2009 National League Division Series
Encyclopedia
The National League Division Series
(NLDS) consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series
. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and ended on Monday, October 12. TBS televised all games in the United States. The matchups were:
This marked the second postseason meeting between the Phillies and Rockies in three seasons; the Rockies swept the Phillies in the 2007 NLDS
. The Dodgers and Cardinals last met in the postseason during the 2004 NLDS
, which the Cardinals won 3–1.
The Dodgers and Phillies won their respective series—the Dodgers three games to none and the Phillies three games to one. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers in the NLCS by a series score of 4–1, and lost the 2009 World Series
to the New York Yankees
, 4–2.
) at Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles, California
Neither team's starting pitcher
was particularly effective in the series opener; however, neither team's offense was able to capitalize, as this game set a MLB postseason record for runners left on base
combined between the two teams, with 30. Los Angeles starter Randy Wolf
loaded the bases
with no outs
in the first inning, allowing one run to score on a fielding miscue. In the bottom half of the inning, St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter
gave up a two-run home run
to Matt Kemp
, giving the Dodgers a lead they would never relinquish. The St. Louis bullpen gave up only one run over three innings, while the Los Angeles bullpen gave up one run over innings. Los Angeles slugger Manny Ramirez
was held to 1-for-4 with one walk
, while St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols
was 0-for-3 with two intentional walks
.
The game ran 3:54 which made it the longest nine-inning postseason game in history: however, the record was broken four days later by the Rockies and Phillies.
) at Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles, California
In an amazing pitching duel, Game 2 was dominated by Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright
and Dodgers phenom Clayton Kershaw
, who was pitching in his first career postseason start. In the second inning, Matt Holliday
hit a home run to put the Cardinals ahead 1–0, but Dodger slugger Andre Ethier
hit his first career post-season homer to tie it up 1–1 in the bottom of the fourth, the first hit Wainwright allowed. Wainwright dominated throughout his start, retiring the first eleven hitters he faced, while Kershaw kept pitching in and out of trouble. In the seventh inning, a double by Colby Rasmus
with no outs scored Mark DeRosa
to put St. Louis ahead 2–1, but Rasmus was thrown out at third base, which ended up being a huge play. At the time, it seemed to be enough to allow Wainwright to pitch to victory; in the eighth inning, however, he pitched into a bases-loaded jam. With two outs, Game 1 hero Matt Kemp
grounded out to Albert Pujols
to end the threat, and going into the ninth inning, Cardinal closer Ryan Franklin
was brought in with one out. After retiring Manny Ramirez
, Dodger first baseman James Loney hit a fly ball to Holliday, who lost the ball in the lights and it hit off his belly, allowing Loney to reach second on the error. After a walk to Casey Blake
, mid-season acquisition Ronnie Belliard
hit a clutch two-out single to score pinch runner
Juan Pierre
to tie the game, and after Russell Martin
walked to load the bases, veteran pinch hitter
Mark Loretta
, who was 0-for-15 career against Franklin, hit a walk-off single to center field to score Blake and the Dodgers won the game in dramatic fashion, spoiling the gem by Wainwright and sending the series back to St. Louis with a 2–0 LA advantage.
) at Busch Stadium
in St. Louis, Missouri
The Dodgers swept the Cardinals 3–0, and went on to go face the Phillies in a NLCS rematch
. Vicente Padilla
silenced the Cardinals bats again by pitching dominantly, allowing no runs on four hits through seven innings. The 47,296 attendance was the largest crowd to see a game at Busch Stadium
since it opened in 2006
.
over St. Louis Cardinals
) at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Amidst strong, swirling winds at Citizens Bank Park
, the Phillies cruised to a 5–1 victory behind a dominating performance from Cliff Lee
. Philadelphia broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI
double by Raúl Ibáñez
, who scored two batters later on a single from Carlos Ruiz. Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez
ran into more trouble in the sixth, giving up an RBI double to Jayson Werth
, an RBI triple to Ryan Howard
, and an RBI single to Ibanez before being chased from the game with none out. Lee, meanwhile, retired sixteen straight Colorado batters from the second inning into the seventh, picking up the complete game
win in his first career postseason start. Lee was one strike away from completing a shutout
, but Troy Tulowitzki
lined a two-out, two-strike double in the top of the ninth to plate the Rockies' only run.
Actor Kevin Bacon
and his brother Michael sang the national anthem before the game.
) at Citizens Bank Park
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2008 NLCS and World Series MVP Cole Hamels faced Rockies' starter Aaron Cook in Game 2. In the top of the first inning, the Rockies scored the first run of the game when Todd Helton hit a ball up the first base line that was misplayed by Hamels allowing Carlos Gonzalez to score from third. It was visible that Hamels' focus was not entirely on the game, as his wife had been pregnant for nine months and could have gone into labor during the game. Rockies' catcher Yorvit Torrealba then hit a two-run home run off of Hamels in the fourth inning, after he had not hit a home run since May 6. The Rockies would then add one more run to make it 4–0 Rockies. Cole Hamels would then be told his wife was going into labor, as he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Phillies would fight back in the sixth. After consecutive hits by Shane Victorino and Chase Utley put runners on first and second with nobody out, Ryan Howard hit a line-drive double into the right field corner making the score 4–1 Rockies. Raúl Ibáñez then hit a single to center field scoring two runs to cut the score to 4–3. However, the next three batters would be retired. Charlie Manuel would use potential Game 3 starters Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ in the later innings, with Happ only throwing four pitches and leaving with an injury after being hit on the leg with a line drive. The Rockies would score one more run to make the score 5–3. Jayson Werth hit a home run in the eighth inning to once again close the Rockies lead to one, but the Phillies would be unable to score again. Huston Street retired Shane Victorino with two runners on base with two outs in the ninth inning to send the series to Colorado tied 1–1.
) at Coors Field
in Denver, Colorado
Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 10 at 9:37 p.m. Eastern, but was postponed due to snowy weather in the Denver area. The city received two inches of snow by Saturday morning, and forecasts called for a game-time temperature of 26 °F (-3.3 °C). The October 10 low was 17 °F (-8.3 °C), breaking a record set in 1905. This normally would not have been a problem due to Coors Field's underground heating system, and the Rockies have played in freezing conditions before. However, reports of icy roads and numerous accidents led MLB to postpone the game. This pushed Game 4 back to October 12, with Game 5, if necessary, to be played the next day in Philadelphia with no travel day.
The temperature at game time (10:07 pm Eastern; 8:07 pm local) was 35 °F (1.7 °C) and it dropped over the course of the game, which ended after midnight local time. At 4:06, this was the longest nine-inning postseason game ever (breaking a record set four days earlier by the Dodgers and Cardinals.)
Rockies starter Jason Hammel looked strong at first, but eventually lost control and gave up four earned runs before exiting during the fourth inning. It was a seesaw affair, with the teams tying each other four times during the course of the game, before Ryan Howard
's sacrifice fly
in the top of the ninth inning off of Rockies closer
Huston Street
scored Jimmy Rollins
, which proved to be the winning run.
) at Coors Field
in Denver, Colorado
Game 4 was originally scheduled to start on Game 3's date and start time, but due to the Saturday postponement was pushed back to Monday with first pitch at 4:07 Mountain Time.
With an extra day of rest, both teams pitched their aces in a rematch of Game 1. The Phillies quickly struck in the first, as the second batter of the game, Shane Victorino, hit a home run into the Rockies bullpen. Jimenez would settle down, virtually matching the Phillies Cliff Lee the rest of the way, his only other run coming on a Jayson Werth solo homer in the sixth. Lee wasn't as dominant as he was in Game 1, but held the Rockies at bay until the sixth when Troy Tulowitzki doubled home Todd Helton to cut the Phillies lead to 2–1.
Jimenez pitched seven innings before giving way to Franklin Morales. The Phillies would load the bases in the eighth with one out, but Rafael Betancourt would get a pop out and strikeout to keep Philadelphia from adding to their lead. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Lee walked Dexter Fowler. Helton then bounced what looked like a tailor made double play ground ball to Chase Utley. Fowler, to avoid running into him, jumped and hurdled over Utley, whose throw to second was wide and an error. Lee was pulled and a double switch was made, Ryan Madson into pitch, Ben Francisco in left field. Tulowitzki promptly stepped up and hit a shallow fly to left that Francisco made a diving catch on to rob the Rockies of the potential tying run. Jason Giambi pinch hit, and on the first pitch punched a game-tying single to left. Yorvit Torrealba followed by hitting a two-run double over the head of Victorino, giving the Rockies their first lead.
In the ninth Colorado again turned to Street, the losing pitcher in Game 3. This time he opened the inning by striking out pinch hitter Greg Dobbs, prompting Ryan Howard to tell his teammates to "get me to the plate, boys." Jimmy Rollins, though, as he did the previous night, singled. After Victorino bounced into a fielders choice that saw Rollins forced out at second, Utley stepped up and went down 2–2 in the count. He would, however, work a walk to bring go-ahead run Ryan Howard to the plate. On a 2–1 pitch, Howard belted a double to the wall in right field, tying the game. Werth followed with a bloop single to shallow right on a 2–2 pitch as the Phillies matched the Rockies three-run rally with one of their own to retake the lead.
Colorado would threaten again in the ninth against Scott Eyre. With one out Carlos Gonzalez singled, tying him with Dante Bichette for the club record for hits in the Division Series at ten. Following a Fowler lineout, Helton singled up middle. Brad Lidge was again summoned from the bullpen and faced Tulowitzki in a rematch of the previous night's final at-bat. Having looked at two sliders, and barely checked his swing on another, Lidge threw Tulowitzki a 2–2 slider. This time Tulowitzki could not check his swing, striking out to end the game, and sending the Phillies to the NLCS with a three games to one series victory. It also marked the first time in Division Series history that all four series winners clinched on the road, as the Dodgers, Angels and Yankees all had completed sweeps on the road previously.
over Colorado Rockies
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series determine which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series...
(NLDS) consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series
2009 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven baseball game series pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League Championship and the right to represent the National League in the 2009 World Series. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers four...
. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and ended on Monday, October 12. TBS televised all games in the United States. The matchups were:
- (1) Los Angeles Dodgers2009 Los Angeles Dodgers seasonThe 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season sees the team defend their National League West title while earning the best record in the National League, and marks the fiftieth anniversary of their 1959 World Series Championship...
(West DivisionNational League WestThe National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
champions, 95–67) vs. (3) St. Louis Cardinals2009 St. Louis Cardinals seasonThe St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown...
(Central DivisionNational League CentralThe National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
champions, 91–71): Dodgers win series, 3–0. - (2) Philadelphia Phillies2009 Philadelphia Phillies seasonThe Philadelphia Phillies' 2009 season was the 127th season in the history of the franchise. The team, managed by Charlie Manuel, began their sixth season at Citizens Bank Park and defense of their 2008 World Series championship on April 5...
(East DivisionNational League EastThe National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
champions, 93–69) vs. (4) Colorado Rockies2009 Colorado Rockies seasonThe Colorado Rockies' 2009 season is a season in American baseball, in which the Rockies won their third Wild Card title, and second in three years. The Rockies drew 2,665,080 fans for the season, their highest total since 2002...
(Wild Card qualifier, 92–70): Phillies win series, 3–1.
This marked the second postseason meeting between the Phillies and Rockies in three seasons; the Rockies swept the Phillies in the 2007 NLDS
2007 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies:-Game 1, October 3:Chase Field in Phoenix, ArizonaEighteen-game winners Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb matched each other pitch for pitch in the opening game of the series. Stephen Drew's fourth-inning home run stood as the game's only run until Ryan...
. The Dodgers and Cardinals last met in the postseason during the 2004 NLDS
2004 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 5:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriOdalis Perez faced Woody Williams in Game 1. Albert Pujols got the Cardinals started with a solo homer to make it 1–0 in the first. Then in the third, Perez reached his limit after surrendering five two-out...
, which the Cardinals won 3–1.
The Dodgers and Phillies won their respective series—the Dodgers three games to none and the Phillies three games to one. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers in the NLCS by a series score of 4–1, and lost the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, 4–2.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
Game 1, October 7
9:37 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) 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 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...
Neither team's starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
was particularly effective in the series opener; however, neither team's offense was able to capitalize, as this game set a MLB postseason record for runners left on base
Left on base
In baseball, a baserunner is said to be left on base when the half-inning ends, he has not scored, and he has not been put out. This is to include a batter-runner who has hit into a fielder's choice, causing another runner to be put out as the 3rd out...
combined between the two teams, with 30. Los Angeles starter Randy Wolf
Randy Wolf
Randall Christopher Wolf is a left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Randy's older brother Jim is a Major League umpire. Unlike his brother Jim and Houston Astros relief pitcher Ross Wolf, Randy is a boss...
loaded the bases
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
with no outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
in the first inning, allowing one run to score on a fielding miscue. In the bottom half of the inning, St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
gave up a two-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
to 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...
, giving the Dodgers a lead they would never relinquish. The St. Louis bullpen gave up only one run over three innings, while the Los Angeles bullpen gave up one run over innings. Los Angeles slugger Manny Ramirez
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...
was held to 1-for-4 with one walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, while St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
was 0-for-3 with two intentional walks
Intentional base on balls
In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball...
.
The game ran 3:54 which made it the longest nine-inning postseason game in history: however, the record was broken four days later by the Rockies and Phillies.
Game 2, October 8
6:07 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) 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 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...
In an amazing pitching duel, Game 2 was dominated by Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright
Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
and Dodgers phenom 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...
, who was pitching in his first career postseason start. In the second inning, Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
hit a home run to put the Cardinals ahead 1–0, but Dodger slugger Andre Ethier
Andre Ethier
Andre Everett Ethier , is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 2009, Ethier hit six walk off hits , which was the most by any player in the Major Leagues since 1974. His four walk-off home runs tied the Major League record for most in a season...
hit his first career post-season homer to tie it up 1–1 in the bottom of the fourth, the first hit Wainwright allowed. Wainwright dominated throughout his start, retiring the first eleven hitters he faced, while Kershaw kept pitching in and out of trouble. In the seventh inning, a double by Colby Rasmus
Colby Rasmus
Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
with no outs scored Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
to put St. Louis ahead 2–1, but Rasmus was thrown out at third base, which ended up being a huge play. At the time, it seemed to be enough to allow Wainwright to pitch to victory; in the eighth inning, however, he pitched into a bases-loaded jam. With two outs, Game 1 hero 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...
grounded out to Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
to end the threat, and going into the ninth inning, Cardinal closer Ryan Franklin
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Ray Franklin is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Early life:...
was brought in with one out. After retiring Manny Ramirez
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...
, Dodger first baseman James Loney hit a fly ball to Holliday, who lost the ball in the lights and it hit off his belly, allowing Loney to reach second on the error. After a walk to 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...
, mid-season acquisition Ronnie Belliard
Ronnie Belliard
Ronald "Ronnie" Belliard is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman of Dominican descent.-Early life:Belliard attended Central High School in Miami, Florida...
hit a clutch two-out single to score pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
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 tie the game, and after 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...
walked to load the bases, veteran pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
Mark Loretta
Mark Loretta
Mark David Loretta is a retired Major League Baseball infielder. Loretta played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, who was 0-for-15 career against Franklin, hit a walk-off single to center field to score Blake and the Dodgers won the game in dramatic fashion, spoiling the gem by Wainwright and sending the series back to St. Louis with a 2–0 LA advantage.
Game 3, October 10
6:07 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
The Dodgers swept the Cardinals 3–0, and went on to go face the Phillies in a NLCS rematch
2008 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 9, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDerek Lowe and Cole Hamels faced each other at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1. In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead,...
. Vicente Padilla
Vicente Padilla
Vicente de la Cruz Padilla is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is a free agent. Padilla previously pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers...
silenced the Cardinals bats again by pitching dominantly, allowing no runs on four hits through seven innings. The 47,296 attendance was the largest crowd to see a game at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
since it opened in 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
.
Composite box
2009 NLDS (3–0): Los Angeles Dodgers2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season sees the team defend their National League West title while earning the best record in the National League, and marks the fiftieth anniversary of their 1959 World Series Championship...
over St. Louis Cardinals
2009 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown...
Game 1, October 7
2:37 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) 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...
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,...
Amidst strong, swirling winds 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...
, the Phillies cruised to a 5–1 victory behind a dominating performance from Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
. Philadelphia broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with 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 by Raúl Ibáñez
Raúl Ibáñez
Raúl Javier Ibáñez is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.Over his career, Ibáñez, who did not make 500 plate appearances until the age of thirty, has batted .280 with 377 doubles, 252 home runs and 1054 runs batted in over sixteen Major League seasons...
, who scored two batters later on a single from Carlos Ruiz. Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez
Ubaldo Jimenez
Ubaldo Jiménez García is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He pitched the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies history on April 17, 2010, against the Atlanta Braves.-Colorado Rockies :...
ran into more trouble in the sixth, giving up an RBI double to Jayson Werth
Jayson Werth
Jayson Richard Gowan Werth is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right-handed.-Background:Werth was born in...
, an RBI triple to 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....
, and an RBI single to Ibanez before being chased from the game with none out. Lee, meanwhile, retired sixteen straight Colorado batters from the second inning into the seventh, picking up the complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
win in his first career postseason start. Lee was one strike away from completing a shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
, but Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Trevor Tulowitzki , nicknamed Tulo, is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Colorado Rockies.Tulowitzki's arm, range and instincts at shortstop are highly regarded...
lined a two-out, two-strike double in the top of the ninth to plate the Rockies' only run.
Actor Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
and his brother Michael sang the national anthem before the game.
Game 2, October 8
2:37 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) 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...
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,...
2008 NLCS and World Series MVP Cole Hamels faced Rockies' starter Aaron Cook in Game 2. In the top of the first inning, the Rockies scored the first run of the game when Todd Helton hit a ball up the first base line that was misplayed by Hamels allowing Carlos Gonzalez to score from third. It was visible that Hamels' focus was not entirely on the game, as his wife had been pregnant for nine months and could have gone into labor during the game. Rockies' catcher Yorvit Torrealba then hit a two-run home run off of Hamels in the fourth inning, after he had not hit a home run since May 6. The Rockies would then add one more run to make it 4–0 Rockies. Cole Hamels would then be told his wife was going into labor, as he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Phillies would fight back in the sixth. After consecutive hits by Shane Victorino and Chase Utley put runners on first and second with nobody out, Ryan Howard hit a line-drive double into the right field corner making the score 4–1 Rockies. Raúl Ibáñez then hit a single to center field scoring two runs to cut the score to 4–3. However, the next three batters would be retired. Charlie Manuel would use potential Game 3 starters Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ in the later innings, with Happ only throwing four pitches and leaving with an injury after being hit on the leg with a line drive. The Rockies would score one more run to make the score 5–3. Jayson Werth hit a home run in the eighth inning to once again close the Rockies lead to one, but the Phillies would be unable to score again. Huston Street retired Shane Victorino with two runners on base with two outs in the ninth inning to send the series to Colorado tied 1–1.
Game 3, October 11
10:07 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 10 at 9:37 p.m. Eastern, but was postponed due to snowy weather in the Denver area. The city received two inches of snow by Saturday morning, and forecasts called for a game-time temperature of 26 °F (-3.3 °C). The October 10 low was 17 °F (-8.3 °C), breaking a record set in 1905. This normally would not have been a problem due to Coors Field's underground heating system, and the Rockies have played in freezing conditions before. However, reports of icy roads and numerous accidents led MLB to postpone the game. This pushed Game 4 back to October 12, with Game 5, if necessary, to be played the next day in Philadelphia with no travel day.
The temperature at game time (10:07 pm Eastern; 8:07 pm local) was 35 °F (1.7 °C) and it dropped over the course of the game, which ended after midnight local time. At 4:06, this was the longest nine-inning postseason game ever (breaking a record set four days earlier by the Dodgers and Cardinals.)
Rockies starter Jason Hammel looked strong at first, but eventually lost control and gave up four earned runs before exiting during the fourth inning. It was a seesaw affair, with the teams tying each other four times during the course of the game, before 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....
's sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
in the top of the ninth inning off of Rockies closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Huston Street
Huston Street
Huston Lowell Street is an American baseball relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. His father is former University of Texas quarterback James Street, and his brother Juston Street is currently a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians....
scored 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....
, which proved to be the winning run.
Game 4, October 12
6:07 p.m. (ETEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
Game 4 was originally scheduled to start on Game 3's date and start time, but due to the Saturday postponement was pushed back to Monday with first pitch at 4:07 Mountain Time.
With an extra day of rest, both teams pitched their aces in a rematch of Game 1. The Phillies quickly struck in the first, as the second batter of the game, Shane Victorino, hit a home run into the Rockies bullpen. Jimenez would settle down, virtually matching the Phillies Cliff Lee the rest of the way, his only other run coming on a Jayson Werth solo homer in the sixth. Lee wasn't as dominant as he was in Game 1, but held the Rockies at bay until the sixth when Troy Tulowitzki doubled home Todd Helton to cut the Phillies lead to 2–1.
Jimenez pitched seven innings before giving way to Franklin Morales. The Phillies would load the bases in the eighth with one out, but Rafael Betancourt would get a pop out and strikeout to keep Philadelphia from adding to their lead. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Lee walked Dexter Fowler. Helton then bounced what looked like a tailor made double play ground ball to Chase Utley. Fowler, to avoid running into him, jumped and hurdled over Utley, whose throw to second was wide and an error. Lee was pulled and a double switch was made, Ryan Madson into pitch, Ben Francisco in left field. Tulowitzki promptly stepped up and hit a shallow fly to left that Francisco made a diving catch on to rob the Rockies of the potential tying run. Jason Giambi pinch hit, and on the first pitch punched a game-tying single to left. Yorvit Torrealba followed by hitting a two-run double over the head of Victorino, giving the Rockies their first lead.
In the ninth Colorado again turned to Street, the losing pitcher in Game 3. This time he opened the inning by striking out pinch hitter Greg Dobbs, prompting Ryan Howard to tell his teammates to "get me to the plate, boys." Jimmy Rollins, though, as he did the previous night, singled. After Victorino bounced into a fielders choice that saw Rollins forced out at second, Utley stepped up and went down 2–2 in the count. He would, however, work a walk to bring go-ahead run Ryan Howard to the plate. On a 2–1 pitch, Howard belted a double to the wall in right field, tying the game. Werth followed with a bloop single to shallow right on a 2–2 pitch as the Phillies matched the Rockies three-run rally with one of their own to retake the lead.
Colorado would threaten again in the ninth against Scott Eyre. With one out Carlos Gonzalez singled, tying him with Dante Bichette for the club record for hits in the Division Series at ten. Following a Fowler lineout, Helton singled up middle. Brad Lidge was again summoned from the bullpen and faced Tulowitzki in a rematch of the previous night's final at-bat. Having looked at two sliders, and barely checked his swing on another, Lidge threw Tulowitzki a 2–2 slider. This time Tulowitzki could not check his swing, striking out to end the game, and sending the Phillies to the NLCS with a three games to one series victory. It also marked the first time in Division Series history that all four series winners clinched on the road, as the Dodgers, Angels and Yankees all had completed sweeps on the road previously.
Composite box
2009 NLDS (3–1): Philadelphia Phillies2009 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2009 season was the 127th season in the history of the franchise. The team, managed by Charlie Manuel, began their sixth season at Citizens Bank Park and defense of their 2008 World Series championship on April 5...
over Colorado Rockies
2009 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2009 season is a season in American baseball, in which the Rockies won their third Wild Card title, and second in three years. The Rockies drew 2,665,080 fans for the season, their highest total since 2002...