2008 National League Championship Series
Encyclopedia
Game 1
Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank ParkCitizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
Derek Lowe
Derek Lowe
Derek Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He throws and bats right-handed. He is 6'6" and 230 pounds.-Early years:...
and Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
faced each other at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to give LA a 1–0 lead, and later in the fourth, Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp
Matthew Ryan "Matt" Kemp is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut in 2006...
scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake DeWitt
Blake DeWitt
Blake Robert DeWitt is an American professional baseball utility player with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-High school:...
. However, in the sixth inning, as Lowe was rolling, a throwing error by Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
put Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
on second base, apparently breaking the momentum for Lowe, who on the next pitch surrendered a home run to Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
that tied the score. After a Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
groundout, Pat Burrell homered to left and put the Phillies out front 3–2, and that would prove to be the final score. Brad Lidge tossed a perfect ninth for the save.
Game 2
Friday, October 10, 2008 at Citizens Bank ParkCitizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
Philadelphia starting pitcher Brett Myers
Brett Myers
Brett Allen Myers is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently playing for the Houston Astros.-High school career:...
surprisingly batted 3-for-3 with three RBIs as the Phillies opened up an 8–2 lead on the Dodgers, chasing Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley
Chad Billingsley
Chad Ryan Billingsley is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Biography:...
in the third inning. Billingsley was also criticized for not retaliating for inside pitching by Myers, a response that would have to wait until Game 3 by Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda
Hiroki Kuroda
is a professional baseball player from Osaka, Japan who is currently a free agent. He is a starting pitcher, who most recently pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers .-Early days:...
. The Phillies batted through their whole lineup in both the second and third innings, scoring four runs in each. Manny Ramírez made things closer with a three-run home run off Myers in the fourth, but in the seventh Casey Blake
Casey Blake
William Casey Blake is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently a free agent.Blake previously played with the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers. He had alternated between playing at third base and first base before...
was robbed of a potential bases clearing hit in deep left center by a leaping Shane Victorino. Four Phillies relievers pitched scoreless baseball in four innings of work with Brad Lidge remaining perfect in save opportunities in the regular season and postseason. Before the game Charlie Manuel learned that his mother died, and Shane Victorino learned that his grandmother died the same day after the game.
Game 3
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
The first game at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in the series, Game 3 saw a dramatic benches-clearing incident in the third inning, after Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda
Hiroki Kuroda
is a professional baseball player from Osaka, Japan who is currently a free agent. He is a starting pitcher, who most recently pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers .-Early days:...
threw a fastball over the head of the Phillies' Shane Victorino. This came in apparent retaliation for Phillies starter Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
hitting Dodgers catcher Russell Martin
Russell Martin
Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr is a Canadian Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Yankees.Martin became the everyday catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately upon his Major League debut, and continued in that role for nearly 5 years...
in the knee in the first inning and reliever Clay Condrey
Clay Condrey
Clayton Lee Condrey is a relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Condrey features 5 pitches: a sinker, cutter, curveball, changeup, and a four-seam fastball.-Early life:...
nearly hitting Martin again in the second, which came after Brett Myers nearly hit Martin and threw behind Manny Ramírez in Game 2. In a wild first inning, five Dodgers scored, mostly in part due to a three-run triple by Blake DeWitt, and Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
homered in the second, his first home run since May 5, forcing Moyer to leave the game after just innings. In the third inning confrontation, only words were exchanged and nobody was ejected, and Kuroda pitched a solid six innings to lead LA to a 7–2 victory over the Phillies, cutting their lead to 2–1. The attendance was 56,800, an all-time Dodger Stadium record.
Game 4
Monday, October 13, 2008 at Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Game 4 was an exciting see-saw battle between the two teams. The Phillies struck first; in the top of the first they collected three hits and two runs off Derek Lowe, who started on three days' rest. In the bottom of the inning, James Loney hit a ball off the center field wall to score Rafael Furcal and cut the lead to 2–1. Starter Joe Blanton began strong, but in the fifth inning gave up two runs and forced Charlie Manuel
Charlie Manuel
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies...
to go to his bullpen. In the sixth, the Dodgers' bullpen faltered first, when Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Edward Kershaw is a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.In 2011, Kershaw won the Pitching Triple Crown and the National League Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985...
gave up a walk and a hit, and Chan Ho Park threw a wild pitch to tie the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Casey Blake homered to left, and with two on, a throwing error by Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
allowed Juan Pierre
Juan Pierre
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws left-handed....
to score. The inning ended when Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
made a diving catch and stumbled to second base for the double play. Things looked great for the Dodgers until Cory Wade
Cory Wade
Corey Nathaniel Wade is an American professional baseball relief pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball.-Amateur career:Wade attended Broad Ripple High School....
relieved in the eighth and Shane Victorino hit a two-run home run that landed in the LA bullpen to tie the score. Jonathan Broxton
Jonathan Broxton
Jonathan Roy Broxton is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball...
came in after Carlos Ruiz singled off of Wade and promptly gave up another two-run homer to pinch-hitter Matt Stairs
Matt Stairs
Matthew Wade Stairs is a former Canadian professional Major League baseball outfielder, first baseman, designated hitter, and pinch hitter. He played for 12 different teams, a major league record he shares with Octavio Dotel, Mike Morgan and Ron Villone...
, the veteran's first career postseason homer. Brad Lidge then came in and pitched his first save of 2008 that consisted of more than three outs, his 49th consecutive save. The Phillies victory in Los Angeles was the first win by a road team in the 2008 series.
Game 5
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Dodgers fans were psyched for a possible comeback in Game 5, but Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
spoiled the party early with a leadoff homer off Chad Billingsley, who in his second bad outing of the series was knocked out of the game in the third inning after giving up three runs. The Phillies added two more runs when Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
committed three errors (two on the same play) in the fifth inning. Manny Ramírez, in another strong performance, did manage to bring the Dodger Stadium crowd to life with a solo home run in the sixth inning. However, the Dodgers never threatened after that, and the Phillies won the series in five games. Winning pitcher Cole Hamels was named the series MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
after winning both of his starts with a 1.93 ERA.
Composite box
2008 NLCS (4–1): Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
over Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...