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Star Player of the Game: Falcons running back Michael Turner, who rushed 18 times for 166 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall on the sideline melee that occured just before halftime:

“Guys just started coming at me. It wasn’t any mindset to break the fight up. It was in a mindset to try to get some licks in. Even the head coach came over there. Mike Smith said some stuff, said some words to me, cussed me out. He was grabbing at me, pulling at me.”

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Star Player of the Game: Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who completed 22 of 32 passes for 261 yards & threw for 5 touchdowns.

Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin (ankle) on his surprise de-activation from Sunday’s game:

“I’d felt better if somebody had been man enough and walked up to me and told me what the situation was.”

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Star Player of the Game: Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who rushed 34 times for 117 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer comparing this year’s team to the 2005 division winners:

“We’re much more mature. We’re a better team. We were a good team back then; we were kind of young and dumb. This team has more guys that understand how rare this opportunity is.”

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Star Player of the Game: Colts tight end Dallas Clark, who caught 14 receptions for 119 yards.

Houston kicker Kris Brown on his missed 42-yard field goal that could’ve sent the game into overtime:

“I missed the kick. I was going through my routine, and I felt good walking on the field. I take a lot of pride in kicking, especially in these situations. To have that happen is very disappointing.”

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Star Player of the Game: Jaguars wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, who caught 6 receptions for 147 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Chiefs wide receiver Chris Chambers on his team debut:

“I’m glad we didn’t quit. We can build on this.”

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Star Player of the Game: Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, who caught 6 receptions for 147 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on backup offensive lineman Dan Connolly, who entered the game in the 2nd quarter for an injured Dan Koeppen (knee):

“It’s not the easiest thing to do when you lose your center. But he came in and did a great job.”

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Star Player of the Game: Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, who completed 14 of 31 passes for 205 yards while throwing for 3 touchdowns & 1 interception.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy on becoming the first team to lose to Tampa Bay this season:

“It doesn’t feel good. This one definitely hurt. I’m disappointed in the way we played. We have some recurring problems that we have not cleaned up yet.”

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Star Player of the Game: Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem, who caught 5 receptions for 98 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees on the team surpassing its’ best start in franchise history:

“That’s great. I mean, 1967 until now and we’re the only (Saints) team to have done that. That’s really special. I feel like we’ve got a special group of guys, a special team, and certainly we’re not satisfied with just being 8-0. We have what it takes to just continue to win.”

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Star Player of the Game: Seahawks running back Julius Jones, who rushed 16 times for 36 yards & scored a touchdown while catching 6 receptions for 78 yards.

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on the team’s early 17-0 1st quarter deficit:

“It was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ Seriously?”’

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Star Player of the Game: Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who caught 5 receptions for 58 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers on the team’s last-second comeback thriller:

“It’s a big emotional win. I don’t need a real reason why, but it ranks right up there with the win at Indy in the playoffs (2009). The link between me and Eli is always going to be there. So yeah, it’s a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it’s fun. It (the trade) didn’t weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there.”

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Star Player of the Game: Titans running back Chris Johnson, who rushed 25 times for 135 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Titans quarterback Vince Young on winning back-to-backs since being named starter:

“It’s how we believe in each other. The excitement that everybody has, the confidence we have in each other is tremendous right now. It feels real good to come to the sideline and hear your defense chatting you on, and vice versa. Everybody’s together right now. … I want to go out there and show them what’s been going on, what I’ve been doing behind the scenes.”

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Star Player of the Game: Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams, who caught 5 receptions for 75 yards.

Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin on his game-winning touchdown catch during the 4th quarter:

“I made sure I caught it first. A bunch of the guys were making fun of me because I took so long to see it in my hands.”

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Star Player of the Game: Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, who rushed 22 times for 155 yards.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on the decision to bench Ryan Clark, who has a rare blood disorder:

“Ryan likes to play. He’s probably hacked off at me that I didn’t play him. But he will get over it.”

2009 © BMS Radio Chicago All Rights Reserved. The written content is property of this site. All team and league information, sports logos, photos, and names contained within this site are property of their respective organizations.

It looks as if Larry Johnson won’t get the chance to break a franchise record.

Just 75 rushing yards shy from surpassing Priest Holmes’ all-time mark, the Kansas City Chiefts decided to part ways with the 29 year-old Johnson early Monday.

Johnson’s release comes after a couple of controversial weeks in which he wrote gay slurs under his Twitter account & questioned the credibility of head coach Todd Haley.

Larry Johnson’s football career has been nothing but erratic over the past 3 seasons, as he has looked nothing like the player that rushed for over 1,700 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2005 & 2006 while scoring a combined 37 rushing touchdowns.

Johnson was averaging a career-low 2.7 yards per carry & did not score a touchdown for the first time in a single season at the time of his release.

2nd-year pro Jamaal Charles will now move atop the depth chart following Johnson’s release & should start again on Sunday when Kansas City visits Oakland.

Kurt Warner tied a career-high with 5 touchdown passes, as the Arizona Cardinals scored on each of their first six possessions during a 41-21 win over the Chicago Bears.

Jay Cutler had a solid afternoon, as he completed 29 of 47 passes for 369 yards & threw for 3 touchdowns (all to Greg Olsen), but the run defense was terrible as the Cardinals’ anemic ground attack exploded for 182 yards.

There are also more problems with the defense, as Tommie Harris got ejected in the 1st quarter for punching a defensiveless Deuce Lutui.

Charles Tillman also left in the game in the 1st half with a shoulder injury, so it is unsure whether the two will be available for Thursday night’s game in San Francisco.

Before i begin though, gotta send a big shoutout to my sports radio host buddy Brian Sizemore, who got engaged earlier today to his gf Samantha! Congrats to the both of you!

Now, let’s get it goin…

Week 8:  7-6

Overall: 75-41 (.646)

Washington at Atlanta.

The Redskins begin life without Chris Cooley on Sunday afternoon against a Falcons team that has yet in lose in the Georgia Dome this season.

Fred Davis will step in to replace Cooley & could have himself a productive game against an Atlanta defense that has struggled defending the tight end at times this season.

Despite the Monday Night loss, Michael Turner finally broke out with a huge game as he rumbled for 151 yards & averaged nearly 8 yards per carry.

Washington is pretty solid against the pass, so look for Turner to have another big game on the ground & lead the Falcons to a home win.

Arizona at Chicago.

Good matchup from the Windy City, as Arizona sports a 3-0 road record while Chicago has gone 3-0 at home.

This figures to be a close game with a lot of big plays coming from Kurt Warner & Jay Cutler, but the Cardinals’ shaky secondary could determine the fate of this one.

Look for the Bears to maximize their speedy wideouts, as i think both Devin Hester & Johnny Knox will have big games on Sunday.

I expect sharper execution from Chicago in the red zone, which will lead them to a nailbiting win.

Baltimore at Cincinnati.

Big, big AFC North clash. Should Baltimore win, then it will possibly create a 3-way tie in the division with a Pittsburgh loss on Monday night.

If Cincinnati wins, then they create themselves a 2-game lead & figure to be in good position to make the playoffs.

The Ravens’ defense was nasty against Denver last week, and i expect a similiar effort as they will try to prevent Cedric Benson from reeling off consecutive 100-yard games on them.

Ray Rice has been absolutely sensational for Baltimore, so i think his all-around game will lead the road team to a critical road win on Sunday.

Houston at Indianapolis.

Earlier this week, i figured this game to be a walk in the park for the Colts. But a few days later, my stance has changed.

Indianapolis received some devastating news, as two members of their secondary (cornerback Marlin Jackson & safety Bob Sanders) are now done for the season with injuries.

Houston has injury woes of their own with the season-ending loss to Owen Daniels, but they may have a new running back who can create all types of mismatches on defense.

Ryan Moats exploded for 126 yards & scored 3 touchdowns Sunday after coming in to replace an ineffective Steve Slaton, but head coach Gary Kubiak says that both men along with goal-line back Chris Brown will be used.

Look for the Texans to run the ball down the Colts threats, and providing they put the same type of pressure on Peyton Manning that San Francisco did last week, i believe they will have enough juice to pull off the upset.

Kansas City at Jacksonville.

Jacksonville is the type of team that confuses me. One week they can look really good, and the next week they’ll put up a complete stinker.

Maurice Jones-Drew will look to stay hot on Sunday, as the Jaguars’ lead back has exploded for 310 rushing yards in his past 2 games & has scored 5 touchdowns.

Another monster game from Jones-Drew could be enough to top Kansas City, who have only topped the 20-point mark twice in 7 games this season.

I could see this becoming a shootout, but David Garrard will top Matt Cassel as Jacksonville wins to get even at the .500 mark.

Miami at New England.

This time around, the Patriots should be ready to handle the wildcat.

It was Week 3 of the 2008 season at Foxboro when Miami decided to unveil the league’s popular offensive craze, as Ronnie Brown exploded for 5 touchdowns during the Dolphins’ 38-14 rout.

However, that game was played without Tom Brady. who hasn’t lost a home regular-season contest to Miami since 2005 (in which he appeared in sparingly).

The Dolphins know that they’ll have to do more offensively to beat the Patriots on Sunday, as they got 3 touchdowns from their special teams (2 by Ted Ginn Jr.) & their defense (fumble return for TD by Jason Taylor) to key their 30-25 win over the Jets.

Look for New England to also shut down Ginn Jr, as they will win to remain atop the AFC East.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay.

Now that the Brett Favre Bowl I & II is officially over, Green Bay can resume with their season.

Luckily they will play the hapless Buccaneers on Sunday, who is now the only remaining winless team in the NFL.

To tell you how bad Tampa Bay’s season has been so far, they are going to start their third different quarterback as rookie Josh Freeman is set to go.

It could be quite awhile before the Buccaneers win a game, but it won’t be this week. Look for the Packers to win big here.

Carolina at New Orleans.

This is how scary the Saints have been offensively. In the past two weeks, their offense has had 4 turnovers in BOTH games, yet have still put up 81 points!!! Imagine how higher that point total would be had they been turnover-free? Scary, just scary.

Possible trap game though on Sunday, especially with the short week & a juicy Week 10 matchup against the lowly Rams.

The only way i can see Carolina winning this game is if DeAngelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart have the same type of success they did last weekend in Arizona, as they absolutely punished the Cardinals’ top-ranked run defense.

But as you know, Jake Delhomme is a turnover waiting to happen. Not good when he’s about to go up against a revamped Saints secondary that is a speedy group & is physical as well.

Close game, but i like for the Saints to win & remain unbeaten.

Detroit at Seattle.

I don’t like either of those teams, but let’s face it. Seattle has looked pretty damn good in their two wins at home this season, which were both shutouts.

Detroit could make some noise if former Seahawk Maurice Morris continues to run well, as he figures to split some carries with Kevin Smith on Sunday.

The Lions will welcome the return of wide receiver Calvin Johnson, as he missed the team’s last 2 games with a knee injury.

Detroit is going to have to show more offensive pop (just 10 points over their last 2 games) to win & i don’t think they will do it, so look for Seattle to notch a 3rd home victory on Sunday.

San Diego at N.Y. Giants.

It’s Eli Manning against the team he never wanted to play for.

Both teams have to be pleased with the end result, as both Manning & Philip Rivers are profilic signal careers who can certainly lead their teams to big wins with their rocket arms.

Difference is though, the Giants can actually run the ball. Brandon Jacobs is dying to have a big game & i think he will do so on Sunday, as i expect for him to reach the 100-yard plateau for the first time all season.

The Chargers have been OK so far, but have yet to beat a team with a winning record. This 3-game stretch will prove if they’re for real or not. On Sunday though, they will be frauds as the Giants will notch a big home win before they head into their Week 10 bye.

Tennessee at San Francisco.

The Titans took six weeks of frustration out on the Jaguars last weekend, as Chris Johnson exploded for 228 yards to lead Tennessee to a convincing blowout win.

Things figure to be a bit tougher for the Titans’ running game on Sunday, as Mike Singletary’s defense will be ready to try & contain Johnson & also keep the mobile Vince Young from making any big plays with his feet.

Alex Smith could have his best game as a pro in this one, as Michael Crabtree could very well score his first ever NFL touchdown in front of the 49ers home crowd.

Singletary knows how important this game is, so look for San Francisco to win a close one before a big Thursday clash with his former team, the Chicago Bears.

Dallas at Philadelphia.

Dallas hopes their trip to the Linc will not resemble their last visit.

In week 17 of the 2008 season with the Cowboys’ playoff hopes on the line, they went into Philadelphia & got dismantled 44-6 by the Eagles, as that loss kept them from making the postseason.

This game figures to be even bigger, as the winner will move into 1st place in the NFC East.

Donovan McNabb has been superb so far, as the Eagles quarterback has thrown just one interception in his first 5 games & currently has a rating of over 100 for just the 2nd time in his entire career.

He will also welcome the return of Brian Westbrook, who missed last weekend’s 40-17 rout over the Giants with a concussion.

Philadelphia’s defense has looked very impressive so far, as they are ranked 2nd in the NFC with 23 sacks & are ranked 3rd in the NFL with 14 interceptions.

This game could turn into a possible shootout, but i just think the Eagles have too many weapons on offense for the Cowboys to account for defensively.

Look for Philadelphia to record a big home win on Sunday & take sole possesion of 1st place in the division.

Pittsburgh at Denver.

This is without a doubt, the biggest test yet for these 6-1 Broncos in a nationally televised home game against the defending champion Steelers.

Pittsburgh will try & take a blueprint from their AFC North rival Baltimore, who totally shut down Kyle Orton & the Denver offense in a 30-7 romp last weekend to end their unbeaten season.

The extra week of rest should also benefit the Steelers, as they need a win to at least remain tied with Cincinnati in the division.

Denver should keep this game close with their defense, but look for Ben Roethlisberger to deliver yet another clutch late scoring drive to lead Pittsburgh to a Monday Night victory.

7

Star Player of the Game: Ravens running back Ray Rice, who rushed 23 times for 84 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb on taking a 2nd half kickoff return for a 95-yard touchdown:

“All 10 guys got their body on someone. I just saw a hole and ran.”

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Star Player of the Game: Texans running back Ryan Moats, who rushed 23 times for 136 yards & scored 3 touchdowns.

Texans running back Steve Slaton on his benching following a 1st quarter fumble:

“It’s definitely frustrating. You always want to be out there and help your team win. But I mean, my team needed me to support. So I gave 100 percent support.”

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Star Player of the Game: Bears running back Matt Forte, who rushed 26 times for 90 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson on getting benched in favor of backup Brady Quinn on Sunday:

“I’m not happy that I got pulled out, I’m not happy we lost, I’m not happy about anybody’s play, my play, nothing. I haven’t been happy.”

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Star Player of the Game: Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who completed 21 of 36 passes for 256 yards & threw for 3 touchdowns.

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on his team’s struggles following their bye:

“We put two weeks into this game plan. I felt like we were ready. We just didn’t get it done. …. I feel physically drained, emotionally drained. I’m frustrated. We’re all searching for answers.”

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Star Player of the Game: Rams running back Steven Jackson, who rushed 22 times for 149 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo on his first career NFL win:

“It’s special and I know I’ll remember it for a long time.”

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Star Player of the Game: Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who caught 12 receptions for 147 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Colts running back Joseph Addai on throwing his first career NFL touchdown pass in the 4th quarter:

“I was just trying to get the ball out there. In practice, I’m just kind of spotting up there, kind of looking, reading my keys. I don’t really have a key to read, but I kind of sit back there like a real quarterback.”

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Star Player of the Game: Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr, who returned a 101-yard kickoff  for a touchdown & also returned a 100-yard kickoff for a touchdown, which were both done during the 3rd quarter.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan on the team’s loss despite outgaining the Dolphins 378-104 in total offense:

“Sometimes things just don’t make sense. Statistically, this game isn’t going to look close.”

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Star Player of the Game: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 240 yards & threw for 3 touchdowns.

Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver on his 41 yard touchdown run:

“It felt spacious. You don’t get a whole lot of opportunities as a fullback to feel what ‘open field’ is.”

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Star Player of the Game: Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who caught 8 receptions for 103 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Chargers lineback Shawne Merriman on recording his first sack since 2007 on Sunday:

“It’s one of those things that was long coming. I don’t put as big an emphasis on sacks as everybody else does. But they are important. I realize I’ve got to go out and make plays and get those sacks in order for us to be a better defense. As long as I’m doing that and putting pressure on the quarterback and forcing him to do things that he doesn’t want to do, we’re going to be better.”

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Star Player of the Game: Titans running back Chris Johnson, who rushed 24 times for 228 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Titans head coach Jeff Fisher on the team’s first win of the season:

“It’s just one week at a time now we got the first win. Unfortunately, it took us a little bit too long. Now we’re going to take it and just move on.”

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Star Player of the Game: Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, who completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards & threw for 4 touchdowns.

Favre on winning the first game as a visitor at Lambeau Field against his former team:

“Packer fans cheer for the Packers first. I know that. But I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, ‘I sure hate those jokers on the other side, but he does play the way he’s always played.”’

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Star Player of the Game: Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, who rushed 23 times for 158 yards.

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner on tying a career-high with 5 interceptions on Sunday:

“It just seemed like every time the ball was bouncing somewhere, it went into their hands. It’s to their credit. They were hustling. They were running all over the football field.”

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Star Player of the Game: Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who rushed 14 times for 91 yards & scored 1 touchdown, while also catching 2 receptions for 9 yards & scored 1 touchdown.

Saints head coach Sean Payton on his team’s takeaway total in 7 games (16), which already surpasses their entire total of 15 from the 2008 season:

“The way we’ve been able to (get turnovers) and score is a big reason we’re where we’re at right now.”.

2009 © BMS Radio Chicago All Rights Reserved. The written content is property of this site. All team and league information, sports logos, photos, and names contained within this site are property of their respective organizations.

The defending champion Philadelphia Phillies gave a valiant effort, but it wasn’t enough to deny the New York Yankees from winning another World Series.

Hideki Matsui also made history by becoming the first Japanese-born player to ever win a World Series MVP after a thrilling six-RBI performance in the Game 6 clincher.

Matsui is also the first full-time DH to win World Series MVP honors since Toronto’s Paul Molitor did it back in 1993.

For the series, Matsui hit 8-for-13 (.615) with 3 home runs and 8 RBI’s.

This is the Yankees’ first World Series title since 2000, when they swept the Mets in 4 games under Joe Torre in the self-proclaimed “Subway Series”.

2009 © BMS Radio Chicago All Rights Reserved. The written content is property of this site. All team and league information, sports logos, photos, and names contained within this site are property of their respective organizations.

The Philadelphia Phillies fought off elimination & will return this series to the Bronx after a 8-6 win over the New York Yankees on Monday night.

Chase Utley made sure this series would at least have one more game, as he belted 2 homers to keep the defending champs’ season alive.

A.J. Burnett was roughed up for 6 runs on 4 hits in just 2 innings of work while pitching on short rest, while afterwards stating that “I let the city down.”

Alex Rodriguez’s bat continued to heat up Monday, as the Yankees’ 3rd baseman went 2-for-4 with a 2-run double & an RBI single in a losing cause.

Despite a rocky outing, Cliff Lee wins his 2nd game of the Fall Classic after pitching 7 innings & giving up 5 runs on 5 hits while walking three & striking out three.

Game 6 will be played Wednesday evening at Yankee Stadium, as Pedro Martinez duels off against Andy Pettitte as the Phillies will once again try to starve off elimination & force a Game 7.

Martinez pitched a solid Game 2, but was unable to hold a lead as he gave up 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings of work & allowed a pair of homers to Mark Teixeira & Hideki Matsui.

Pettitte has not lost a postseason start in over 4 years, as he beat Philadelphia in Game 3 after pitching 6 innings & gave up 4 runs on 5 hits while striking out seven.

2009 © BMS Radio Chicago All Rights Reserved. The written content is property of this site. All team and league information, sports logos, photos, and names contained within this site are property of their respective organizations.

Alex Rodriguez continued to show positive signs with the bat on Sunday evening, as his 9th inning RBI double proved to be the game-winner during the New York Yankees’ 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Brad Lidge’s nearly masterful postseason came to an end, as he had not allowed an earned run in 8 consecutive bullpen appearences dating back to September 28th against Houston.

After Rodriguez’s RBI double, Jorge Posada put the game away with a 2-run single that now puts New York just one win away from capturing their 27th World Series title.

Yankees leftfielder Johnny Damon finished 3-for-5 with a 5th inning RBI single & scored 2 runs, as he’s hitting .294 for the series.

Phillies 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz went 3-for-4 with a 4th inning game-tying single & an 8th inning game-tying homer in a losing effort.

Joba Chamberlain gets the win despite allowing Feliz’s homer, while Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th inning for his 2nd save.

Cliff Lee will try to keep Philadelphia’s season alive tonight in Game 5, as the former Indians lefty has dominated throughout the postseason with a 0.54 ERA in 33 1/3 innings pitched, which includes 30 strikeouts & just 3 walks.

2009 © BMS Radio Chicago All Rights Reserved. The written content is property of this site. All team and league information, sports logos, photos, and names contained within this site are property of their respective organizations.

Once the Phillies got done with their big three-run 2nd inning, they thought it was enough to give them their 1st series lead of the Fall Classic.

Not against these Yankees.

Andy Pettitte helped his own cause with an RBI single in the 5th, while Johnny Damon’s 2-run double gave New York the lead for good as they went on to beat Philadelphia 8-5.

Outside of a bad 2nd inning, Pettitte provided a solid outing as he gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in 6 innings pitched while walking three & striking out seven.

Cole Hamels’ struggling postseason continued, as he was tagged for 5 runs on 5 hits on just 4 1/3 innings of work.

Shane Victorino, Chase Utley & Ryan Howard combined to go 0-for-11 with 5 strikeouts in the heart of the Phillies’ batting order.

Jayson Werth hit a pair of solo homers for Philadelphia in a losing effort.

Game 4 will be played tonight, as C.C. Sabathia will pitch on short rest against Joe Blanton.

Sabathia lost Game 1 on Wednesday despite allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings of work.

Blanton is 0-3 in 4 career starts against the Yankees with a 8.18 ERA.

2009 © BMS Radio Chicago All Rights Reserved. The written content is property of this site. All team and league information, sports logos, photos, and names contained within this site are property of their respective organizations.