2010 MLB National League Division Series Wrap-Up
The 2010 MLB postseason got underway last Wednesday with the league division series. In the National League the East division champion Philadelphia Phillies took on the Central champion Cincinnati Reds and the West division champion San Francisco Giants faced off against the Wildcard Atlanta Braves.
Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay made his first ever postseason start one for the history books by becoming only the second player in the Major Leagues to throw a no-hitter in the playoffs. The Phillies went on to win Game 1 by the score of 4-0. The difference between the no-hitter and a perfect game was the one walk that Halladay gave up in the fifth inning.
The Reds’ bats were able to get to Roy Oswalt in Game 2, opening up a three run lead after four innings. Unable to stand their good fortune, the game unraveled for Cincinnati in an error-filled seventh that allowed the Phillies to take a two-run lead that eventually resulted in a 7-4 win. The Reds set a dubious record for errors in a NLDS game with four. This mental meltdown gave Philadelphia a two games to none lead and stranglehold in this best-of-five series.
As the series shifted to Cincinnati for Game 3 they Reds were hoping for a change in their fortunes as well, but left-hander Cole Hamels put an end to that notion with a dominating performance on the mound. He held the league’s No.1 offense to five hits and no earned runs in a 2-0 series-clinching shutout.
Philadelphia advances to its third straight NLCS to face either the Giants or the Braves with a well-rested trio of pitchers that have come to be known as H2O (Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt).
San Francisco’s ace Tim Lincecum won his pitching duel with Atlanta’s ace Derek Lowe in Game 1 by holding the Braves to just two hits in the 1-0 victory. Lincecum set a team playoff-record by striking out 14 batters as Atlanta had no answer for his pitches, especially his change-up. The Braves regrouped in Game 2 and evened the series at a game apiece on a Rick Ankiel out-of-the park blast in the 11th inning that gave them the 5-4 win.
The series shifted to Atlanta for Game 3 but the Braves could not take advantage of the home field in a 3-2 loss. They actually had a 2-1 lead heading into the top of ninth, but let it slip away on a Brooks Conrad error that enabled the Giants to take a one run lead and a crucial 3-2 victory that puts them up two games to one in this best-of-five series.
Game 4 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday night in Atlanta. The Giants will go with left-hander Madison Bumgarner to try and close this series out, while the Braves will counter with Lowe to try and force a Game 5 back in San Francisco on Wednesday, October 13th.
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