Lunch Break Breakdown:Phillies vs. Dodgers, Game 1

I've said this before, but I hate the postseason television schedule. Because I only have network television, I'll only be able to see the National League Championship Series on FOX. So, here's my brief analysis of what I saw last night in Game 1.

Both pitchers had their good stuff to start the game. Derek Lowe's sinker had some nice, late, nasty action. Cole Hamels' change-up was as good as advertised (and renewed my commitment of helping my future son master it before he starts playing with breaking balls).

I still can't believe that Manny's first double stayed in the park. He definitely got all of that one. That scored the first run. A sacrifice fly scored the second for the Dodgers.

The way Lowe was dealing, it wasn't looking good for the Phillies. When the announcers started to point out how many ground outs he was collecting, you knew he was on a roll (no pun intended). That changed in the 5th inning, however. Sure, the Phillies didn't score until the 6th, but I saw signs that they were finally getting to Lowe in the inning before that.

With two outs in the 5th, Lowe was pitching to the Philly catcher, Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz smacked a ball through the right side of the infield for a solid single. Lowe was visibly upset. Tim McCarver believed it was because he had allowed them to cycle through the pitcher, meaning that Cole Hamels would bat in the 5th instead of leading off the sixth. I don't pretend to know exactly why he was upset. It could have simply been because he missed his location on the pitch that Ruiz hit. But he wasn't a happy camper. No big deal though, right? The pitcher was up to bat and that's an easy out... ish. Hamels actually hits well for a pitcher, especially againsts right-handers like Lowe. Hamels laced a single into right-center and the crowd exploded. So did I.*

I'm not sure if it was because of my pitcher's mentality of, "if one of us gets a hit, we all get a hit," or what. But my jubilant reaction to Hamels single made me realize that I had unconsciously picked a side in this fight.

Next man to the plate was Jimmy Rollins, the reigning NL MVP. Lots of noise in the stadium now. Lowe was definitely flustered at this point. He coaxes Rollins to hit a lazy fly ball to left field, and ends the inning. But, instead of wiping the sweat off is brow because he'd just dodged a bullet, he was talking trash. Funny... When he left in the middle of the next inning, I didn't see the trash talk. Guess that's harder to do with a straight face after surrendering a game-tying homerun to Chase Utley, followed later by a lazer shot over the left field fence by Pat Burrell.

Hamels settled down after allowing two early runs and was tremendous the rest of the way. He made Jeff Kent look downright foolish. And, as many NL opponents learned in the regular season, once the Phillies' starters turn the ball over to the bullpen, the game is over.

Phillies 1, Dodgers 0.