NLCS Game 2: Dodgers Walk Over Phillies, 2-1

This was a real bummer of a loss for the Phillies. Teams hate to waste a solid performances from their starter, and they especially hate giving away the deciding run with a bases-loaded walk. The Good Phight laments:

Meanwhile, True Blue LA knows that the Dodgers had plenty of breaks fall their way.

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Los Angeles rallied for two eighth-inning runs off the Phillies bullpen, as J.A. Happ walked Andre Ethier to force in the deciding run, spoiling a vintage Pedro Martinez outing and evening the National League Championship Series in a 2-1 decision in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.

“I was really proud of the at-bat that Andre had,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “He got behind in the count, the shadows made it tough to see and he laid off some tough pitches...It was obviously huge.”

Less than 24 hours after the Phillies Game 1 conquest over the Dodgers, the two teams take to the field again for a pivotal Game 2. If Philly advances the series to 2-0, talk of a second straight World Series appearance will only intensify. Coincidentally, if the Dodgers can even the series, the painful images of last night will become a distant memory. Joe Torre sends Vincente Padilla to the mound tonight. From True Blue LA:

The Dodgers are hoping Vicente Padilla continues his groove. In his last 14 innings, he has allowed one run on eight hits and two walks while striking out 17. Since joining the Dodgers, Padilla has thrown 46.1 innings, including the playoffs, and has a 2.72 ERA and 3.02 FIP. Call me crazy, but I think the Dodgers today get what they have been longing for for quite a long time: a win in a playoff game started by Pedro Martinez at Dodger Stadium.The move to start the 37-year-old Martinez, considered a gamble by some, isn’t too much of a risk, at least according to Rich Hoffman of the Philadelphia Daily News:

Phillies fans are simply enjoying the ride at this point. From SBN’s the Good Phight:

Dodgers fans, meanwhile were at a loss after the Dodgers give up all eight runs in just two innings. From SBN’s True Blue LA:

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Raul Ibanez’s first career postseason home run gave the Phillies the breathing room they needed, as the defending World Series champions held on to knock off Los Angeles, 8-6, in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.

In a rematch of last season’s National League Championship Series, the Phillies used two three-run home runs, the first by catcher Carlos Ruiz in a five-run fifth and the second by Ibanez in the eighth to thwart any chance of a Dodgers comeback.

SB Nation’s Dodgers’ (True Blue LA) and Phillies’ (The Good Phight) blogs got together earlier this week for a Q&A to preview the series. Both think the series is bound to last 6 games. Of course, they are predicting those games to go a little differently. Eric Stephen of True Blue LA says home field advantage will tilt the series to the Dodgers:

Peter Baker of The Good Phight places his faith in the Phillies lineup for his prediction: