A Case of Cold Bats

SERIES TIED 1-1

The Tampa Bay Rays got on the board early off of Phillies starter Brett Myers and the Phillies continued to struggle at the plate with runners in scoring position. The Rays evened up the World Series at one game a piece before the series moves north to Philadelphia.

The Phillies are now 1-28 with runners in scoring position in the World Series. That is a disturbing trend. To think that if they could have gone a dismal 5-28 they would be coming home up two games to zero on the Rays. Despite the struggles according to the numbers there were some positives to take out of this. The one thing that stands out to me is the patience the Phillies have shown at the plate, for the most part.

Shane Victorino was the exception again last night, swinging at the first pitch and popping out after Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell had gotten on base after very patient at bats. Credit given to Rays pitcher James Shields for not allowing a run, but anybody who watched that game knows that the Phillies are shooting themselves in the feet.

Speaking of Shields, and to steal a Bill Walton line, "What did he do wrong?" Shields went five and two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run when manager Joe Maddon pulled him. Perhaps it was the pitch count going over 100 so early? I don't know but what I do know is that Maddon will actually have to do some real managing in the next three games. He won't be able to just switch his pitchers up so freely without the designated hitter in place at Citizens Bank Park. This is one reason I believe the Phillies will do some serious damage to the Rays in the next three games.

In the first two games the Phillies, offense as lacking as it has been, have not let a starting pitcher see the seventh inning. Ironically it is the Phillies starters who are having more effective outings. We all know about Cole Hamels but I feel Myers had a good enough game to win. Myers was in the game for all four runs but one run was unearned, and the home plate umpire gave the Rays an extra out when he called Rocco Baldelli out on strikes and then appealed to first base. I still don't understand how that happened and Myers still had a job to do which he didn't, but when a team gets four outs they should take advantage. The Rays got two four out innings from the umpire and Werth. Myers also got no offensive help behind him (maybe he should have been the DH) but went seven solid innings but not without faults.

Myers walked Akinori Iwamura to lead off the game for the Rays. B.J. Upton then hit a single to right field, which Jayson Werth recorded an error when picking the ball up, allowing Iwamura to get to third and Upton to second. Carlos Pena then grounded out to what would have been a sure double play, but instead it was a one out RBI. Evan Longoria followed that up with a ground out that scored Upton from third. What should have been a good inning from Myers turned in to a two run first for the Rays.

Let's hang our heads in shame as we talk about the offense.

Jimmy Rollins was 0-5 yet again and left four on base. He was also hit by a pitch in the ninth inning (the ball clearly grazed his jersey) and he was not awarded first base. Is that making up for the questionable balk call form the night before? Who knows what could have happened if Rollins reached base. Maybe nothing. They still had to score two runs at that point, but who knows. In any event, Rollins needs to get his approach figured out quickly. This is not the time of year to be figuring things out.

The time is now to switch Victorino and Werth in the lineup. Having Victorino in the six spot is supposed to help balance out the bottom of the lineup but having Werth follow up a lifeless Rollins is even more hurtful. The bottom of the lineup is ok. Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz are not what's hurting this team's chances to win, rather it is the top of the lineup. I would expect to see Victroino back in his old two-spot and Werth moved down to sixth. I wouldn't expect anything more drastic than that for game three adjustments.

Ryan Howard found a way to beat the shift last night, notching two hits in his first two at-bats but he did that in a lead off spot in the second and fourth innings. Go figure that nobody was on base in front of him. With runners on Howard was 0-2, including the last out of the game. Pat Burrell needs to find his game as well. Burrell went 0-3 last night and is still looking for his first hit of the World Series.

Look, it is time to be nervous and concerned, but it is not time to panic. The Phillies did what they needed to do in Tampa and that was to win one game, taking home field advantage. They are getting runners on. They are being patient. They just need to start hitting with runners in scoring position. The Rays may have won last night but there was nothing that sold me that they are vastly superior to the Phillies. The Phillies should feel fine coming home for three games. I know I feel fine. I expect the Phillies to win two of the three games in Philadelphia (Cole Hamels is slated for game five). They are in a good position.

-----------------Random Thoughts-----------------

• Greg Dobbs is clearly a better pinch hitter than designated hitter. Maybe Matt Stairs should have been the DH. Dobbs looked uncharacteristically bad.
• J.C. Romero showed he is ready when called upon with a perfect eighth inning.
• Brett Myers pitched well and was much more economical with his pitches. He is not a reason to be worried.
• Los Lonely Boys and Backstreet Boys are the best Tampa can come up with?
• I stand firm in my prediction; Phillies in six.
• Jamie Moyer has had plenty of time to think about his last couple of starts. He sure will be rested for game three.

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The Phillies prevailed in game one of the World Series, beating the Rays 3-2. Tonight Brett Myers takes the mound and the lineup has a different look as the Phillies look to take a commanding 2-0 lead on the American League champs before heading home to Citizens Bank Park.

Game time: 8:29pm
Where to watch: Fox
Radio: 1210AM, 950 ESPN

World Series: Phillies lead 1-0

Pitching Match-Ups: James Shields (Rays 1-2, 3.72)vs. Brett Myers (Phillies 2-0, 5.25)


Injury Report: PHILLIES - None RAYS - Shawn Riggans (15 day DL)

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Phillies World Series Pitching Breakdown

Notice that the headline is not "Phillies Pitching Breaking Down".

When it comes to playoff baseball, pitching wins. If that is the case then we are in for a good World Series when the Phillies take on the Rays starting Wednesday. The Phillies will send their ace, Cole Hamels, to the mound in game one Wednesday night to counter Scott Kazmir. Let us take a look at the Phillies' starting pitching for the World Series, how they have gotten here and what we can expect to see once the umpire yells "Play ball!"

Cole Hamels
Hamels has been having a terrific year in 2008. Pitching a career high in innings pitched he also struck out 196 while only walking 53 batters. The lefty's dominance reached a new level once the post season began. Proving himself to be the ace of the staff Hamels got the Phillies' World Series run off on the right foot in game one in the NLDS against the Brewers.

Hamels pitched eight shut out and shut down innings for the Phillies, allowing only two hits, one walk and striking out nine. Handing off a 3-0 lead to Brad Lidge without breaking a sweat, Hamels would not pitch until game one of the NLCS against the Dodgers. In two appearances against Los Angeles Hamels went fourteen innings. In those fourteen innings Hamels was dominant yet again, striking out fourteen, walking five, and yielding three runs. Hamels earned two victories in the NLCS and was awarded the NLCS MVP for his efforts.

Hamels features one of the best changeups in the game. What makes it so dangerous to opposing batters is his arm speed. When Hamels is throwing the ball towards home plate a batter can not tell the difference in arm speed between his fastball and his changeup. The ability to hide his pitch will pay dividends against a young team like Tampa if they fail to show patience. Even if they do show patience Hamels can be difficult to combat because his location is excellent. If the umpires are calling the corners with a healthy strike zone then Hamels will feast on the swing happy Rays.

Hamels will face Kazmir in game one Wednesday night.

Brett Myers
I like to refer to the right handed Myers as the "wild card" of the starting rotation. Phillies fans know of the struggles of Myers and his wild ride in 2008, but for the benefit of everybody let us review it.

Myers ended the 2007 seaosn as the Phillies' closer but the addition of Lidge meant a move of Myers back to the starting rotation. Adament about coming in from the bullpen still, maybe as if he was going to win the closing role from Lidge, the Phillies named him the opening day starter, a move controversial at the time because we all knew Hamels was the true ace of the team. It was a move to silence Myers' desires to come in from the bullpen and at first it did not seem to work. Myers struggled early, starting out 3-9. He was sent to triple A ball in Lehigh to get himself straightened out. Was it mental? Was there something wrong physically? Who knows. He had no fastball, throwing at a velocity even Jamie Moyer might challenge at times, and Myers was throwing balls right down the middle. Meatball after meatball.

Since coming back from triple A Myers has been good more often than not. In fact he may have been the best pitcher the Phillies had coming down the stretch. When he didn't end the season well, getting shelled by Atlanta and Florida in his last two starts, the questions about Myers grew entering the NLDS. Myers has had a memorable post season so far, but the stats don't show it. While Myers has been doing more damage as a batter (4-for-5, three runs scored, three RBI, and one walk), Myers is 2-0 as a pitcher. In twelve innings pitched Myers has allowed seven runs, wlaked seven, struck out ten and allowed eight hits. The ERA stands at 5.25.

Personally I feel it would be a mistake to start Myers in game two on the road. Myers is the type of pitcher that feeds off of the home crowd in Citizens Bank Park. He plays to the crowd and lives off of the fans. It seems that Moyer would be the better fit for game two (more on him in a moment) and Myers for game three, but then again why should Phillies manager Charlie Manuel switch things up now? His team is 7-2 in the playoffs with this pitching rotation. He has gotten out of some key jams in the playoffs so far and will have to remain cool when Tampa puts the pressure on. How he reacts will be something to watch.

Myers will oppose James Shields in game two.


Jamie Moyer
The crafty lefty is sure to break out of his slump sooner or later, right? Moyer may have been the most reliable pitcher for the Phillies in the regular season, winning sixteen games and striking out 123 while walking only 62, but he is sure having a postseason to forget so far. The only games that the Phillies have lost have come when Moyer got the start.

It is tough to hand all of the blame to Moyer though as he has been in the toughest situations for the Phillies so far this post season. With his team up 2-0 in the NLDS and NLCS Moyer was given the responsibility of taking the mound for the first road games in each series. He struggled early against the Brewers who were amped to play their first home playoff game since 1982. Showing uncharacteristic patience at the plate the Brewers took advantage of Moyer's style. Moyer will start games by working the corners, testing the umpire's judgment of the strike zone as well as the batter's ambitions at the plate. The Brewers took pitches that they normally would not and Moyer struggled to ever find the strike zone. While Moyer was able to keep the Phillies close the offense failed to bail him out of the game, handing him a tough loss.

Game three of the NLCS was much of the same. While Moyer was making better pitches it was the Dodgers who possessed the unbelievable bats and found a way to hit everything, scoring five runs in the first inning. It was once again a bad situation for Moyer, who once again took the mound for the first road game against a potent offense looking to make a statement in the their first home game.

Ugly numbers alert! Moyer has pitched 5.1 innings, allowing ten hits, eight runs, one home run, and three walks. Moyer does have five strike outs but his 2008 post season ERA stands at 13.50.

What makes Moyer a good pitcher is his baseball IQ. HE won't throw above 85mph and he has no problem stalling the game to throw to first or second to keep runners close. His stance is unique in that he doesn't have to decide whether to throw a pitch or try to keep the runner close (or if lucky pick a runner off stealing) until very late in his windup. The Rays are a run happy team and have yet to be caught stealing in he playoffs. If they get on base prepare yourself for a long, drawn out inning. If you have watched a game between the Phillies and Mets or Marlins this year you know what to expect from Moyer. Just ask José Reyes.

As mentioned though Moyer is about location. If Moyer struggles early but hangs in there he will make the necessary adjustments when it comes to plate approach. Perhaps getting a home start will be good for Moyer as well.

Moyer will oppose ALCS MVP Matt Garza in game three.

Joe Blanton
Blanton, a mid season acquisition, is scheduled to start game four for the Phillies, but if things look desperate it would be interesting to see if Hamels gets his second start a little early. I wouldn't count on it though knowing Manuel's managerial style. Blanton has turned out to be a very good pick up by general manager Pat Gillick. Since coming to Philadelphia Blanton has not recorded a loss. While some of his games have not gone smoothly the offense seemed to bail him out.

Blanton is 2-0 in the playoffs, pitching eleven innings. In his post season work this year Blanton has allowed four runs, struck out eleven, and walked four. Following up Moyer's game three losses Blanton has helped the Phillies respond with two game four victories, the first an NLDS clincher in Milwaukee.

There is nothing too special about Blanton. Throwing with a fastball in the low 90's, a slider and changeup, his best pitch is his changeup. It is similar to the changeup of Barry Zito, which makes sense because they used to be teammates. Blanton's success comes form his ability to not get rattled. He he lets base runners on he is not likely to worry too much, although he will hurry things up a bit with his approach.

Blanton is slated to face Andy Sonnanstine in game four in Philadelphia.

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So there you have it. The Phillies appear to have some strong pitching if they each pitch to their best abilities and could do well in the World Series. Questions remain to be answered though. Here are my one sentence thoughts on each pitcher, to sum up the above..

Cole Hamels: He's an ace.
Brett Myers: He's a nutcase.
Jamie Moyer: If anybody can put two bad starts behind him, it is this guy
Joe Blanton: If he gets the Phillies to the sixth they're fine, and even better if he gets to the seventh.

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Phillies vs. Dodgers: Game Two Open Thread

The National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies host the National League West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Championship Series. The Phillies won the first game 3-2 and have a 1-0 lead in the series.

Game time: 4:35 pm
Where to watch: Fox
Radio: 1210AM, 950 ESPN

NLCS: Phillies lead 1-0

Pitching Match-ups: Brett Myers (Phillies 1-0, 2.57) - Chad Billingsley (Dodgers 1-0, 1.35)

Injury Report: PHILLIES - None DODGERS - Hong Chih-Kuo (Day to day), Takashi Saito (Day to day)

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NLCS Preview

It's time to officially start the coverage of the National League Championship Series between the National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies and the National League West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers. We are not talking about politics when it comes to red states and blue states now folks. Pennsylvania is red for the Phillies and California is blue for the Dodgers this week.

Regular Season Records
Dodgers 84-78
Phillies 92-70

How They Got Here
The Phillies advanced to the NLCS by defeating the wild card Milwaukee Brewers in four games in the NLDS. Pitching from the Phillies was superb while the offense showed small amounts of explosiveness. Struggling at the plate and in key situations all series long the Phillies relied on the pitching of Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton to carry the team. The bullpen did their part as well, filling in when needed to get to ace closer Brad Lidge in the final inning three times. The starters were fantastic in the series and although Moyer was uncharacteristically off he only only allowed the Brewers to score twice.

Chase Utley continued to lack any presence at the plate and his two RBI double in game one was a gift from a misplayed ball by Brewers outfielder Mike Cameron. Ryan Howard came on late in the series to get some hits but Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were able to pick up some of the slack with their own at-bats.

Playing the role of underdogs the Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs in three games in dominating fashion. Taking advantage of Cubs errors in game one the Dodgers set the tone early for another dismal Cubs playoff series. The Dodgers got dominant pitching from Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda. Offensively the Dodgers were offensive to the Cubs.

Manny Ramierez brought his "Manny Being Manny" act to Los Angeles in a trade earlier this year and Ramierez has provided the spark the Dodgers needed into the post season. Ramierez hit .500 in the NLDS against the Cubs, adding a pair of homeruns and driving in three crucial RBIs at key moments. James Loney added six RBIs of his own in the series and Russell Martin added five.

Regular Season Matchups
It doesn't get too much more even than what the Phillies and Dodgers did to each other this season. The Dodgers struck first by sweeping the Phillies in a four game set in Los Angeles. A week later the Phillies returned the favor, sweeping the Dodgers in a four game set at Citizens Bank Park.

the Dodgers put together a better batting average than the Phillies in those eight games, but this is the playoffs. We can throw away all of those stats from earlier this year!

Storylines
This is a great series as far as storylines go. The main stream media will pick up the Manny Ramierez storylines in hopes of seeing him take the Dodgers to the World Series for a possible match up with the Red Sox, but if you look closer there are some other key stories of intrigue to digest.

Larry Bowa
Former Phillies manager, and the predecessor to Charlie Manuel, Larry Bowa is now the Dodgers' third base coach. Bowa, a Phillies Wall of Famer, helped lead the Phillies to becoming a legitimate contender in the division and an annual player in the wild card chase. While Bowa's teams never made the final push during the Scott Rolen years it ws Bowa who was routinely criticized by some fans, some media and many players for the short comings of the team. Bowa ultimately was fired and Manuel was selected to replace him. Bowa went on to become a third base coach under Joe Torre with the New York Yankees, and followed Torre to the Dodgers.

You know Bowa would love to stick it to his former employer, but I am sure there must be a part in Bowa's heart that hopes to see the Phillies win again. One thing is for sure; Bowa hates wearing that helmet on the field.

The Phillies have a former Dodger player as well. Davey Lopes. The Phillies first base coach was directly involved in "Black Friday" in 1977, a play that also directly involved Bowa.

Phillies-Dodgers Playoff History
There was a time when the Dodgers were in the same division as the Phillies. But that was when the Dodgers were playing in Brooklyn. Despite the Whiz Kids beating out those Brooklyn Dodgers for a National League pennant the two organizations have faced each other a number of times before in the NLCS. If you have been reading this blog regularly you may have seen (or possibly even read!) my NLCS Phlashback series, chronicling the 1977 and 1978 NLCS. They also faced each other in the 1983 NLCS.


Pitching Probables
Game One
Cole Hamels vs. Derek Lowe

Cole Hamels is the ace of the staff in Philadelphia, there is no disputing that. In game one of the NLDS he was masterful, shutting down the free swinging Brewers over eight innings before handing the game over to Brad Lidge. Hamels is 1-0 against the Dodgers lifetime with an ERA of 2.57. Earlier this season Hamels pitched seven innings giving up five hits and two runs in Los Angeles. His only two walks in the game were both intentional walks to Ramierez and Garciaparra.

While this is not exactly the Derek Lowe who helped guide the Red Sox to a World Series championship a few years ago, he is no pushover. After allowing two early runs to the Cubs in game one he shut them down and let the Dodgers rally to win. The Phillies will need to score on Lowe more than one inning a game.

Game Two
Brett Myers vs. Chad Billingsley

If Myers pitches the way he did against the Brewers with CC Sabatia on the mound, it would be hard to go against him in this game. Myers pitched well against the Dodgers this season, including a strong seven inning outing at Citizens Bank Park on August 25. While Myers did give up nine hits in the game he was able to keep the Dodgers off the scoreboard en route to a win.

Billingsley took the loss in that particular outing. When Billingsley pitched down the stretch for the Dodgers though he won five of his last six games to close out the season.

Game Three
Jamie Moyer vs. Hiroki Kuroda

Moyer will without a doubt be ready for his second postseason outing and it will come in the pivotal game three when the series moves back to Los Angeles. After starting slow against the Brewers Moyer seemed to find his groove that he typically does find. Unfortunately for the Phillies it may have been too late in game three against the Brewers. Moyer recieved no help from his offense in that game but Moyer did keep the Phillies in the game.

Moyer is a savvy veteran. He will be ready to do what he needs to do against the Dodgers in game three. If the Dodgers can hold off on some of Moyer's pitches though he could get into some trouble.

Taking the mound for the Dodgers will be Hiroki Kuroda, who stiffled the Phillies in two games this year. In thirteen innings against the Phillies Kuroda allowed only two runs (one in each game). He also only issued two walks in that same work load. The Phillies will need to find a way to strike against Kuroda and get him out of the game as quickly as possible.

Schedule
Every game of the NLCS will be broadcast on Fox. TBS will be airing every game in the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Thursday night the NLCS will get centerfield, er center stage, all to itself as the ALCS starts up Friday night. Here is the schedule for the NLCS as it stands right now...

Game 1 - October 9 8:22pm (Phillies)
Game 2 - October 10 4:35pm (Phillies)
Game 3 - October 12 8:22pm (Dodgers)
Game 4 - October 13 8:22pm (Dodgers)
Game 5 - October 15 8:22pm (Dodgers)
Game 6 - October 17 8:22pm (Phillies)
Game 7 - October 18 8:22pm (Phillies)

By the way, why in the world would the NLCS start at 4:15pm on Friday (1:15pm on the all important west coast) when the NLCS actually has a west coast team and the ALCS has two teams on the east coast? Must be the whole "fair and balanced" system being employed.

On the Record
I correctly predicted that the Phillies would get past the Brewers in four games in my NLDS Preview. Let's see if I can keep the luck going in the NLCS. I will say that the Phillies win this series in six games.

Just eight wins away.

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Hawaiian Punch KO's Brewers

Question: Which current Phillies player has the most career post season homeruns?

Answer: It is actually a tie with two homeruns. So Taguchi and Shane Victorino.

Yesterday Victorino added his second career post season homerun in grand fashion, hitting a grand slam in the second inning off of CC Sabathia. Amazingly the grand slam was not even the most memorable at bat in the inning! Check out earlier when Brett Myers steps to the plate with two outs and Pedro Feliz on base. Typically when the pitcher comes to bat with two outs you figure that the inning is over, but Myers had other ideas in his head. Sabathia got ahead of Myers with an 0-2 count but Myers stuck with it and battled back to a full count by fouling off pitches and staying patient and laying off balls. It was incredible! Myers forced his counterpart to throw nine pitches and he drew a base on balls. The Phillies were in the head of Sabathia.

Jimmy Rollins walked on the next four pitches, bringing up Victorino with the bases jacked and two outs. Then this happened...



After that the Phillies were on cruise control. Brett Myers had struggled in the first inning but escaped with only one run on the scoreboard. After the second inning you knew that Myers was going to be in control the rest of the way. Myers went seven strong innings, and the bullpen did the rest as the Phillies went on to win 5-2. Myers allowed both runs but it didn't matter. Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero combined for a score-free eighth inning and Brad Lidge finished it off with a solid 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Let's talk about Myers some more.

Everybody knows the Myers story by now. He was the closer last year and with the addition of Lidge Myers was vocal about his move back to the starting rotation. Myers was adamant that he wanted to stay in the bullpen and at first it appeared that he was not prepared, whatever the reasons may be, to be back as a starter this year. He had been named the opening day starter in a move to try and force him to focus on starting. It didn't work. After a number of mediocre at best outings Myers was sent to triple A ball in Lehigh to retool himself. When the time came for his return to the big leagues it was obvious that he was ready. Everything was going fine until recently when bad habits returned against the Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. Questions were everywhere heading into his first post season start of his career yesterday.

In the first inning everybody wearing Phillies red must have been like me as I yelled at the tv in a futile attempt to motivate Myers. He had gotten into serious trouble with the bases loaded and one out. He had already walked in a run as well. Cue Rich Dubee.

Whatever Dubee said may have worked. Either that or Corey Hart can't walk the walk and talk the talk. Hart had proclaimed the Brewers were going to kick the Phillies' butt in their playoff rally before heading to Philadlphia. Hart proceeded to swing at the first pitch from Myers and grounded into an inning ending double play. Later we would know that that may have been the real key play of the game.

Defense would be another negative to the Brewers in game two. Not so much as in game one, but Mike Cameron had another ball go over his head, resulting in a double for the Phillies. I will give Cameron credit though. He robbed Victorino of a triple, limiting him to a double on the play by playing the ball nicely off of the wall. Maybe that is why he has won those gold gloves.

I expect Cameron will have some better fielding games in his own park.

So you would think I'm happy right? I am. The Phillies are up 2-0 in the NLDS! Do I have concerns? Absolutely.

For the second straight game the Phillies scored in only one inning. Credit given for scoring enough runs to win each of the first two games, but there were so many wasted opportunities in both games in which they could have buried the Brewers and they failed to take advantage. A win is a win is a win though and heading to Milwaukee the Phillies are in prime position to get to the NLCS.

There is no pitcher I would rather have taking the mound in game three than Jamie Moyer. I expect the Brewers to be amped for their first home playoff game since 1982 and I could see that energy sparking them early. Moyer is just the guy to have in that situation to slow things down and take the players out of the game. Am I cautiously scouting the Dodgers right now? You bet. Foolish I would be though to say that this NLDS is over though. One game at a time. Win game three.

Win game three.

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Phillies vs Brewers: Game Two Open Thread

The National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies host the Wild Card winning Milwaukee Brewers in game two.

Game time: 6pm
Where to Watch: TBS
Radio: 1210AM, 950 ESPN

NLDS: Phillies lead 1-0

Pitching Match-Ups: Brett Myers (Phillies, 0-0) - CC Sabathia (Brewers, 0-0)

Injury Report: BREWERS - Ben Sheets (Day to day) PHILLIES - Pat Burrell (Day to day), Francisco Rosario (Day to day)

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NLDS: Phillies vs. Brewers

Tomorrow the National League East Division champion Philadelphia Phillies will open up the National League Division Series against the wild card winners Milwaukee Brewers. A lot of people have not been mentioning it but I believe there is a ton of pressure on the Phillies this year.

Unfortunately for the Philadelphia faithful the Phillies ran into the proverbial buzz saw last year that was the Colorado Rockies. The Phillies had clinched the NL East on the final day of the season in 2007 and the Rockies rode an unbelievable winning streak that carried them to a one game playoff with the San Diego Padres for the right to be named the wild card of the National League. Matt Holliday carried the Rockies and their young arms to the playoffs and continued their story book-esque wild ride all the way to the World Series, sweeping the hometown Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks before the magic ran out against the Boston Red Sox.

That NLDS against the Rockies stung me as a Phillies fan. I had waited since 1993 for postseason baseball and I didn't even get to see a victory. The Rockies out pitched and out hit the Phillies and shocked me. Cole Hamels started game one against the Rockies and got beat around early, forcing him to remove his long sleeve shirt as he was exhausted too early. He pitched better after ditching the long sleeves. Kyle Kendrick and Kyle Lohse gave up too many hits and base runners in a blowout loss in game two. And Jamie Moyer did all he could stave off elimination, but the Rockies would not be denied once the bullpen came in. J.C. Romero gave up the eventual game winner and just like that the Phillies, who had celebrated just a week earlier by hosing the fans and dumping beer and champagne on one another and various female sports reporters in the locker room, were going home to watch the rest of the playoffs with the rest of us.

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from that series a year later. I believe the Phillies have that same sentiment this year. Of course they had celebrated their division championship but it seemed to me that they were a little more reserved because they expected to be here and expect to do more this year.

As Jimmy Rollins said, last year they got a taste of the pumpkin pie and this year everyone else is craving it. Meanwhile, Rollins and company are looking for more of the pie. In order to do that they will have some ghosts to overcome.

Can you imagine what it would be like in Philadelphia if the Phillies were to lose in the first round again? Where last year you can take the defeat with a grain of salt because the Rockies were on a magical ride, losing again this year would be devastating.With all of the talk form the beginning of the season about taking the next step, winning 100 games, and now talking about going further than last year, and the hype all season about the likes of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels and more the expectation from the start was that this Phillies team had the makings of a World Series contender from the National League. Really, nothing short of a World Series appearance would be acceptable. A loss in game seven of the NLCS to the Cubs would be the only possible exception. But this team has made us all believe that a World Series appearance is well within reach. It it time to back that theory up.

Let's take a look today at the pitching match ups for the first few games.

Starting Pitching
Game One
Cole Hamels vs. Yovanni Gallardo

As I mentioned above, Hamels had a rough outing in his first post season start. Hamels allowed three runs in the second inning following a lead off triple followed by RBI hits and a bases loaded walk. He walked four Rockies but didn't allow a run after the second inning, which is when he removed the long sleeves. I'm sure Hamels will be thinking about his last appearance in the post season as well as some of his starts coming down the stretch. I have mentioned before that I feel Hamels is coming up short of his potential, so hopefully the extra time off will give him the rest he needs for a stellar performance.

Game Two
Brett Myers vs. CC Sabathia
This is a game you can probably pencil in as a loss. Sabathia has been nothing short of dominant since being traded to the Brewers. In his short time with the team he has pitched seven complete games, including his last two outings on short rest. To put it simply, the guy is a horse on the mounds. This season he has thrown over 250 strikeouts and has an ERA of 2.70.

As if facing Sabathia wasn't going to be tough enough the Phillies will have to hope that Myers can come in pitching like he was before his last two games against the Marlins and the Braves. Since coming back from his stint at Lehigh Myers had been phenomenal. Then he started getting bashed by a pair of division foes. Who knows which Brett Myers will show up in game two. The Phillies will clearly need a strong Myers to show up as Sabathia will likely have a good game ready to go.

Sabathia does have some post season ghosts of his own though, evidenced by last year's melting down against the Red Sox when he pitched for the Cleveland Indians. Sabathia gave up eight to Boston in game one of the ALCS and also took the loss in game five.

Game Three
Jamie Moyer vs TBA

Moyers has been outstanding this season. In a pivotal game three there is nobody else I would rather see (from the Phillies) on the mound. Whether the series is 2-0 Phillies, tied at one, or an unfathomable 0-2 deficit, Moyer is the man I want to see take control of the game. He was outstanding in last year's game three in Colorado, limiting the Rockies to one run. Moyer just knows how to slow momentum on the other team and he gets inside the heads of not only the batters but also the base runners.

The Brewers have yet to decide who will pitch in game three. The loss of Ben Sheets from the rotation will be a huge obstacle to overcome. It could be a toss up between Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan.


Looking forward to watching game one tomorrow. For your information, here is the schedule for the NLDS between the Phillies and Brewers:

Game 1 - 3pm (Phillies)
Game 2 - 6pm (Phillies)
Game 3 - 6:30pm (Brewers)
Game 4 - TBD (Brewers)
Game 5 - TBD (Phillies)

All games will be shown on TBS (in high definition!) so get yourself prepared for more Frank Caliendo. Man is this comedian overdone yet?

Anyway, I am going on record and predicting the Phillies will win the series in four games. What are your thoughts on the series? Feel free to leave them in the comments section, along with your prediction for this series as well as any of the other series.

Blog note: As I did during the Flyers post season run, I'll be throwing up some open threads for each Phillies game so feel free to leave your comments on the games as they develop there if you wish. Stay tuned.

This is what you play for.

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