National League Playoff Picture

The NL playoff picture is shaping up, and I wanted to take a look at what the Phillies should expect in October.... if they were to get to the playoffs. In the division, the Phillies are 7.5 up on the Braves, and 9.5 up on the Marlins. Ohh yeah, and they are 18.5 up on the pathetic Mets, and that is still hilarious.

In terms of the National League, the Phillies currently sit 1 game behind the Dodgers, and in a tie for 2nd place overall with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rockies are back to leading the wild card, and are up 1 game on the Giants in the wild card, thanks to the Phillies win last night. If the wild card winner comes from the NL West, which would be either the Rockies or Giants, the Phillies cannot possibly play the Cardinals in the first round. This is probably a good thing, as the Cardinals have been playing great baseball as of late. The reason they could not play in the first round is because no two teams from the same division are allowed by rule to play each other in the first round of the playoffs. This would exclude the Dodgers from playing either the Rockies or Giants in the first round of the playoffs. It also means that whoever finishes ahead in the league between the Phillies and Cardinals would end up playing the wild card winner. Again, that is all assuming the Rockies or Giants win the wild card. If the Braves or Marlins go on a run and take the wild card, the Phillies would not be able to play either of those teams in the first round.

Personally, I want to avoid playing the Cardinals or Giants, especially in a best of 5 series. I feel like the underdog has a better chance the shorter the series is, and a 5 game series with the Phillies and Giants might cause some problems for the Phillies. Often times the team who gets the best pitching in the playoffs wins the series - this is especially true in a shorter 5 game series. The Giants feature a great pitching staff which includes two of the best in the league, Lincecum, and Cain. Also, Barry Zito had under a 2 ERA since the all-star break, and Jonathan Sanchez seems to own the Phillies. The Giants offense is fairly pathetic, but they are still a scary team to play.

As I stated earlier, the Cardinals are another scary team, no matter where you play them in the playoffs. Their pitching is very underrated, and they throw 3 quality starters out there in Carpenter, Wainwright, and Pineiro. Also, their offense is really starting to click since the addition of Matt Holliday. We all know about Albert Pujols, and now the Cardinals have some pieces in the lineup around him to beat teams. The Cardinals are playing very good baseball right now, and are clicking on all cylinders.

If at all possible, I would like to play the Rockies in the first round. The Rockies have a couple good sinker ball pitchers, but the Phillies pitching staff is better. The Rockies also feature a solid offense, but they do not have the offense the Phillies have - no team in the NL does.

The Dodgers are the team that really no one is talking about right now. The Dodgers have basically been in 1st place in the NL for the entire season, but have been struggling as of late, and coming back to the pack. The Dodgers are still a scary team, as they also have a very good hitting lineup, and when their pitching in on, they are a tough team to beat.

Bottom line, I think the Phillies are the best team in the National League. We can definitely beat any team in the National League, and if we get good pitching, I think we will. Essentially, I shouldn't worry about where the Phillies end up, I should just hope they make the playoffs and go from there. Also, I should be confident that the Phillies can beat any team in any round in the playoffs. I would like to get into 1st place in the NL, to lock up home field in the NL. The Phillies have actually been better on the road than at home this year, but you still want to play at home in the playoffs as much as possible. The Phillies went 9-0 in the playoffs at home last year, and have a tremendous home field advantage. It is a hitters ballpark, we are a hitting team, and other teams can often struggle here. Ohh, and we are the best fans in baseball. But first things first, we have to clinch our third straight NL East.

Phillies Win, Up 2-0 in Series

Game 2 Recap

The Phillies won Game 2 of the NLDS to take a 2-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies pulled out an 8-5 victory, in a game that featured some strange, and interesting storylines.

The Dodgers scored first for the 2nd straight game, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the 2nd. The Phillies offense then busted out in bottom of the 2nd inning, with a two-out rally. With two outs and nobody on base, Greg Dobbs, obviously in there for his offensive ability, singled up the middle. Carlos Ruiz then doubled to the gap scoring Dobbs. Brett Myers, who would go on to be the offensive MVP this game, then singled to center scoring Ruiz. Rollins then singled to center, and on an error advanced to 2nd, as Myers advanced to 3rd. Shane Victorino, who has been the catalyst throughout the playoffs so far this year singled in Myers and Rollins to take a 4-1 lead. The Dodgers got a run across in the top of the 3rd, but the Phillies would answer again in the bottom of the inning.

Pat Burrell led off with a single in the bottom of the 3rd, followed by a Jayson Werth double. Dobbs was intentionally walked, loading the bases with 0 out. Ruiz grounded into a fielder's choice and Burrell was retired at home. It was up to Myers to get the job done. Myers was up to the task, and hit a 2-RBI single down the right field line. Two batters later, Victorino tripled scoring two more runs. This is all the run support that the pitching would need. Myers gave up a home run to Ramirez in the 4th inning, making the score 8-5, and it would stay there the rest of the game, as the Phillies bullpen came in and did what it has done all year long; shut down the opposing team. Shane Victorino made the defensive play of the game in the top of the 7th, with two outs. The Dodgers had two men on base, and Casey Blake ripped a ball to the deepest part of the park. Victorino trailed back, felt for the wall, and made a jumping catch right against the wall, to preserve the lead, and the game.

Brett Myers ended the game 3-3 at the plate with 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored. Myers said that he told Charlie Manuel before the game that he was going to go out and win one for Manuel's mother, who passed away earlier in the day. Shane Victorino also lost someone close to him, as he found out after the game that his grandmother had passed away also.

Game 3 Preview

The Phillies march on, 2 games away from advancing to the World Series. It seems like whatever this team does, they find a way to win. The Phillies are hot right now, and are doing almost everything right. The offense is doing enough to win, even without Ryan Howard hitting the ball hard. Guys like Shane Victorino are really coming up large in this postseason. Also, the bottom of the lineup, which got ridiculed most season long as they struggled, has really started playing well, and generating runs. When is the last time you can remember the Phillies putting up 8 runs on the board without a single home run. The Phillies led the league in home runs this season during the regular season, and usually live or die by the home run.

The starting pitching has really been another key, and has been really solid. Both Cole Hamels and Brett Myers have gotten the Phillies a 2-0 lead in both series' so far. Hamels has shown what a true ace of the staff is supposed to do. The bullpen has been amazing, and has an ERA of roughly 2.30 so far in the playoffs. The guys who did it all season are still going strong, in Durbin, Madson, and Romero. They have been able to keep the lead to get to "Lights Out" Lidge, who has kept his amazing saves streak alive.

I am looking forward to Rollins, and Howard just taking over this series at some point. I do feel like Howard will start hitting shortly. Right now, it doesn't matter, as long as the Phillies continue to find ways to win games.

Game 3 is Sunday night, 8:22 EDT. Moyers vs. Kuroda. Phillies lead series 2-0.

Phillies NLCS Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are in the NLCS. I'll say it again.... the Phillies are in the NLCS. It's hard to believe, because it hasn't happened since 1993. Anytime you are in the playoffs in baseball, it is exciting, because not many teams make it like the other professional sports. Now, the Phillies are in the NLCS, only 4 wins away from going to the World Series, and we are excited as hell for Game 1.

PITCHING

The Phillies should start out with the same four starters they used against the Brewers, going with Hamels, Myers, Moyer, and Blanton. I would assume Hamels would pitch game 5 if necessary, and Myers game 6, then who knows how they would work it for Game 7, probably Moyer. The Dodgers have some very good starters of their own, who have all been pitching well lately. Their first three starters will be Lowe, Billingsley, and Kuroda. The Phillies do not have much success off of that trio of right-handers. The pitching appears to be fairly even and will come down to which starting pitching staff is pitching well at the right time. Both starting pitching staffs were impressive in the teams' first round series. Both teams bring to the series a very good bullpen, and in a 7 game series matching two teams that appear to be fairly equal, the bullpen is sure to decide a game or two. The Dodgers have multiple lefties in their bullpen, who will no doubt be called upon to get Utley and Howard out at critical times in the series.

BATTING

The Phillies offense was the superior offense throughout most of the season. But with the Dodgers mid-season acquisition of Manny Ramirez, their offense has been hitting on all cylinders late in the season and into the playoffs. The Dodgers lineup features a few playoff-tested veterans, and some very young players, who have never been this far in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers young players look in a hostile playoff environment. It will also be interesting to see how the Phillies approach Manny Ramirez, who has two world series rings, and can get it done in the postseason. Andre Ethier batted behind Ramirez in their series against the Cubs, and is one of the aforementioned young players in the Dodgers lineup. The Phillies throw out a very inconsistent offense, which is usually very good from batters 1-6, and pretty bad from batters 7-9. Obviously, going six batters deep in any lineup is not too shabby, both all six of those players (Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Burrell, and Werth) need to produce if the Phillies want to win. Just as the Phillies have decisions to make on how to approach Ramirez at the plate, the Dodgers have to figure out how they are going to pitch to Utley, and Howard. The two lefties have not gotten off to a good start in the first series against the Brewers, both batting under .200. However, both of them faced more than half of their at-bats against left-handed pitching.

INTANGIBLES

The managing has to favor the Dodgers. It's not a coincidence that the Dodgers have gotten this far with Joe Torre as their manager, and the Yankees did not even make the playoffs for the first time in forever. Joe Torre has been here before, many times, and knows the right moves to make, and will approach this as just another game on his way to another world series. Charlie Manuel is mostly untested in the playoffs, especially as Phillies manager. I give Uncle Charlie a lot of credit for the way he has managed this season, and in the first round of the playoffs. Manuel may make questionable decisions on when/who he pinch hits, and who he brings out of the bullpen, but the team played very loose against the Brewers, and that is a credit to Manuel. Manuel has to do his best to try to match Joe Torre now, but Manuel should stick to what he does best - adjust his hitters when he sees something they are doing at the plate, and keep the players loose; do not let the players get wrapped up in the fact that they are four wins away from appearing in the World Series.

The home field I think is very important in baseball, and the Phillies will get 4 out of 7 games at home, which is a big deal. Our home crowd was unbelievable in the NLDS, and I feel like we really gave a boost to the players on the team. Players such as Rollins, Victorino, Myers, and Burrell seem to feed off the crowd's energy, and there are no better fans than here in Philadelphia, especially when the energy coming from the fans is positive. Most important in regard to the home field advantage, are Games 1 and 2. The Phillies have to use their knowledge of the park, and hopefully get some good umpiring, and some help from the fans to hold down our fort, Citizens Bank Park.

Game 1 of the NLCS is Thursday night at 8:00 EDT, on Fox. The starting pitching matchup is Hamels vs. Lowe.