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Yankees beat Phillies to claim 27th World Series
The Philadelphia Phillies’ quest to repeat as World Series champions has come to an end.
Thanks to six RBIs for Hideki Matsui the New York Yankees finished off the Phillies in Game Six, winning 7-3, to claim their 27th World Series.
It was a frustrating day all the way around for Phillies fans. Pedro Martinez never gave the team a chance, allowing four runs in four innings. Chad Durbin came in and made things worse. The offense had its moments, but never brought the tying run to the plate in the late innings.
This series and this season will be broken down over the next couple of weeks as fans try to swallow the concept of New York taking their title.
The Phillies certainly have nothing to hang their heads about. They were best team in the National League and second-best team in baseball. However, a year after winning the World Series, that just wasn’t enough.
In a few weeks, maybe we can look back with fond memories of this season.
But not now.
The Evil Empire has struck again.
Hamels says he has no problem with Myers
All of that tension between Cole Hamels and Brett Myers has apparently been fabricated.
At least that’s what Hamels is saying.
In a recent article by the Philadelphia Inquirer Hamels said that he has no problem with Myers and that the situation at question was just a case of misinterpreted joking.
Hamels has drawn the ire of some Phillies fans after he was quoted after the Game 3 loss as saying “I cant’s wait for (the season) to end. It’s been mentally draining. At year’s end, you just can’t wait for a fresh start.”
It was then reported that prior to Game 5, Myers walked past Hamels in the clubhouse and said “I thought you quit?”
Hamels said that although he was not pleased with the comment at first, he now takes it as an innocent comment that was more of a joke and that the two are good friends.
You can either take this as the truth from a player who says his words were taken out of context, or a good job of PR after the mess he made over the weekend.
Either way, it should be enough to put a lid on the situation for at least a couple days. If the Phillies win the next two games and claim a second World Series, this will all be water under the bridge. If not, expect months of speculation on what really happened between the two teammates.
The entire Inquirer article can be read here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20091103_Hamels_confirms__Theres_no_problem_with_Myers.html
Phillies win Game 5, keep title hopes alive
Even with six run lead heading into the eighth inning it wasn’t easy for the Philadelphia Phillies.
In the end, though, Philly got exactly what it needed. Game Six is on the way.
Chase Utley pounded two home runs and Ryan Madson pitched a shaky ninth inning to close out an 8-6 victory for Philadelphia.
The Phillies offense got going, pounding out six runs over the first three innings off New York starter A.J. Burnett.
Phils’ ace Cliff Lee was in control until the eighth, when the Yankees knocked him out by plating three runs and making it an 8-5 game.
With the lead at three Charlie Manuel opted to stay away from struggling closer Brad Lidge and go with Madson. Although it wasn’t easy, Madson did the job and the World Series is going back to New York.
Tuesday will be an off day as Game 6 s slated for Wednesday night.
The Phillies are still down, but are very much alive.
This World Series isn’t over by a long shot.
Game Highlights:
- Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Utley hit a three-run home run that electrified the Citizens Bank Park crowd and gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead.
- Philadelphia kept the offense coming in the third. After Utley and Ryan Howard walked to lead off the inning, Jayson Werth ripped an RBI single that plated Utley. Raul Ibanez followed with an RBI single that chased A.J. Burnett after just two-plus innings. Carlos Ruiz then added an RBI groundout, giving the Phillies a 6-1 lead.
- Utley and Ibanez each hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to push the score to 8-2.
- Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings, but faltered in the eighth, allowing three runs, two of which came on a Alex Rodriguez double.
- In the ninth, Jorge Posada greeted Madson with a double and Hideki Matsui to put runners on the corners. Representing the tying run, Derek Jeter bounced into a 4-6-3 double play that plated Jorge Posada, but put a big dent in the Yankees rally. With two outs Johnny Damon singled up the middle, bringing Mark Teixeira to the plate. Mired in a slump all World Series, Teixeira struck out to end the game.
Phillies World Series hopes rest on Lee
While the Philadelphia Phillies former ace is already talking about next season, the current staff ace will do his best to keep this season alive.
Cliff Lee takes the mound tonight at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies hope to extend the World Series to six games against the New York Yankees.
New York is on quite a run winning three straight contests, taking the Phillies home crowd out of play. Tonight Lee will look to slow down the Bronx Bombers and repeat his Game 1 performance when he pitched a complete game and allowed just one unearned run.
He will be opposed by A.J. Burnett, who also has a victory in the series, as he held the Phillies in check for seven innings in Game 2. Burnett will be throwing on two-days rest.
Philadelphia fans had hoped this day would not come. Coming into the World Series everything seemed to be clicking. Ryan Howard was as hot as he had ever been, the offense was clicking in unison and the pitching was superb. Now Howard is swinging and missing at breaking balls, the offense is getting solo home runs instead of three-run shots and the pitching has been spotty both in the rotation and the bullpen.
Baseball is a funny game. You can be as hot as fire one week and as cold as ice the next. The Phillies don’t have a week to catch fire though; they have a matter of hours. When their backs are against the wall the Phillies have shown their character and punched back. With the threat of the Yankees celebrating a World Series championship on their own field, I would expect that trend to continue.
There are plenty of question marks surrounding the Phillies for Games Six and Seven, but the biggest is whether they will get there.
By the end of the night the season could be over. Or, the Phils could be two wins away from a second-straight World Series title.
Game Time: 8:07
Lights out on Philadelphia?
It wasn’t a blown save, it was something much worse.
Bard Lidge allowed three runs in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-4, to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series, Sunday night.
Pedro Feliz hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th off Joba Chamberlain to tie the game at 4-4 and give the Phillies the momentum heading in to the ninth. Lidge came in and got the first two hitters out, as it appeared his postseason reconciliation was going to continue.
Then it all fell to pieces.
Johnny Damon hit the blooper of all bloopers to keep the inning alive. Damon, not the fastest runner these days, stole second and third on the same play as the Phillies were playing a shift against Mark Teixeira, as no one was covering third.
This was Lidge’s first big mistake. With Feliz accepting the throw down to second, there was no one to cover third except for Lidge who never even attempted to get over there. From there he hit Texeiria, let up a double to Alex-Rodriguez, a single to Jorge Posada and it was all over.
While Lidge will take most of the heat for this loss, there is plenty to go around.
- The Phillies hit two home runs, again solo shots, as the team had trouble getting men on base.
- In the fifth inning Chase Utley tried to toss the ball to Rollins with his glove in an attempt to start a double play instead of taking his time to transfer the ball and just get one out. As a result he got no outs and the Yankees would score two runs that innings.
- Joe Blanton pitches OK, but took the crowd out of the game early by allowing two runs in the first inning.
- What is going on with Raul Ibanez?
- Ryan Howard had a broken-bat single, but again looked helpless against the breaking ball.
It is now desperation time in Philadelphia as the Phils must win three straight to defend their World Series title. It can be done, certainly, but the Phils will need to play a lot better than they have through four games. Cliff Lee takes the ball tonight against A.J. Burnett.
The Phillies have been a team that plays well when their backs are against the wall, but this is bigger than any test they have had this season.
We will see if there is any magic left, or if it is “lights out” for the Phils.
Burnett shuts down Phils; Series tied 1-1
Pedro Martinez gave the Phillies a valiant effort Thursday night but the Philadelphia bats went silent against A.J. Burnett, as the New York Yankees took Game 2, 3-1, to tie the World Series, 1-1.
A couple of solo home runs proved to be enough for New York thanks to seven strong innings from Burnett, who had his curveball going, and a two-inning save from Mariano Rivera.
Now the series shifts to Philadelphia where Cole Hamels will get the ball for Game 3 against postseason veteran Andy Pettitte, on Saturday night.
While taking both games in New York would have been a huge boost for the Phillies, a spilt is more-than acceptable. The Phillies have proven that they are a great home team in the postseason, dropping just one home game the last two years. While taking all three games at home will be tough, the Phillies showed against the Dodgers in the NLCS and the Rays in the 2008 World Series that it can be done.
Rest assured that the Philly faithful will be pumped up and bring much more energy than the New York crowd could muter up in two games.
I have never been a Joe Buck fan, but I had to chuckle last night when he said after a Mark Teixeira home run, “At 9:04 the Yankees fans have shown up.”
You can bet that won’t be the case in Philadelphia.
The bigger question will be if Hamels shows up. The Phils need Hamels to find last season’s form and deliver them a big victory. We know he has it in him and now we need to see it.
Pedro Martinez and Yankees renew rivalry
When the Phillies signed pitcher Pedro Martinez late in the regular season it was with hopes hat he could provide them with a little bit more than Jamie Moyer was giving them.
Now, they are asking for more; A lot more.
Pedro will take the mound tonight at Yankees Stadium with the task of giving the Phillies a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series.
Pedro’s best game against the Yankees came in September of 1999 when he pitched a complete-game one-hitter in a 3-1 Red Sox win. He struck out 17.
The Phillies can’t ask for that tonight can they?
Well, probably not, but given Pedro’s flair for the dramatic the Phillies can expect a solid performance that will keep them in the game.
The atmosphere will no doubt be intense tonight at Yankees Stadium. Last night you could hear a pin drop, but that was only because Cliff Lee was that good. Even if Pedro is on his game, the fans will be on him, surely bringing back the “Who’s your Daddy” chants.
The best thing for Martinez was what Lee gave him by pitching a gem last night – a sense of freeness on the mound. By winning Game 1, the Phillies shifted all of the pressure on the Yankees. Lose Game 2 ad the Yankees are finished.
That is the pressure quality, but erratic, Yankees starter A.J. Burnett faces. It is only Game 2 and it is already a must-win for the Bronx Bombers. This is Burnett’s first start in a World Series game and he has an entire team and city on his back.
Burnett against the Phillies: Between his time in Florida and interleague matchups while with Toronto Burnett has faced the Phillies quite a few times and the Phillies hitters have gotten the better of him. Burnett is 5-8 lifetime with a 4.85 ERA in 16 starts. One of those starts came on May 22, when he was shelled for five runs in six innings in a Phillies win.
Pedro vs. A-Rod: In 55 at-bats against Pedro A-Rod has just one home run. He also has 19 strikeouts.
Game time: 8:07, FOX
It is on! Game 1 of World Series Arrives
The wait is finally over, Game 1 of the World Series have arrived.
While many analysts have predicted this to be a long and close series, history tells us that the winner may just be decided tonight.
In the last 12 years, teams which won Game 1, won the series 11 times, including the last six. That means there is a lot of pressure on Cliff Lee and the rest of the Phillies tonight at Yankee Stadium.
Weather update: The rain stopped in New York around 3:30 and it looks like it should be clearing out for good, minus a few small showers, according to weather reports.
Pitching matchup: Cliff Lee vs. C.C. Sabathia. This is a battle of the last two AL Cy Young award winners.
Sabathia, who signed a $160 million deal, won 19 games in the regular season. He has been even better in the postseason, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA with 20 strikeouts in three games. Cliff Lee has been equally as dominant in the playoffs, going 2-0 with an 0.74 ERA in three starts.
Game Time: 7:57, on FOX.
It’s time Phillies fans!
Phillies and Dodgers set for NLCS showdown
Tonight begins the next step in the Philadelphia Phillies quest to repeat as World Series champions. The Phils take on the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at 8:07 p.m. in the first game of a best-of-seven NLCS series. Last year the Phillies beat the Dodgers in five games in the NLCS, but how will they fair this year?
He is a breakdown of how the match up:
Phillies Pitching:
Game 1: Cole Hamels: The lefty has had his ups and downs this season and was less than stellar in his outing against the Rockies. Against the Dodgers, however, he has been dominant. In his two starts against them this season, Hamels posted a 1-0 mark with a 0.56 ERA. He also struck out 14 while walking just one. And who can forget last year’s NLCS where Hamels went 2-0, including winning the series clincher in Game 5 and being honored as the series MVP.
Game 2: While it has yet to be confirmed by Charlie Manuel, Phillies.com is reporting that veteran Pedro Martinez will get the nod. It is hard to predict hat Pedro will do in his first playoff outing since he was in a Red Sox uniform.
Game 3: Cliff Lee will return to the mound on his regular day of rest and look to continue what has been a marvelous postseason. Lee has allowed just two earned runs in 16-plus innings of work this postseason and is making it clear that he is indeed an ace.
Game 4: The Phillies will trot either J.A. Happ or Joe Blanton out to the mound. Manuel’s decision may come down to which of the two he needs to use out of the bullpen in the first three games of the series. Blanton has the experience of pitching against the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, but my guess is that Happ will get the nod here.
Dodgers pitching:
Game 1: Clayton Kershaw: One of the top young pitchers in the game, Kershaw has the kind of stuff that can cause nightmares for hitters. Against the Phillies, that has yet to be seen though. He has a 5.23 ERA in two starts against the Phils this year.
Game 2: Vicente Padilla: The first of the two former Phillies pitchers to take the mound in the series, Padilla has done surprisingly well with the West Coast squad. Acquired in a midseason trade with Texas, Padilla has pitched eight games for L.A., going 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA.
Game 3: Hirokia Kuroda: Kuroda was the only Dodgers pitcher to record a win against the Phillies in last year’s NLCS. He was mediocre this season going just 8-7.
Game 4: Randy Wolf: It is hard to believe that Wolf has been one of the most consistent pitchers for the Dodgers, going 12-7 with a 3.23 ERA. A left-hander, Wolf could be a dangerous pitcher in this series.
Phillies lineup:
There are no surprises when Charlie Manuel brings out the lineup card during the postseason. Just as was the case in four NLDS games, the Phillies will go with Jimmie Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz. It is a lineup that as worked for the Phils for the majority of the year.
While Rollins has had a down year by his standards, the career years from Ibanez ad Werth have easily offset that. Werth has joined Utley and Howard to become one of the most feared middle-of-the-order trios in all of baseball.
Philadelphia’s lineup showed in Game 4 against the Rockies, that trailing in the ninth inning on the road is not anything its lineup can not overcome. Despite the team’s strikeout tendencies, one would be hard-pressed to find a better lineup in the National League.
Dodgers lineup: Joe Tore likes to play with the lineup from time to time, but for Game 1 the Phillies will see Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson, Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, James Loney, Casey Blake and Russell Martin.
Like Werth, Ethier had a breakout season, posting 31 homers and 106 RBIs. He has been the type of hitter that when paired with Ramirez can bring flashbacks to the Many-Big Pappy years. You don’t want to face that part of the order with the game on the line. Kemp has also been solid, providing great defense in centerfield, while hitting .297 with 26 home runs.
The big letdown for the Dodgers has been the downfall of Martin, who even until last year was one of the top hitting catchers in baseball. This season, Martin’s power disappeared and he hit just seven home runs and limped to a .250 average.
The rest of the Dodgers lineup is solid, although the Phillies should certainly be happy not have to see Jeff Kent anymore.
The Bullpen:
The Phillies: This has been a sore spot for most of the season and has been predicted to be the reason the Phillies don’t repeat as World Champions. The good news is that closer Brad Lidge showed signs of finding his old form, picking up two saves in the NLDS (even if one of them was of the one-out variety). Also promising is that left-hander Scott Eyre appears to be fie after his stumble in Game 4. The bullpen still leaves much to be desired, though, as Ran Madson continues to be hit and miss and it is still impossible to know what can be expected of Brett Myers.
The Dodgers: A team strength all season, the Dodgers’ bullpen really became solidified when the team acquired left-hander George Sherrill from the Orioles at the trade deadline. Sherrill has been remarkable since the trade, posting a 0.65 ERA in 20 appearances. He has also yet to allow a home run to a left-handed batter. Expect to see him in each game this season. The Dodgers have several other quality arms to go to in late innings as they look to get the ball to hard-throwing Jonathan Broxton. The Los Angeles closer had 114 strikeouts in 72 innings, but the Phillies have had success of him in the past, including last postseason.
The Bench:
The Phillies: While there has been little to celebrate about the Phils bench this year, it is impossible not to think of Matt Stairs’ eighth inning, two-out, two-run home run that beat the Dodgers in Game 4 of the 2008 postseason. The Phillies know what they get when they send Stairs up to the plate and they will deal with his well-below par .194 average. The rest of the bench doesn’t offer much as Greg Dobbs, Miguel Cairo and Paul Bako leave a lot to be desired. Ben Francisco is a wildcard, as he has pop in his bat and his late-inning defense is valuable, as evidenced by his diving catch late in Game 4 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers: Like the Phillies with Stairs, the Dodgers have a long ball threat in Jim Thome. Though he is not the player he once was, the Thome can still hit the ball out of the park. Orlando Hudson may also come off the bench from in a couple games as Torre has been giving more starting time to Ronnie Belliard at second than expected. The Dodges also have veterans Juan Pierre Mark Loretta and Brad Ausmus.
Prediction: While the Dodgers have the better bullpen and better depth, the Phillies have a better rotation and a more dangerous lineup. A lot of people see this series going all seven games. The two big factors for the Phillies in this series will be the performances of Hamels and Pedro. Can Cole continue his dominance over the Dodgers and can Pedro muster up one more gem? If they can this series could be short. My guess is that one of them slips up but the Phillies have more-than enough to close out the Dodgers in six games.
Rockies take Game 2, even series
If the Philadelphia Phillies want to repeat as World Series champions, they will have to prove their worth on the road.
Starting pitcher Cole Hamels had a rough outing, allowing four runs in five innings, and the Phillies could not battle all the way back in a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies in Game 2 of the NLDS.
Yovit Torrealba provided the big blow, hitting a two-run home run in the third inning . From there, Aaron Cook corralled the Phillies hitters until the sixth when the Phillies battled back with three runs.
Trailing by one in the ninth, the Phils threatened, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but Colorado closer Huston Street got Shane Victorino to hit a soft line drive to second to end the game.
Just as concerning as the home loss was the potential loss of J.A. Happ, who entered the game in the sixth and faced only one batter. Happ was hit in the lower left leg with a line drive off the bat of Seth Smith on his fourth pitch of the game. Happ, who went 12-4 in the regular season, suffered a leg contusion, but reports are that the x-rays were negative.
With Happ unable to continue, Charlie Manuel went to Joe Blanton out of the pen for an inning-plus, putting further into question who will start Game 3 on Saturday. Blanton threw just 19 pitches, so could be able to come back on Saturday or the Phillies could go with Pedro Martinez.
Whoever gets the ball needs to come up big, because the Phillies don’t want to go down 2-1 and face an elimination game in Denver.
There is still plenty of reason to believe in the Phillies moving forward. Although Hamels struggled, the bullpen was strong, with Blanton’s one run allowed the only blemish. It is never easy this time year.
I expect the Phillies offense to come to life in Game 3 and give whoever takes the mound plenty of run support.
J.C. Romero to miss postseason
If there was any question of whether or not J.A. Happ would pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason, today’s news should erase it.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel announced that left-hander J.C. Romero has not recovered from his strained forearm injury and will need another month until he is fit to pitch.
That means the Phillies will enter the postseason without one of its biggest bullpen pieces last year, and most consistent left-hander.
Romero was huge in the 2008 postseason, including winning two games in the World Series.
With Romero no longer an option, the Phillies will likely turn to Happ and Scott Eyre to get out left-handed hitters in the late innings. It also means an already shaky bullpen is in that much more disarray.
The other option the Phillies have is to use September call up Sergio Escalona, but that seems unlikely as Escalona has just 11 appearances under his belt.
Romero returned to the Philies last week, but after an outing on Monday he reported soreness in the same forearm. This certainly was not Romero’s year. He started the season having to sit out the team’s first 50 games due to a suspension. A little more than a month after his return the forearm injury surfaced.
The Phillies have done a nice job surviving Romero’s absence, but it will only get harder from here.
Hopefully Happ an Eyre will be up to the task.
Threats to the Phillies going back to the World Series (part 4)
The formula to beating the St. Louis Cardinals always used to be simple: Pitch around Albert Pujols and make the rest of the lineup beat you. Pujols was the Cardinals lineup. Hold him without an RBI for a game and a win is yours.
Those Cardinals were an OK team. When healthy the pitching was good and the lineup managed to do just enough to keep the team competitive.
Those Cardinals disappeared just before the All-Star break. The current group in St. Louis is the hottest team in baseball and threat No. 1 to the Philadelphia Phillies returning to the World Series.
Why the Cardinals could beat the Phillies: No team in baseball had a better August than the Cardinals, storming through the month with a 20-5 record. Over that period, St. Louis managed to go from second-place in the NL Central to 10.5 games ahead of the struggling Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals turn around began before August though. Things started coming together for St. Louis in July, when it revamped its offense, trading for Matt Holiday, Mark DeRosa and Julio Lugo.
Holiday has been a perfect fit with his new team, hitting .386 with 37 RBIs in as many games. While in Oakland, Holiday struggled in his first year away from Coors Field, hitting in the mid 200s. Hitting behind the games’ most feared hitter has bolstered Holiday back into the form that made him an All-Star in Colorado.
Lugo, meanwhile, has hit .322 as St. Louis’s new leadoff man.
Then there is Pujols.
Albert is doing what Albert does – hit for power, average and just about anything else you could think of. He is the clear choice as NL MVP and has a league-high 42 home runs. He should still be pitched around; it’s just not as easy anymore.
On the mound, the Cardinals have a great one-two punch in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Finally healthy, Carpenter is a potential Cy Young, sporting a 15-2 record and 2.28 ERA. Wainwright isn’t far behind with a 2.47 ERA and a team high 16 wins.
Joel Piniero is a solid No. 3, posting 14 wins this season.
Why the Cardinals wouldn’t beat the Phillies: With the way the Cardinals are playing right now it is hard to find a weakness in their game. The middle relief is not great, but has been good enough to get the ball to Ryan Franklyn, who has 36 saves in 38 chances.
The Phillies will have a great chance if Tony La Russa – as he often does – over thinks things. La Russa, who likes to bat the pitcher eight, may be tempted to use John Smoltz in his playoff rotation. Don’t be fooled by Smoltz’s recent start against the Phillies, he’s not near the pitcher he used to be. If La Russa goes with Smoltz instead of Piniero as the third starter, the move may backfire.
The Cardinals also lack team-speed, something the Phillies have plenty of.
Would the Cardinals beat the Phillies in a playoff match-up: If the playoffs started today, you would have to make the Cardinals the favorite. They are playing the way the Phillies played down the stretch last year and we all know where that took them. Of course, there is still a month to go and things can change. If the Phillies catch fire over the next couple of weeks and the Cardinals cool off, the edge would go back to the Phils. Either way I would expect this series to go the distance with great pitching and a few big performances from the likes of Howard, Utley, Pujols and Holiday.
There’s a look at the four teams trying to stop the Phillies from returning to the World Series. Time will tell if anyone can knock off the champs.
Threats to the Phillies going back to the World Series (Part 3)
When I began this countdown of the biggest threats to the Phillies returning to the World Series a couple of days ago, I liked the San Francisco Giants as the second-biggest threat because of their pitching.
And that was before newly acquired starter Bard Penny went out and tossed eight shutout innings against the Phillies Wednesday night.
Needless to say, I still like the Giants.
Prior to the season there was a lot of buzz about the Giants being a surprise team, and maybe even a playoff-caliber bunch. It seemed a bit of a stretch for a team that had won just 72 games in 2008, but the pundits liked San Francisco ’s pitching. The one knock on the team was a big one – its offense.
With only a month left in the season the Giants are still without much offense — yet it might not even mater.
Why the Giants could beat the Phillies: As stated in the previous two entries of this four-part series, the playoffs are all about pitching and the Giants have a ton of it.
Exhibit A is on display tonight at Citizen’s Bank Part as “The Freak” Tim Lincecum has brought his 13-4 record and 2.33 ERA to town. Lincecum is a strikeout pitcher in every sense of the phrase. In 192 innings this year, he has 222 K’s, His walk-per-strikeout ratio is a ridiculous 4-1. If Lincecum was the only stud in the Giants rotation there wouldn’t be that much to be concerned about when facing them. He’s not.
Matt Cain — an ace on just about any other staff — is 12-4 with a 2.50 ERA. Behind Cain is a rejuvenated Barry Zitto, who looks like he has found his curve again, and as a result is a very dangerous pitcher. Then there is Jonathan Sanchez, who, although average at best this season, has a a career no-hitter to his credit.
And now they have Penny, who remembered how to throw a 97-MPH fast ball all of a sudden. They also have Randy Johnson ready to come out of the bullpen.
Yes, the Giants can pitch.
Why the Giants couldn’t beat the Phillies: One player. That is all the Giants have in their offensive arsenal when it comes to everyday players batting over .280 this season. Third baseman Pablo Sandioval is having a great season for San Francisco, hitting .333 with 21 home runs. After Sandioval, though the lineup is thin.
Aaron Rowand has been unable to find the magic he had with the Phillies and Randy Winn and Edgar Renteria are shells of themselves at this point.
If a Giants pitcher has an off game this team has little chance of pulling out a win.
The Giants are averaging 4.01 runs a game. The Phillies, meanwhile, score 5.12 per contest. Unless the Giants have a couple of players catch fire down the stretch, their offense will be the weakest of the playoff teams.
Would the Giants beat the Phillies in a playoff series: In a five game series I think the Giants could end the Phillies dreams of repeating. In a seven game series, I like the Phillies.
Allow me to explain.
In a short series, pitching can carry a team the distance, but in a long series a team’s offense must be able to steal a game or two. I just don’t see the Giants offense stealing a game on a day when their starting pitching falters. The Phillies, meanwhile, could overcome a bad start from Cliff lee or Cole Hamels because of their deep lineup.
I still would want no part of the Giants in the playoffs. With that pitching, this team is a serious threat to win it all.
Threats to the Phillies going back to the World Series (Part 2)
This time last year no one could have convinced me that the Los Angeles Dodgers were not the best team in the National League. The Dodgers had deep pitching, a proven coach in Joe Torre and … oh yea, Manny Ramirez.
This season, the Dodgers still have deep pitching, a proven coach and Manny.
For that reason many people think they are the NL’s best team. I just don’t feel the same about them, which is why I list the Dodgers as just the third most serious threat to the Phillies winning the pennant.
While much of the team is the same, something feels different about them. Let’s find out why.
Threat No. 3 – The Dodgers
Reason they could be a problem: Player for player the Dodgers lineup is as good as any in baseball. Their lineup can hit for power and average. Although no one will keep Albert Pujols from winning another NL MVP award, outfielder Matt Kemp is having that kind of season. Kemp is hitting .316 with 23 homeruns, 87 RBIs and 29 steals. He also plays Gold Glove-type defense in center field, something the Dodgers absolutely need with Manny in left.
Though he is having a down year by his standards (.258, four home runs), Russell Martin remains one of the top catchers in the game. His pitchers love the way he calls a game, and despite his disappearing power, Martin still commands respect when in the batter’s box.
Second baseman Orlando Hudson has been one of the best under-the radar offseason moves. Along with his consistent defense, Hudson is hitting .292 with 70 runs. Needless to say, the Dodgers don’t miss the retired Jeff Kent.
Los Angeles has also gotten strong seasons fro m Andre Ethier (.281), James Loney (.276) and saw resurgence from Juan Pierre (.322) during Manny’s 50-game suspension.
Speaking of Manny, he’s still pretty good. He hit near .500 last postseason and remains one of the best clutch hitters in the game.
Why they wouldn’t be a problem: I just don’t buy their rotation this season. The loss of Derrick Lowe was a blow that will be felt in the playoffs. In a five-game series the Dodgers would send out Randy Wolf for game three or four. Although Wolf has had a nice season (9-6, 3.25 ERA), it’s had to consider him as anything but a liability come postseason.
Clayton Kershaw is a beast with a 2.94 ERA, but also tends to be streaky, as does Chad Billingsley. If they are hot going into the playoffs, this team has a chance. If not, L.A. is done.
The Dodgers don’t have a bad rotation by any means, but they are not intimidating. Derrick Lowe won Game Seven of the World Series with the Red Sox a few years back. That commands respect. This current group is still in search of that.
Would the Dodgers beat the Phillies in the playoffs? Tough call, but the edge goes to the Phillies. This would be a first-round match up if the Cardinals finish as the NL’s top seed and the Dodgers and Phils place second and third, respectively. Home field advantage could be huge, but the Phillies showed they could win without it in their playoff series last year. I could see this series going the distance due to the Dodgers bullpen success (Gorge Sherrill has been spectacular since coming over from the Orioles, allowing one run in 15 1/3 innings and Jonathan Broxton remains a top closer).
In the end tough, the Phillies should squeak out a series win due to their superior starting pitching and comparable lineup.
On Friday phillysportsblogs will take a look at the second-biggest threat to the Phillies repeating in Part 3.
Threats to the Phillies going back to the World Series (Part 1)
Now things start to get serious.
September is the month on the calendar that baseball fans point to as the make-or-break time of the season. Of coarse championships aren’t won until October, but without a good September, October is nothing more than an early offseason.
As we enter the final full month of the regular season, the contenders have already separated themselves from the field. None of the three National League division races are within five games, with the Dodgers 5.5 game lead in the West the smallest margin.
The Wild Card race is seemingly down to two teams – the Rockies and Dodgers. The Braves and Marlins remain in “contention” in both the NL East and Wild Card, but neither has shown the ability to sustain enough success to be considered serious postseason threats.
It looks as though the teams standing in the way of the Phillies quest to return to the World Series are the Cardinals, Dodgers and Rockies/Giants.
With that in mind, lets start part one of a four-part series looking at the teams that will pose the biggest threat to the Phillies. We will be counting down over the next four days.
Threat 4: The Colorado Rockies.
Reason they could be a problem: The Rockies have been down this road before. Counted out as dead midway through the season in 2007, the Rockies won 14-of-15 games to storm into the playoffs. From there, they dispatched the Phillies in three games in the NLDS and swept the Diamondbacks in four in the NLCS.
This season, the Rockies stumbled mightily out the gate, opening with a record of 18-28, 14 ½ games behind the Dodgers. The teams decided to fire manager Clint Hurdle – who had led them to the World Series less than two years earlier — and replace him with bench coach Jim Tracy. Since that move Colorado has gone 54-31.
The team has plenty of talent.
Todd Helton is still going strong, hitting .364 and has driven in 70. Brad Hawpe has also had a solid season hitting .298 and driving home a team-high 76. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, meanwhile, has belted 24 home runs. The lineup is deep and has a lot of flexibility.
Why they won’t be a problem: Since pulling to within two games of the Dodgers for the NL West lead last Tuesday, the Rockies have lost five straight including being swept by the Giants, who grabbed a share of the Wild Card lead. Unlike 2007 when the Rockies peaked at the perfect time, this team may have peaked a bit early.
The rotation also leaves plenty to be desired. Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis have combined to win 26 games at the top of the rotation, but things fall off big time after that. While Jason Hamel, Aaron Cook and De La Rosa all post a winning record, their average ERA is 4.50. Unless one pitcher gets hot down the stretch, the lack of a clear No.3 starter could be the team’s downfall.
Would the Rockies beat the Phillies in the playoffs? Not likely.
With Cliff Lee, World Series MVP Cole Hamels and a playoff-tested Joe Blaton the Phillies would have a big edge on the mound. And while the Rockies have a deep lineup, the loss of Matt Holiday (more on him in a later edition) keeps them below the Phillies in terms of feared offensives. Of course it is possible for this Rockies team to find the magic that the 2007 team had in the postseason, but that type of run rarely happens twice.
Think of it another way: If given a choice of managers to play against between Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Joe Tracy, who wouldn’t rather face Tracy’s team? (Remember, I the Rockies are in the Giants won’t be, so Bruce Bochy is not n the conversation.)
In short, the Rockies are a threat, just not the most serious one.
Agree? Disagree? Discuss bellow and check back on Wednesday to find out which team I considered the third biggest threat to the Phillies quest to repeat.
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