Thursday, June 9, 2011

2011 Topps Opening Day Spot the Error #4 Chase Utley


Dodgers 6, Phillies 2
Game 61 - Tuesday Night, June 7th in Philadelphia

One Sentence Summary:  A sloppy third inning doomed the Phillies as the Dodgers took game two of the series, 6-2.

What It Means:  The Phils fell to 36-25.  The Braves have overcome the Marlins to pull within three games of the top spot in the division.

What Went Wrong:  I listened to the majority of this game while driving to Long Island for work for a few days.  I don't know what was more frustrating - listening to the Phillies hand the game to the Dodgers in the third or having my GPS decide I should go over the Brooklyn Bridge instead of taking the way I usually drive into Long Island. 

The Phils couldn't take advantage of a very wild Rubby De La Rosa, the Dodgers starter, who walked five in his five innings of work.  Almost half of his pitches were thrown for balls (46 out of 96) which just isn't very good.  Phillies radio announcer Larry Andersen wondered (as did I) why more batters weren't just standing at the plate waiting for De La Rosa to throw strikes.  They managed just five hits off Dodgers pitching.

Roy Oswalt (3-4) started the top of the third by walking De La Rosa on five pitches.  It's was De La Rosa's first plate appearance in the Majors.  He'd eventual come around to score on Casey Blake's single.  With runners on first and second, Oswalt made a pick-off throw to first . . . where no one was covering.  It was pretty much all over after that, as the Dodgers exited the third with a 4-1 lead.

Featured Card:  Sadly, I thought this would be an appropriate card for this game.  Chase Utley was charged with only one official error in the third when he threw away a dead double play ball, but he could have been charged with an error in the second.  Utley caught a line drive off the bat of Juan Uribe and he could have easily doubled Matt Kemp off second.  Instead, Kemp scampered back to the bag when Utley threw the ball into left field.  Kemp would come around to score the Dodgers first run of the game.

No comments: