Ryan Madson Wins World Series Game

In MLB's comeback story of the year, former Phillies setup man Ryan Madson is poised to win his second World Series title and his first since the one he helped clinch with the Phils in 2008.

Madson, now with the Royals, was pivotal Game 4 winner Saturday in N.Y. vs. the Mets.  Madson put the Royals up 3-games-to-1 with a commanding 7th inning relief appearance.

After Madson was drafted by the Phillies in 1998, he became an integral part of the team's 2008 World Series championship as reliable 8th inning setup man for closer Brad Lidge.  Then, when Lidge left the team, Madson transitioned to the closer role with tremendous success, notching 32 saves and a 2.37 ERA in his final year with the team in 2011.

Then, the Phils parted ways with him during a contract negotiation dispute with Phillies enemy mega-agent Scott Boras.  Madson then spent 2012 with the Reds and 2013 with the Angels, although he never threw a single pitch at the major-league level for either club due to injury which led to right elbow surgery.

January 4th, 2015 Kansas City signed him to a minor league contract, which led to his promotion to the majors on April 4th of this year.

From there, Madson ran with the ball, completing his finest Major League season to date and helping the Royals make their second-straight run at a World Series title (in 2014, the Royals lost to S.F. 3-2 in game 7 in K.C.).

Madson posted a remarkable 2.13 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and .205 Batting Average Against, all career highs at age 35 after 2 full seasons of not throwing a single pitch in the big leagues and post-elbow surgery.  Of note, his 2015 season ERA is precisely what he posted with the Phils during the 2008 postseason: 2.13.

On Saturday he achieved his season-high performance when he came into the World Series in the 7th inning with his team trailing 3-2 to the Mets at Citi Field in N.Y.

Madson faced Lucas Duda, the Mets first baseman who hit 27 HR this year.  Madson fell behind 2-balls to no strikes.  Then worked his way back with a foul and then a strike looking, before Duda drew ball 3 for a full count.  Madson induced a pop-up out on the final pitch of the at-bat, his 6th to just the first batter of the inning.

Next up was Mets star catcher Travis d'Arnaud, ironically a 1st round draft pick in 2007 by the Phillies, one of many talented players shed during the free-wheeling talent spending win-now days of former Phils GM Rubén Amaro, Jr.

Madson dominated d'Arnaud: 1st strike looking, foul ball strike 2, followed by foul ball (again), then strike 3 looking.  2 outs, 1 to go.

However, the next batter was a whole different story.  It was Mets LF Michael Conforto.  Conforto had already achieved fame Saturday night when he hit home runs off of 2 different Royals pitchers in this single World Series game: starter Chris Young and reliever Danny Duffy.

Madson dug in.  First pitch?  Ball 1.  Second pitch: strike swinging.  Followed by ball 2, hitters advantage at 2-balls-to-1-strike.  4th pitch of the at-bat, Madson tiring?  Strike swinging.  Now 2-balls to 2-strikes.

Next pitch ball 3, another full count.  Then, Madson got him.  Strike 3, Conforto struck out swinging and Madson completed a comeback story for the ages.  The Royals would stage a comeback in the next half inning, to take their first lead of the game, 5-3.  That's how it ended.  The Royals walked away with game 4 in N.Y. and now lead the best-of-seven series 3-games-to-1 with 1 more game left to play in N.Y. on Sunday followed by 2 in K.C. (if necessary).  The Royals and Madson need just 1 win in the final 3 games to be crowned World Series winners within days.

Madson will join a growing list of players who won the 2008 World Series with the Phils and who went on to win an additional or more World Series titles since, including outfielders: Pat Burrell, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino.

Utley Controversy Explodes

The debate about Chase Utley raged on through the night.

The N.Y. Daily News wrote:

"LOS ANGELES -- Chase Utley may be wearing Dodger blue these days, but Saturday night, the Mets were seeing red over the former Phillies superstar. Just like he did in 2010, Utley made a controversial late and hard slide into second base, flipping Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.

Unlike that play between division rivals, this time it was extremely costly.

Tejada suffered a broken leg on the play and the Mets fell apart as the Dodgers rallied for four runs and a 5-2 win in Game 2 of the NLDS."

"It wasn't a slide, it was a tackle," Mets outfielder Michael Cuddyer said of Utley's takeout slide into second base Saturday night that broke the leg of Mets' second baseman Ruben Tejada.

"There was no intent to injure Ruben whatsoever," Utley said. "The whole play happened fast. … You have an opportunity to break up a double play, you should do that.  My focus is seeing the ball."

The Dodgers Howie Kendrick hit a bouncer to Murphy's right. It took Murphy nearer the bag. His flip was slightly behind Tejada, who was racing to the base.

"I didn't realize his back was turned," Utley said. "It happens fast."

Utley is known as a player who 'plays hard.'  He had actually taken out Tejada on a similar play five years ago and many others throughout his 13 year career.  Nonetheless, as playoff time is big stage, social media has buzzed all night and into Sunday, where former player Alex Cora wrote, "Hard slides are acceptable, tackles no," and Mets catcher Anthony Recker wrote of a "brutal dirty slide."

Justin Upton wrote, "If that was a superstar shortstop we would have a Tulo Rule being enforced tomorrow," a reference to Troy Tulowitzki and baseball's new rule protecting catchers, dubbed "The Buster Posey Rule."

More MLB players reactions can be read here:
http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/10/11/9496327/chase-utley-slide-ruben-tejada-mlb-players-reaction

There is discussion of a review by MLB, a potential suspension and the pending hostile reception Utley will receive in NY if he is eligible to play when the series resumes there on Monday.

Utley Breaks Mets Shortstop's Leg

Utley being Utley and playing hard has sparked controversy.

In strange but true breaking news, Chase Utley of the Dodgers has gone Hollywood in wishing his present playoff and former divisional foe Mets to 'break a leg' in their first postseason performance since 2006.

In what is now being called a "controversial play" that is headlining every site on the internet (including Yahoo and ESPN), Utley may have unwittingly altered the course of the MLB playoffs with one single pinch hit appearance in game 2 of the NLDS, now tied at 1-game-apiece between the Dodgers and Mets.

The play occurred with one out in the seventh inning Saturday night and the Dodgers trailing 2-1 and 1-0 in the series.  Utley's single was the first hit of the inning for L.A. and sparked the 4 runs they would score in the inning to even the series at a game apiece.  Utley's run scored was the go-ahead game winner.

ESPN's David Schoenfield posted "UTLEY'S SLIDE BROKE THE RULES." He asserts that Utley's play that ended with Ruben Tejada leaving with a fractured right fibula has nothing to do with "'the way the game has always been played.' We evolve. Let's play the game the right way ... clean and fair and by the rules." Should have been out.

Adam Rubin, ESPN: "Old nemesis Chase Utley is still haunting the New York Mets."

More analysis and video of the slide here:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/64112/saturdays-top-5-the-slide-heard-round-the-baseball-world

Meanwhile, Cole Hamels of the Rangers put the heavily favored to win-it-all Toronto Blue Jays on the brink of elimination Friday when he posted a 7-inning 2-run start walking nobody and striking out 6 in Toronto.

Other ex-Phils factoring heavily in this postseason include middle relief pitcher Jake Diekman (who went to Texas in the Hamels trade), who has been impeccable vs. Toronto this postseason: 4 innings pitched over the 2 games, 3 S.O., 0 BB and reliever Ryan Madson, who helped the Royals tie their series vs. Houston Friday with a 2 S.O. 8th inning appearance reminiscent of 2008.