Game 5 to Resume Tonight… Hopefully

The Phillies resume their bid for a World Series championship that was put on hold, and it looks like it will resume tonight at 8:37, in the bottom of the 6th inning, with technically Cole Hamels coming up. The weather in the Philadelphia area is sunny right now, and should be clear, but cold and windy at game time.

Let’s look at some of the scenarios that the Phillies have had to ponder for a couple days. With the pitcher spot due up, the Phillies will obviously use a pinch hitter to lead off the game. The Rays have their right-hander Balfour on the mound, who is a fastball pitcher who throws above 95 on the radar gun regularly. Because the Rays don’t have to make a pitching change until the Phillies announce their pinch hitter, the Phillies have to bring out a lefty, which would be Dobbs, Stairs, or Jenkins. In a tie game, which could go extras, you probably want to keep Dobbs on the bench, which leaves either Jenkins or Stairs as your options. Stairs hits fastball pitchers very well, and might do well against a fastball throwing right-hander. However, this is all assuming the Rays would leave Balfour in, and not bring out a lefty in Howell or Price. The Rays pitcher spot is due up 4th in the top of the 7th, so they probably would want Balfour to finish the bottom of the 6th, so they can use a pinch hitter if need be in the top of the 7th, if the pitcher’s spot in the order does indeed come up.

We also need to look at what the Phillies will do in the top of the 7th. The Phillies will face Navarro, Baldelli, and Bartlett. Navarro is a switch hitter, and then Badelli and Bartlett are right-handers. Normally, this is a role that Durbin would come into. However, Durbin has been shaky so far in the playoffs. You could also bring Madson in, and expect to get more than an inning out of him, but may not want to waste Madson in the 6th or 7th, especially since you may need him if the game is still tied later. The optimal situation is for Durbin to pitch the 7th, and then still have Madson, Romero, Eyre, and Lidge for the later innings. Also, if you go extras, you may need to go to Happ, since Happ can go multiple innings.

Normally, these pinch hitting decisions, and bullpen decisions are made within minutes on the bench in the course of the game, but we have had two days to ponder, analyze, and break down what decisions the Phillies will make. Let’s hope they make the correct ones.

This layoff has been tough on the Philadelphia fans, who have been waiting forever for this game, and hopefully a win to happen. It feels like this type of stuff only happens in Philadelphia. This article from Jayson Stark sums up perfectly the psyche of Philadelphia fans these past couple days.

Looking Ahead to Game 2

Brett Myers takes the mound in Game 2 for the Phillies tonight, and will face the Rays James Shields. I am very interested in seeing which Brett Myers comes out to pitch this game. Myers has looked good most of the 2nd half of the season, and can hopefully continue that tonight. Myers should feed off of a good start from Cole Hamels in Game 1. Unfortunately, Myers does not have great numbers on the road this season, and will be facing a pitcher in Shields, who is a very good pitcher at home.

The Phillies pitching staff won Game 1, and the offense will need to pick it up the rest of the series, starting with Game 2. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins to get on base tonight. Facing a right-handed pitcher, Shane Victorino will probably be batting in the 2-hole tonight, with Werth batting 6th. It will be interesting to see who the Phillies use as their DH, and who they use as their extra man tonight. Pat Burrell could be the DH, which would allow him to play the whole game without having to come out as a defensive replacement. Manuel could also go with Dobbs or Stairs as the DH, as Stairs has a lot of DH experience, and would still allow Dobbs to still come into the game late as a pinch hitter. Dobbs, however, gives you the best offensive lineup, and giving Dobbs as many at-bats as possible is what the Phillies need to do, especially when they struggled offensively in Game 1.

This is another big game for the Phillies. By winning Game 1, it basically makes Game 2 a must-win for the Rays, and you know the Phillies will be seeing the Rays at their best tonight. If Myers has a strong start, and we get more offensive production in Game 2, the Phillies could be leaving Tampa Bay with a 2-0 series lead. We would all feel a lot more comfortable with Moyer pitching in Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead.

Phillies DH Situation for Game 2

The Phillies should play Pat Burrell at DH for tonight’s game in Tampa Bay…… not because he is a defensive liability in left field, because I don’t believe he is, but because we need his bat in the late stages of these important games.

Let’s look back at Game 1. The Phillies have a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth inning, trying to get some insurance runs. Jayson Werth in on 2nd base, and Chase Utley is on 1st. They pull off a double steal to put them each at 3rd and 2nd base. Unfortunately, Eric Bruntlett is at the plate in this big situation, as he came in the game in the 7th inning for Pat Burrell, for defensive purposes. The whole point of the DH is to have an offensive lineup with minimal defensive liabilities. If the Phillies feel as if Burrell is a defensive liability in the latter stages of a game, then put him at DH. This will allow him to stay in the entire game, focus on hitting, and we don’t have to worry about having Bruntlett at the plate in a big situation, like Game 1. We need all the Burrell at-bat’s we can get in this series, and we don’t want a close game, or an extra inning game where Burrell is on the bench because he was taken out. If anybody deserves to be in the game the entire game, it is Burrell, who has come up big this season, and is the longest tenured Phillie.

Greg Dobbs is an able left-fielder, and has started games in left field, so he is no more a liability than Eric Bruntlett out there. Let's be honest here, if you can run and throw, you can play left field. I'm not trying to say it is easy to play the position, but Dobbs can do the job. Dobbs should be in left field, with Burrell as the DH in Game 2 if the Phillies want to maximize their offensive lineup the entire game.

Keys to the Title Car

The Phillies have won a combined 99 games this season. But without 4 more, the season will feel incomplete. Four more wins will bring joy and pandemonium to the greater Philadelphia region (and probably some rioting, but I digress). If the Phillies want to take a celebration drive down Broad Street, they’ll need to use these keys:


Cole Hamels in Game 1: The fully rested Phillies have set up their rotation exactly how they like it. Their ace--and NLCS MVP--will get the ball in the opener. The first game of any series is always important, but that gets cranked up a notch for the Phils in game 1 because it’s the only game in which the Phillies will have the pitching advantage. Myers, Moyer, and Blanton don’t measure up to the like of James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine and ALCS MVP Matt Garza. A loss in game one will create a massive hole in Philly’s title hopes.

Greg Dobbs: As has already been mentioned on this site, Greg Dobbs will play a big role. He is, by far, the best bat the Phillies have on their bench. And with an extra hitter in the line-up thanks to the DH, Dobbs should have his name written into the starting line-up a few times in this series. Dobbs hits .311 against right-handers this year, and deserves every opportunity to play, whether it’s as the DH or starting at third.

Shaking the Lay-Off: The Phillies needed only 5 games to get past the Dodgers. It saved us fans from getting too stressed out. But was it too easy? It will be a full week off when the Phils take the field on Wednesday night. History doesn’t favor such a long lay off. The last two World Series losers each had at least 6 days off. The Phils need to get off to a good start and prove that the rest isn’t rust.

Keeping the Rays in the Yard: The Phillies hit more home runs than any other team in the National League. But it’s the Rays who have used the long ball to get here. Tampa has pounded out 22 home runs this postseason compared to only 10 for Philly. Add in the Citizens Bank Park effect, and this series could turn into a slugfest. The Phils can play homer ball with the best of ‘em, but it’s probably a better idea to try and keep the Rays on this side of the wall.

Ryan Howard: Through 9 postseason games, Ryan Howard is hitting only .258 with 3 RBI. Even though Howard did go 6 for 12 with 4 runs scored in the final three games against the Dodgers, the MVP candidate will need to increase his productivity if he wants to hoist hardware. The Phils got this far without a whole lot of help from their first baseman, but the World Series is a whole different ball game.

A World Series title is within reach. A few hits here. A few runs there. It’s a simple formula: Win four games before you lose four games. Philly’s 25 years without a title could change if the Phils follow the keys to victory.

The DH should be.....

The Tampa Bay Rays are our opponent in the World Series. Now that Charlie has picked our 4-man rotation, he will keep it the same as the Dodgers series. The one thing left to decide is the DH, as 4 games out of 7, we will need to use a DH. The Rays only have one left-handed starter, in Scott Kazmir. He will definitely pitch Game 1 or 2. How this hurts the Phils, is that we really do not have a solid right-handed bat off the bench. Chris Coste is the best player at the plate, however, needs to stay on the bench in case of injury to Ruiz. Due to this fact, we believe that Charlie should make Pat Burrell the DH for all games in Tampa, and play Dobbs out in left. Greg Dobbs has started in left field 3 times this season, and 4 times in right field, so he has the outfield experience. Dobbs has to be a defensive upgrade, not a huge upgrade, but we will no longer have to put Bruntlett out there in the bottom of the 7th/8th inning and possibly lose Burrell's bat in extra inning. Also, with Dobbs pinch hitting every day, it allows for Bruntlett to pinch hit when you need a right handed bat, and you would still have Jenkins and Stairs from the left side. There are a couple other scenarios the Phillies could choose to go with, such as Ryan Howard at DH, and Dobbs playing 1st base. However, we fell as if Dobbs playing left field, with Pat Burrell at DH gives the Phillies the optimal offensive and defensive lineup. The Phils lineup would look like this:

1. Rollins- SS
2. Victorino- CF
3. Utley- 2B
4. Howard- 1B
5. Burrell- DH
6. Werth- RF
7. Dobbs- LF
8. Feliz- 3B
9. Ruiz- C