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The Phillies celebrate after Jimmy Rollins hits the walk-off double. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
One stinking out. That’s all the Dodgers needed.
The Dodgers had closer Jonathan Broxton who has been one of the more reliable players they had to hold a slim 4-3 lead.
He came in the eighth inning to get out of a two-on, two-out jam and got Jayson Werth to fly out to right field.
Good going so far.
In the bottom of the ninth, he started by getting Raul Ibanez to ground out. Two more outs.
Pinch hitter Matt Stairs came in to pinch hit, and Broxton must have had flashbacks to last season’s game four of the NLCS. He walked Stairs. That’s fine. All they needed was a double play.
Eric Bruntlett came in to pinch run for Stairs. Fine. Then Broxton hit Carlos Ruiz with a pitch.
Ok. A little more unease, but still doable.
Then Greg Dobbs comes in to pinch hit and lined out to third. Two outs.
There’s still some uneasiness, but all Broxton needed was one more out.
Jimmy Rollins came in to bat and there was a small sigh. In nine plate appearances lifetime against Broxton, Rollins had only gotten one hit.
First pitch: 98 mph fastball fouled off. One strike.
Second pitch: 99 mph ball taken way outside.
Third pitch: 99 mph fastball pitched right down the middle of the plate. Rollins whacked that offering to the gap in right center field that rolled to the wall.
In came Bruntlett. In came Ruiz.
5-4 Phillies win.
And with that double to the gap, all hopes for the Dodgers to win the series evaporated.
This was a punch to the gut. A castration. A flagellation. The finish line was in sight for a 2-2 tie in the series. The Dodgers were one stinking out away from guaranteeing another game at Dodger Stadium.
But Rollins tore all of that away.
And with everything going on with Frank and Jamie McCourt, there goes any hope for the Dodgers to win the World Series any time in the near future.
I have held steadfastly with my preseason prediction that the Dodgers would win the World Series against the Yankees this season. When the Dodgers stunk in the second half of the season and scoffed me, I stayed with it. When everyone questioned the Dodgers at the end of the season, I told everyone not to worry about it. Hell I was reassuring people last night after the 11-0 rout.
I know Atlanta came back from a 3-1 deficit in 1996 against the St. Louis Cardinals. I know the Florida Marlins did it in 2003 against the Chicago Cubs in the Steve Bartman NLCS en route to their World Series victory against the Yankees.
But I’m sorry. The Dodgers are neither the 1996 Braves nor are the Phillies the 2003 Cubs. This gut punch just seems insurmountable. Here’s the part where I would say that there’s always next year, but with the McCourts’ impending divorce starting to get nasty I see the nadir of the FOX years coming back.
Sorry.
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"This was a punch to the gut. A castration. A flagellation."
uh?
Ok. I exaggerated. Eh. :)
Haha, it was really the second one that got me.
I wouldn't say an exaggeration for a true baseball fan. Unfortunately the NL & the west is a joke. I'm sure there are die hard Dodger fans, but unfortunately the fans have more heart than the actual team. Don't get me wrong, we have a great team full of great players. There's not a player that "sucks" on this team. The team just has no heart. From experience Baseball is much more of an institution on the east coast with the AL. Even the crappiest teams have great fans with a "we'll win it next year" attitude every year that they don't win it. The players wear their rally caps, reminiscent of the "Major League" movies. I'm sure we've all seen how devout Cubs fans get, but you've gotta admit that there is something special and die hard about White Sox fans. In L.A. from what I've seen, people enjoy baseball for the vanity of loving the Dodgers, or even just going out to Chavez ravine and get gouged on the price of a beer may be more fun to them than actually watching the game. Let's bring forth what's right. Screw the big names and the records, the heart of baseball lies in players like Casey Blake, Matt Kemp, Randy Wolf & Russell C. Martin. Spectators appreciate bombing HR's into left field but Baseball fans appreciate each inning of throwing your shoulder out, cramping your knees from catching 9 innings & running into a wall to catch a stupid little ball. If we don't come back this series..... we'll get 'em next year. Go Dodgers!!
Jimmy - you seem to be pronouncing the Dodgers "DOA" for Game 5. THE SERIES ISN'T OVER!!! How are you any better than those lame Dodger "spectators" (not fans) who come in the third inning and leave in the 7th inning to avoid traffic? I want to live in a city (like the ones quigeebo mentions) that has unwavering love/respect/dedication for their team. YOU'RE NOT HELPING! Come back to being a true fan and root for them in he 5th game - EVERY inning!
Don't get me wrong. I'll be rooting for them tomorrow night and pray to every god, angel and demon that they will be the 96 Braves and 03 Marlins. You don't know how much I want to be proven wrong, but you did see these games right?
Dear Jimmy,
You remember how we limped through the last few games of the playoffs and we remember how you had our back saying the postseason's a whole new clean slate. We proved it by folding the Cards, easy peasy St. Louisy.
Last night was indeed a bummer, and we don't blame you for your frustration, but small victory: at least it wasn't another rout. No one's more pissed that we didn't bounce back harder and bring in a win, and we're sorry you've given up on us and decided we're not worthy the World Series. But if it's all the same with you, we're gonna hang out in Sunny Philadelphia, dig in and deep and play tomorrow.
Love,
The Dodgers
actually the season is over. snap out of it. the fire is out. 2010-2011 here we come!
loganstreet is obviously not the only one to consider tomorrow's game a complete waste of time, but so far his comment is the first I've read by someone who can give up on the Dodgers so definitively now while paradoxically rah-rahing them for the season to come.
Gotta love Dodger fans.
I have two words. Juan Pierre. When he was in the lineup the Dodgers were a .600 club. Manny comes back and we're just a .500 ball club. Manny is great for selling tickets but I think he has limitations. Since returning he's batting around .274 has only 13 HRs in 75 games. Bring back JP!!!!!!
@dgoshilla
i COMPLETELY agree! bench casey blake and play juan pierre at third base. mr. gilette hasn't been hitting at all. i'm sure pierre can handle third base duties and get some base hits.
Dodgers have been overrated since ManRam came back.
The bats were more live with ManRam out of the line up.
Also, the pitching staff was never really that strong. The youth and over use showed in Sept. The Dodgers anemic Setp. performance should've made it clear they were headed into trouble.
MLB playoffs are about who is hot and carrying that hot streak into the playoffs.
Phillies, Rockies & Yankees were the hottest post All Star break teams.
Cardinals were hot but then got warm. They only won the Central because the Cubs disintegrated.
Yankees over Phillies in 6.
But fear not Dodger fans, Dodgers will win the WEAK NL West in 2010.
oh i see you can't be realistic and still be a "fan" - i'm glad you are around to judge dodgers fans - what did we do w/o all those years king willie?
When did I judge Dodger fans?
Never mind! I see who you're addressing. :)
Logan, I'll apologize for bruising your princely sensitivities, but in exchange if by some miracle of miracles the Dodgers somehow manage to go on a 3-game win streak and end up in the World Series, then you have to put on leiderhosen and walk backwards From the Shortstop on sunset to the Stadium yelling "I'm a realist so STFU!" every 90 feet.
Yes it was a tough loss but it wasn't a blow out loss. Baseball sometimes comes down to what happened last night. When we come out on the winning end it's considered a "great win", but sometimes it's a dissapointing loss.
I'm still hoping for the best. GO DODGERS!
The 11-0 loss was much easier to deal with than last night's loss. If you ask the players, they'll say the same thing.