Heading into the top of the ninth inning, the Phillies trailed 4-2. But with two runners on base, Ryan Howard delivered a two-run double to tie the game. Jayson Werth then singled to score Howard and give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Scott Eyre gave up two hits but Brad Lidge came into the game and picked up his second consecutive save.

In the series, the Phillies had a lot of big performances. Chase Utley hit .429 for the series, while Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Werth all hit better than .350.

The Phillies and Dodgers begin their series on Thursday in Los Angeles. Cole Hamels will start for the Phillies, while the Dodgers will go with Randy Wolf.

Ryan Howard lights up a cigar as the Phillies celebrate (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Phillies Rally to Beat Rockies and Advance

After five innings, the Rockies had built a 4-0 lead thanks to a two-run blast by Yorvit Torrealba and a quality effort by starting pitcher Aaron Cook. The Phillies made a push but the Rockies were able to hold on for a 5-4 victory.

For Philadelphia, perhaps the biggest surprise was the average play by starting pitcher Cole Hamels. Last season, Hamels was dominant in the Phillies run to the World Series championship. In his 2009 baseball postseason debut, Hamels went five innings and gave up seven hits and four earned runs.

The two teams will play Game 3 on Saturday. Future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez will start the game on the mound for Philadelphia, while the Rockies will go with Jason Hammel.

Yorvit Torrealba - Colorado Rockies (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Rockies Stun Phillies to Tie Series

To get the victory, the Dodgers leaned on 21-year-old starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw. In six innings of work, Kershaw gave up only three hits while striking out ten batters and giving up no runs. The bullpen pitched three perfect innings to give the Dodgers a 5-0 win.

With a record of 94-67, the Dodgers have also been able to clinch home-field advantage in the National League.

Despite the loss, the Rockies are headed to the 2009 baseball playoffs as the NL Wild Card winner. The Dodgers and Rockies will join the St. Louis Cardinals and the reigning World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers clinch the NL West (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Los Angeles Dodgers Clinch NL West

In seven innings, Lincecum gave up only six hits one one earned run while striking out 11 batters. His record on the season improved to 14-5, while his ERA was lowered to 2.30. Lincecum got more than enough support as the Giants beat the Rockies by a final count of 9-1.

Most of the runs were produced by Eugenia Velez and Bengie Molina. Velez had a sacrifice fly in the second inning and a three-run triple in the eighth inning, while Molina hit a solo homer in the third and scored two other runs.

This win by the Giants was huge in the NL Wild Card race. San Francisco cut Colorado’s lead to 3.5 games. The two teams play again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Two more wins by the Gaints and the NL Wild Card race will get really exciting.

Tim Lincecum was back to business against the Rockies (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Tim Lincecum Dominates in Return

The Rockies latest win came on Thursday when they downed the Cincinnati Reds by a final count of 5-1. After the Reds got up with a run in the first inning, the Rockies got five runs in the third to go up for good. The two big hits for Colorado in the inning were a Jason Giambi two-run double and a two-run homer by Garrett Atkins.

Not only are the Rockies within striking distance in the NL West, they are starting to pull away in the NL Wild Card race. They currently lead the San Francisco Giants by 4.5 games and the Florida Marlins by 5.5 games.

The Rockies next travel to San Diego for a three-game series with the Padres. Then, starting on Monday, the Rockies and Giants square off in a very important series that could go a long ways towards decided the NL Wild Card representative.

Everyone in Colorado is happy (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Rockies Putting Pressure on the Dodgers

Coming into the game with seven homers on the season, Young was 3-for-3 with three solo shots and two walks. It was a bright spot for an otherwise nightmare season for Young. Even after the homers, he’s hitting just .198 with ten homers, 31 RBIs and 39 runs. As recently as last year, Young was considered one of the better up-and-coming outfielders in the National League. Now the 26-year-old is fighting for his big league career.

The win was a big one for the Rockies. Their current three-game winning streak has them two games up in the NL Wild Card race ahead of the San Francisco Giants. At 77-60, the Rockies have to be considered the favorite to enter the 2009 baseball playoffs as the wild card. As seen on Sunday, you need more than heroics to beat this club.

Chris Young - Arizona Diamondbacks (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Chris Young Hits Three Homers and Loses

On Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Giambi had a pinch hit game-winning at-bat in the 8th inning when he broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single. In three pinch hit at-bats, Giambi is perfect at the plate and has knocked in four runs.

Giambi’s production is coming at a key time for Colorado. In the NL Wild Card race, the Rockies lead the San Francisco Giants by 1 game and the Florida Marlins by 4 games. With a record of 75-60, the Rockies need a strong finish to make it to the 2009 baseball playoffs.

While with the Oakland Athletics this season, Giambi wasn’t nearly as hot. In 83 games, the former Oakland great hit only .193 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs. It’ll be interesting to see if Giambi can keep up his streak as a pinch hit extraordinaire.

Jason Giambi - Colorado Rockies (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Jason Giambi Paying Off for the Rockies

The 31-year-old right-hander will step in and become the team’s number five starter. This year with the Red Sox, Penny had a 5.61 ERA and a record of 7-8. In his last start for Boston, he gave up ten hits and eight earned runs in four innings against the New York Yankees.

Despite his ugly numbers this season, Penny was very good in 2007 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that season, he was 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA.

At the moment, the Giants are tied with the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card race. If Penny can reclaim some of his former magic, the Giants will have a very good chance of living to see the 2009 baseball playoffs.

Brad Penny inks with the San Francisco Giants (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Brad Penny Claimed by the Giants

The 38-year-old struggled in his 83 games with the A’s. He hit .193 with 11 home runs, 39 runs and 40 RBIs. While he missed part of the year with a strained quad muscle on his right leg, it is believed that Giambi is now healthy.

According to the reports, Giambi will report to the Rockies minor league affiliate in Colorado Springs and then will join the big league roster when rosters are expanded on September 1st.

The Rockies will hope that Giambi can add a bit of pop to their lineup. Currently, Colorado is making a hard push in the NL West. Currently, they are only 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the NL Wild Card race, the Rockies are 3 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants.

Jason Giambi signed by the Rockies (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Jason Giambi to Sign with the Rockies

To complete the cycle, Tulowitzki hit a seventh inning triple. He previously had a home run in the first inning, a second inning single and a fourth inning double. He added another hit in the eighth inning to finish the game 5-for-5 with two runs and seven RBIs.

Although he struggled earlier in the season, Tulowitzki has been especially hitting the ball well after the All-Star break. On the season, he’s now hitting .276 with 21 homers, 60 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .361.

The 24-year-old shortstop out of Long Beach State is starting to once again show the promise he illustrated in 2007. That season, Tulowitzki lead the Rockies to the World Series and appeared to be on his way to superstardom. However, after a poor year last year and a slow start this year, doubt started to enter the equation.

Not anymore. Tulowitzki’s cycle once again elevates him to an elite prospect.

Troy Tulowitzki Hits for the Cycle (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Troy Tulowitzki Hits for the Cycle