2008 National League Championship Series

The 2008 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the 2008 National League playoffs is a best-of-seven series. The series will match the NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia will have home field advantage for this series due to their better regular-season record.

Game 1 is currently scheduled for Thursday, October 9, 2008 in Philadelphia. The series will be telecast on FOX. If Game 7 is played, it will be played on Saturday, October 18.cite web |url= http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp|title= Tentative 2008 MLB Postseason Schedule|accessdate=2008-09-16 |work= World Series|publisher= MLB.com]

This series marks the first postseason meeting for the Phillies and Dodgers since the 1983 NLCS, which Philadelphia won 3-1 en route to a loss to Baltimore in the World Series. It also marks the first NLCS for both teams since the Division Series was instituted in by|1994. Overall, this is the fourth time these two teams have met in the postseason. In addition to the 1983 NLCS, the Dodgers defeated the Phillies 3-1 in the NLCS in both 1977 and 1978.

ummary

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

* - if necessary

Game summaries

Game 1, October 9

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Los Angeles|RoadAbr=LAD
R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=1|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=2|RH=7|RE=1
Home=Philadelphia|HomeAbr=PHI
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=3|H7=0|H8=0|H9=x|HR=3|HH=7|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Cole Hamels (1–0)|LP=Derek Lowe (0–1)|SV=Brad Lidge (1)
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Chase Utley (1), Pat Burrell (1)|

This game was quite the pitchers duel. Derek 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, and later in the 4th, Matt Kemp scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake DeWitt. However, in the 6th inning, as Lowe was rolling, a throwing error by Dodger shortstop Rafael Furcal put Shane Victorino on base for Chase Utley, who then homered to right field on the next pitch to tie the score. After a Ryan Howard 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, October 10

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Los Angeles|RoadAbr=LAD
R1=0|R2=1|R3=1|R4=3|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=5|RH=8|RE=1
Home=Philadelphia|HomeAbr=PHI
H1=0|H2=4|H3=4|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=x|HR=8|HH=11|HE=1
WP=Brett Myers (1-0)|LP=Chad Billingsley (0-1)|SV=Brad Lidge (2)
RoadHR=Manny Ramírez (1)|HomeHR=|Philadelphia starting pitcher Brett Myers went 3-3 with 3 RBI and the Phillies opened up an 8-2 lead on the Dodgers, chasing Chad Billingsley in the third inning. The Phillies batted around in both the second and third innings. Manny Ramírez made things closer with a three-run home run off Myers in the fourth. 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.

Game 3, October 12; 8:22 P.M. (Eastern)

Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Philadelphia|RoadAbr=PHI
R1=|R2=|R3=|R4=|R5=|R6=|R7=|R8=|R9=|RR=-|RH=-|RE=-
Home=Los Angeles|HomeAbr=LAD
H1=|H2=|H3=|H4=|H5=|H6=|H7=|H8=|H9=|HR=-|HH=-|HE=-
RSP=Jamie Moyer (LHP, 0-0)|HSP=Hiroki Kuroda (RHP, 0-0)
WP=|LP=|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=|

Game 4, October 13; 8:22 P.M. (Eastern)

Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Philadelphia|RoadAbr=PHI
R1=|R2=|R3=|R4=|R5=|R6=|R7=|R8=|R9=|RR=-|RH=-|RE=-
Home=Los Angeles|HomeAbr=LAD
H1=|H2=|H3=|H4=|H5=|H6=|H7=|H8=|H9=|HR=-|HH=-|HE=-
RSP=Joe Blanton (RHP, 0-0)|HSP=TBD
WP=|LP=|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=|

Game 5, October 15 (if necessary); 8:22 P.M. (Eastern)

Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLinescore
Road=Philadelphia|RoadAbr=PHI
R1=|R2=|R3=|R4=|R5=|R6=|R7=|R8=|R9=|RR=-|RH=-|RE=-
Home=Los Angeles|HomeAbr=LAD
H1=|H2=|H3=|H4=|H5=|H6=|H7=|H8=|H9=|HR=-|HH=-|HE=-
RSP=|HSP=
WP=|LP=|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=|

Game 6, October 17 (if necessary); 8:22 P.M. (Eastern)

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Los Angeles|RoadAbr=LAD
R1=|R2=|R3=|R4=|R5=|R6=|R7=|R8=|R9=|RR=-|RH=-|RE=-
Home=Philadelphia|HomeAbr=PHI
H1=|H2=|H3=|H4=|H5=|H6=|H7=|H8=|H9=|HR=-|HH=-|HE=-
RSP=|HSP=
WP=|LP=|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=|

Game 7, October 18 (if necessary); 8:22 P.M. (Eastern)

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaLinescore
Road=Los Angeles|RoadAbr=LAD
R1=|R2=|R3=|R4=|R5=|R6=|R7=|R8=|R9=|RR=-|RH=-|RE=-
Home=Philadelphia|HomeAbr=PHI
H1=|H2=|H3=|H4=|H5=|H6=|H7=|H8=|H9=|HR=-|HH=-|HE=-
RSP=|HSP=
WP=|LP=|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=|

References