MLB Analysis: Was a defensive failure the only cause for Philadelphia Phillies ouster?
After dominating Major League Baseball for almost the entire season, the Philadelphia Phillies crashed out of the National League Division Series to bring an end to their supremacy on the circuit.
The Phillies were edged 0-1 against St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the ALDS on Friday, October 7. The loss was more significant because it saw their ace Roy Halladay fall to long-time friend and Cardinals’ ace Chris Carpenter in the all-important fixture.
Halladay and Carpenter grew together in ranks with the Toronto Blue Jays, but Halladay went a step ahead and imposed himself as the best pitcher in NL. Carpenter, nonetheless, is an equal match as far as ability is concerned and proved that in the historical matchup.
Carpenter hurled a three-hitter to silence the strong Phillies and a run by the offence in the first inning against Halladay ensured that the Redbirds go one step ahead in the pennant race. Although Halladay came back strongly with seven scoreless innings on the trot, a one-run lead was enough for Carpenter to see his team through. More importantly, the win came from Carpenter when his team needed him the most and Halladay failed on the occasion which would have made him world-class.
Ryan Madson came into close the game for Phillies and rightly did so. However, his perfect pitching in the depth did not benefit his team because of an offensive failure. Reflecting on this loss, Madson clarified that this was just another loss and did not hurt more than others. He further voiced that even the best in business fall once in a while and it was only the timing of the loss that mattered the most.
However, this was not exactly what other players felt. Halladay was speechless after the loss and has still not made a statement in this regard. Shane Victorino impressed throughout the season and was probably the most vocal player in the line-up. However, he refused to answer any questions after the loss and instead, tore a dossier of World Series tickets for the waste bin.
Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge were not content either, probably after their last game with the ballclub. Lidge is now a free agent and Ibanez might be acquired by another club.
Talking to reporters about his free agency, Lidge said, “I was hoping to have a lot more time to think about stuff like this, but right now it’s not exciting, it sucks. I’m so disappointed and right now there is nothing great about being a free agent for me."
Phillies acquired starting pitcher Cliff lee in the off-season with the intent of going deep into the postseason. However, he dropped a four-run lead in Game 4 of the series which would have allowed the Phillies to sweep the series.
Lee came out strongly to admit his loss and added that the team had a disappointing end to what had been a record-breaking year for the ballclub. Philadelphia won 102 games in the regular season to set a record for most wins in a single season.
“I take a lot of responsibility for this,” Lee said. “I had a 4-0 lead and wasn’t able to keep it. If I did, we would have swept the series. I wasn’t able to keep a four-run lead and now it’s over.”
Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel expressed extreme resentment and stated that the team has utterly disappointed.
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