The 2008 Phillies dominated Game 3 of the Dodgers-Nationals NLDS
PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 27: Jayson Werth #28 and Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies high-five after scoring in the first inning during game five of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, October 27, 2008. Play was suspended for the night after the top of the sixth inning. (Brad Mangin/MLB via Getty Images)
(Brad Mangin/Getty Images)
By
Corinne Landrey
The Phillies held a thrilling Old-Timers Game at Dodger Stadium Monday night … or so it seemed. Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Nationals seemed ordinary at first, but as the game wore on, an unexpected trend emerged -- contributions from players famous for being a part of the 2008 Phillies. It began inconspicuously enough as only one former Phillies player was in the starting lineup for either team -- Jayson Werth, who played in Philadelphia from 2007 to 2010. Werth got the first hit of the game and a game-tying RBI double in the third inning. But perhaps his biggest contribution was a leadoff home run off Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning.
As the game wore on, Werth's former teammates gradually entered the game to make statements of their own. First up was Carlos Ruiz -- who pinch-hit in the bottom of the fourth. Ruiz, affectionately known as Chooch, was a Phillies catcher from 2006 until he was traded to Los Angeles two months ago and, in this moment, the trade paid off for the Dodgers. He unleashed a two-run home run which brought the Dodgers within a run of the Nationals:
Next up was the pitcher who started Game 4 of the 2008 World Series for the Phillies and became an instant trivia answer by hitting a home run: Joe Blanton. With one out in the seventh and the Dodgers trailing, 4-3, L.A. called on Blanton to keep them in the game. He quickly closed out the inning, yielding just one hit and then returned to strike out the side in the eighth.
When Dave Roberts brought in Blanton, he did so with a double switch which brought in the fourth and final 2008 Phillies player: Chase Utley. In his first and only at-bat of the evening, Utley singled. The final lines for the 2008 Phillies quartet were as follows: Werth: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs
Ruiz: 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBIs
Utley: 1-for-1
Blanton: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Not bad for a group of guys famous for winning a championship nearly a decade ago. In the end, Werth's Nationals came out on top, 9-3. Tomorrow, the Dodgers will seek to stave off elimination in Game 4 of the NLDS at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on FS1.
