Game four of the World Series was won by Joe Blanton in 2008. C.C. Sabathia lost in the first round for the Brewers last year to the Phils when he was on three days rest. Everything seemed to be in the Phils favor. The Phillies could not go down three games to one at home, could they? The magic was just not there for the Phillies tonight. Every time the Phillies came back in this game, the Yankees came back stronger.
The Yanks got an early 2-0 lead off of Joe Blanton in the top of the 1st inning, and there was immediate drama when both sides were warned after A-Rod was hit for the third time in the last two games. The warning did not really have an affect on the game the rest of the way, but it was still drama. The Phillies would eventually tie the game up at two in the bottom of the fourth, but then the Yankees came right back to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Once again, this was the theme all night, as the magic was not quite there for the Phils. The turning point in the game was probably in the bottom of the fifth inning when it appeared that the Phillies could get to C.C. Sabathia.
Jimmy Rollins led off with a base hit up the middle, and then Victorino worked a walk to put runners on at first and second with nobody out and Chase Utley stepping to the plate. Utley popped out in the infield for the first out of the inning. Howard followed with another pop up. Jayson Werth struck out swinging…the Phillies had first and second and nobody out, and they don’t get anything…that’s not acceptable! Sabathia did a great job getting out of trouble though. It was at a point in the game where the Phillies could have done some real damage, and they were not able to capitalize. However, they were not out of the game yet, because they are a team of comebacks.
Chase Utley homered in the seventh, and then Pedro Feliz homered in the 8th with two outs off of Joba Chamberlain to tie the ballgame up at four.
It appeared that everything was working in the Phils favor going into the ninth inning, and it seemed that the Phils were ready to come up in the bottom half of the ninth to win it, but first they had to get through the top of the ninth. Brad Lidge came on and looked impressive as he got the first two outs, but then he crumbled. Johnny Damon had a great at bat against Lidge, and it was all downhill from there, and before you knew it, the Phils were coming up in the bottom of the ninth with the score 7-4 and facing Mariano Rivera
Obviously the task was too tall to come back again, and the Phils magic was gone. The Phillies will try to find that magic once again now down 3-1 in the series, as they will have to win three in a row to become repeat champions. Cliff Lee takes the ball for the Phils tomorrow night, and he will try to send the series back to New York. I have no hero or goat in this one, because in my mind, the Yankees simply outplayed the Phillies, and it was not anything anyone on the Phils did to blow this one.
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