Manager Season Dates 1 Oct 2008 – 5 Oct 2008 | Manager Season | |
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TV announcers Dick Stockton, Ron Darling, Tony Gwynn Radio announcers Jon Miller, Rick Sutcliffe Umpires Dale Scott, Paul Emmel, Jeff Nelson, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Jim Reynolds TV announcers Brian Anderson, Joe Simpson, John Smoltz Television Major League Baseball on TBS Similar 2007 National League D, 2009 National League D, 1981 National League D, 2004 National League D, 2003 National League D | ||
The 2008 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2008 National League playoffs, began on Wednesday, October 1 and ended on Sunday, October 5, with the champions of the three NL divisions and one wild card team participating in two best-of-five series. They were:
Contents
- Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Philadelphia Phillies vs Milwaukee Brewers
- Game 1 October 1
- Game 2 October 2
- Game 3 October 4
- Composite box
- Game 4 October 5
- References
The underdog Dodgers swept the Cubs to advance to the NLCS, while the Phillies defeated the Brewers by three games to one. The series marked the first postseason series victory for the Dodgers since winning the 1988 World Series, and the first such victory for the Phillies since the 1993 NLCS.
Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles won the series, 3–0.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Philadelphia won the series, 3–1.
Game 1, October 1
Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois
The Dodgers swiped Game 1 from the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark DeRosa gave the Cubs an early lead in the second inning with an opposite-field home run. James Loney's fifth inning grand slam proved to be too much for the Cubs as they didn't score after that. Derek Lowe settled in after giving up the home run to DeRosa by going six innings, giving up two earned runs. Manny Ramírez and Russell Martin provided insurance with late-inning home runs. Ryan Dempster struggled for much of the night giving up seven walks and four earned runs.
Game 2, October 2
Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois
The Dodgers took advantage of sloppy Cubs fielding as the entire infield committed four errors—one by each starting infielder—totalling up to five unearned runs, including four in a five-run second inning—combined with Chad Billingsley's 6 2⁄3 innings of one-run pitching and Manny Ramírez' second home run in the series, his record-stretching 26th postseason dinger gives the Dodgers a 2–0 series lead.
Game 3, October 4
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
Before a sellout crowd in Dodger Stadium, Russell Martin took third on a base hit by Manny Ramírez in the bottom of the first despite a risky baserunning move that almost killed the rally. Replays showed Martin was out, but the third base umpire ruled it safe. James Loney then stroked a double to right field off Rich Harden to score them both. It proved to be all the offense the Dodgers needed, as Hiroki Kuroda was locked in, hurling shutout ball into the sixth; the first 11 outs he recorded were all ground ball outs before he struck out Rich Harden to end the fourth. Cory Wade gave up a run on a pinch-hit Daryle Ward single in the top of the eighth, but Jonathan Broxton took over & earned his first career postseason save by striking out Alfonso Soriano to complete the sweep. The Cubs suffered their ninth consecutive post-season loss and second consecutive sweep.
Composite box
2008 NLDS (3–0): Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago Cubs
Game 1, October 1
Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phillies ace Cole Hamels pitched eight shutout innings of two-hit ball while striking out nine to give the Phillies their first playoff victory since Game 5 of the 1993 World Series. Yovani Gallardo gave up three runs, none earned, while walking five. Brad Lidge got his first save of the post-season, allowing one run and runners to advance to second and third with one out, before striking out Prince Fielder and Corey Hart to end the game.
Game 2, October 2
Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A crowd of 46,208, the largest in the five-year history of Citizens Bank Park, came out to watch Brett Myers pitch seven innings giving up two hits and two runs while striking out four and walking three to lead the Phillies to victory, giving them their first 2–0 playoff series lead since the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. CC Sabathia pitched 3 2⁄3 innings on three days' rest giving up all five runs in the second inning for the Brewers, capped off by Shane Victorino's grand slam. Pitcher Brett Myers had the key AB for the Phillies as he stretched the AB from a 1–2 count into a bases on balls. It unnerved Sabathia and, later in the inning, Victorino hit the first postseason grand slam in Phillies history. Brad Lidge retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his second save in as many games in the playoffs.
Game 3, October 4
Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
With their backs against the proverbial wall, the Brewers sent out Dave Bush to quiet the Phillies in the first ever postseason game at Miller Park. His offense picked him up early, however, taking some pressure off with two runs in the bottom of the first including a sacrifice fly by Prince Fielder, scoring Mike Cameron, and a struggling Brewers bullpen held the door closed after Bush's departure, giving up no runs in 3 2⁄3 innings. Salomón Torres was in a jam in the ninth, with the bases loaded and nobody out, but a double play that should've scored a run didn't because Shane Victorino did not slide into second base, and interference was called. Torres pitched out of the jam, and the Brew Crew won their first post-season game since Game 5 of the 1982 World Series.
Game 4, October 5
Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Brewers fans got thundersticks as they entered Miller Park for Game 4, but the real thunder was supplied by the Phillies' bats, winning their first post-season series since the 1993 NLCS with Jimmy Rollins leading off the game on the sixth pitch off Jeff Suppan with a solo homer, then in the third inning with Pat Burrell (three-run) and Jayson Werth (solo) hitting back-to-back jacks. Joe Blanton struck out seven in six innings of one-run, five hit ball. Burrell would later hit his second dinger in the eighth. Brad Lidge again pitched the final inning, although it was not a save situation.
Burrell became only the second Phillies hitter in their history to hit two home runs in a playoff game, the other being Lenny Dykstra. He is also only the fifth National League player to hit two home runs in a series clinching game, joining Steve Garvey (1974 NLCS), Johnny Bench (1976 World Series), Fred McGriff (1995 NLDS), and Carlos Beltran (2004 NLDS).
Composite box
2008 NLDS (3–1): Philadelphia Phillies over Milwaukee Brewers