S-O-M Game of the Day: 06 Phillies at 06 Red Sox

ryan howard 2006 topps heritage cardStrat-o-matic is a baseball simulation that began as a cards and dice game in the early 1960s before entering the computer age.

These featured games on Shoestring Catches are part of season replays or tournaments played with cards and dice.

Today’s game matches the 2006 Philadelphia Phillies at the 2006 Boston Red Sox.

Sometimes the more games one plays with a particular player card, the more disappointing it becomes because that guy can not live up top the expectations. In 2006, Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard was the National League’s Most Valuable Player as he blasted 58 home runs and knocked in 149 runs. On this day, Howard didn’t let anyone down.

RYAN HOWARD LEADS PHILLIES TO 9-2 WIN OVER RED SOX

BOSTON – Three straight pitches, three straight swings, three straight homers.

After striking out and grounding out early in the game, Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard showed everyone why he is one of the most feared hitters in the National League.

Howard drilled three home runs as the Phillies blasted five total long balls to defeat the Boston Red Sox 9-2 in Fenway Park.

David Dellucci gave the Phils a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a RBI double before Pat Burrell hit a solo homer in the fourth.

In the sixth, Chase Utley led off the frame with a homer off Boston’s Josh Beckett (0-1), who would get tagged with the loss. Howard followed with a solo shot of his own to put the Phillies in front 4-0. Shane Victorino added to the lead with a run-scoring triple.

With Julian Tavarez on the mound for the Red Sox, Howard hit a three-run bomb in the seventh. He finished with his third homer of the day off Keith Foulke in the ninth.

Brett Myers (1-0) went the distance on the mound for the Phillies giving up two runs, while scattering nine hits to go with nine strikeouts.

On a side note, Victorino lined into a triple play in the second inning that was started by Mark Loretta, but it was only a matter of time before the momentum went toward Howard and the Phillies.

IN REAL LIFE: Howard did actually hit a homer off Beckett in 2006 in an 8-4 win by Boston in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on May 20. Tavarez also pitched for the Red Sox that day, but didn’t face Howard. In a bit of irony, Myers was the losing pitcher for the Phillies.

Also in 2006, Howard hit three homers at home against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 3. All three were against Tim Hudson. The Phillies ended up winning the game 8-7 on a walk-off single by Victorino.