with somebody on base. It was the first pitch of his first at bat. He jumped on a Tim Lincecum fastball and drove it into the gap in left center field for a double with no outs in the second inning.
He did nothing the rest of the game and once with a runner in scoring position. The Phils first basemen struck out three times in the game. The San Francisco pitchers worked him up and down and inside and out. They blew the fastball by him at times and then changed speeds.
Howard has to figure this thing out or it will diminish the Phils’ chances.
Jimmy Rollins gets in trouble when he starts swinging at balls out of the strike zone. He’s frustrated people before when he was leading off by not being patient at the plate and swinging at pitches that are out of strike zone.
He’s got to make these guys throw him strikes.
The Phillies need good at bats. They need to get focused and swing only at strikes. The Giants have an outstanding pitching staff. They have quality starters and quality relievers; the Phils will only get to these guys by being disciplined and patient at the plate.
Raul Ibanez should have had that ball
It was right in his glove and he is a major league outfielder
That cost the game although the missed call on the 3rd strike didn’t help
In Addition though they swept the Reds it wasn’t because they played good baseball–Their hitting was anaemic and anybody that thought beating the Giants was a given was thinking on emotion not logic
Giants are not imtimidated or in awe of the big stage.. They play like their manager’s personality which is loose and sound in fundamentals, this Giant team isn’t going to beat themselves with poor fielding,running,etc like the Reds did..
One last thing is that the Giants Starter tonight LHP Sanchez is one of the top Left-handers in the game who has been pitching really well for the last 6 weeks. He is very tough on left-handers and it will be another struglle I belive for Utlrey/Howard/Ibanez (if he plays) to get many good swings on him.. Sanchez has also pitched well versus the PHille and at Citizens Park so Phils Pitcher Oswalts needs to have his “A” game on or a Series Win will be in deep jeopardy…
I dont care what Rollins did in the past this is the present he isnt doing his job and he hasnt dont it since coming off of the DL. You dont lose much in the field with Valdez and im sure he can some how some way get on base. And someone needs to tell Howard that he doesnt have to swing at balls in his 2nd and 3rd AB he swung at 6 straight balls out of the strike zone. Come on big fellow.
MVP for San Francisco was the umpire. Burrell was out on k’s and the dude that stole second base picked his hand up on the tag and was out… friggin bs
I didn’t see him, but one of my friends said that they saw Ryan Howard at the Eagles game. IMO shouldn’t he be getting extra batting practice swinging at B.S.??
Giants deserved to win for they put more balls into Play.. Phils had what, 6-7 Strikeouts in their last 3 at Bats… The Ump was tight on both pitchers all night.. Lincencum got better as the game went up while
Hallady did not have his biting sinking movement on his pitches as he usually does.. his pitches were a little flat and definitely in the zone then we are accustomed to seeing him Pitch..
If Phils don’ tbreak out the bats tonight.. I believe they will go to Sa Francisco trailing 2 games to Zip and very uphill road in winning the NL Pennant..