2009 – The Phillies take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS by trouncing the Dodgers, 11 – 0, at Citizens Bank Park. Cliff Lee only allows three hits while striking out 10 in 8 innings, while the Phillies score early and often, building up a 6 – 0 lead after 2 innings to chase Hiroki Kuroda. Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino homer for the winners, while Ryan Howard hits a two-run triple in the 1st, driving in a run in his 7th consecutive postseason game.

2009 – The Yankees take a 2-0 lead over the Angels in the ALCS by winning a 13-inning marathon, 4 – 3, at New Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez homers off Brian Fuentes in the bottom of the 11th to tie the game and the winning run scores when Maicer Izturis throws the ball away while trying to start an inning-ending double play, allowing Jerry Hairston to score from second.

The Dodgers tie the NLCS at one game apiece by defeating the Phillies, 2 – 1, at Dodger Stadium. After a classic pitching duel between Pedro Martinez and Vicente Padilla, punctuated only by a solo home run by Ryan Howard, the Dodgers score two runs in the 8th, the game-winner on a bases-loaded walk. Jonathan Broxton picks up the save.

The Yankees take Game 1 of the ALCS with a 4 – 1 win over the Angels at New Yankee Stadium. The Yanks take advantage of three Angel errors to score their runs, but the critical play is a two-out pop-up that falls untouched between 3B Chone Figgins and SS Erick Aybar in the 1st, allowing Johnny Damon to score the Yankees’ second run. CC Sabathia pitches 8 innings for the win and Mariano Rivera gets the save.

2009 – Philadelphia wins Game 1 of the NLCS, 8 – 6 over Los Angeles, thanks to three-run homers by Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez. James Loney and Manny Ramirez go deep off Cole Hamels for the Dodgers, but their efforts are only worth three runs. Brad Lidge saves his 3rd straight postseason win for the Phillies.

The Cubs file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Wilmington, Delaware. The anticipated short-term move will allow the club’s owner, the Tribune Company, to sell the team in an $845 million deal to the family of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.’s founder, Joe Ricketts.

Jonathan Papelbon, who had never given up a run in any of his previous 26 postseason innings, allows two inherited runners to score in the eighth, and yields another three runs in the ninth, giving the Angels, who trailed 5-1 going into the sixth inning, a 7-6 victory over the Red Sox. The Halos’ comeback victory at Fenway completes a three-game sweep of the ALDS over a team which historically had been their nemesis, losing their past four postseason encounters with Boston.

Admitting to a blown call, which led to the decisive run in the Rockies’ 6-5 Game 2 NLDS loss to the Phillies at a very chilly Coors Field, home plate umpire Jerry Meals, after watching a post-game replay, states the ball that glanced off Chase Utley’s leg should not have been in play. To make matters worse, in the same at-bat in which the ball was really foul, umpire Ron Kulpa rules the runner safe on a close call which appeared to have the Philadelphia infielder beat at first base.