To pretty much no one's surprise, the Phillies took care of the Reds in the NLDS. I didn't think it was going to be a sweep but I am not going to complain. Hamels and Halladay pitched gems to carry the team to its first postseason sweep in franchise history. For those of you who did not get to look at the starting pitching numbers, they were phenomenal. The starters threw 23 innings combined and gave up only three earned runs and 10 hits. They also struck out 22 Reds hitters while walking only two. This series has showed the Philly fans that times have indeed changed. In previous years, the Phillies managed to hit and slug their way to wins. This series proved that pitching has become the #1 factor this year. While this may not pose a problem to most, what happens if the Phils have to play San Fran? Sure, Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels will throw well but you would need to hit against Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez.
For a lineup with the power of Utley, Howard and Werth, this team should be scoring at least five runs a game. Even though they got by against Cincy scoring only 13 runs over three games, the next round may be a lot tighter depending on the match-up. Unfortunately, we are going to have to wait to see who the Phils will square off against for the NL Pennant, but which would be a better match-up for them? Many viewers believe the Braves are a more common foe for the Fightins and would be an easier task. The Phils were 10-8 against Atlanta this year. All of that aside, San Francisco may be that extra confidence boost this team needs to clinch their third straight trip to the Fall Classic. The Phils and Giants split their season series with three wins each. San Fran's pitching has been just as impressive if not more than the Phillies starters. In the 23 innings pitched, the Giants starters have given up only two earned runs off of 11 hits while striking out 31 Braves hitters. There is no doubt in saying that a Giants vs. Phillies match-up would be a memorable one and honestly...it is what I want to see.
The 2008 World Series was, hands down, my favorite moment being a Philly sports fan. For some reason, it left me hungry though. The match-up against the Rays seemed mediocre. Last year, when the Yanks and Phils went at it, it was exciting because it seemed like it was the best against the best. They did lose that series but, in my eyes, those are the games that make things more interesting. Here is why I think a Giants/Phils NLCS will make for a better series.
Phillies vs. Giants: I don't think you could ask for a better match-up pitching wise with these two teams. With the Phillies having home-field advantage, they would more than likely go with the same rotation as the NLDS for the top three with Joe Blanton being their #4 starter. That would set up the first three games as Halladay vs. Lincecum, Oswalt vs. Cain and Hamels vs. Sanchez with Blanton vs. Bumgarner in game four. Aces vs. Aces in the first three games. That makes for very exciting baseball. It might be a worry for the Phillies hitting, who have been struggling in the middle of the order in the playoffs thus far. Here is what I think...this series is what the Phillies need to test how good they can stack up against superior pitching. Winning a series against the Giants would give me a lot more confidence heading into the World Series than one against the Braves. If the Phillies are able to hit against their three top pitchers, they may be unbeatable for a championship against whoever they could play. The Giants line-up is also a little less threatening than the Braves. Notable hitters include Sandoval, Burrell, Huff and rookie sensation Buster Posey. I believe that if the pitching can outmatch the Giants just slightly, they will be able to win it. This series poses a lot of possible low scoring affairs and the Phils have proven time and time again that they can chip away at leads and capitalize on a team's mistakes. The SF bullpen has been inconsistent against the Braves and if the Phils can get to them early, they may be able to score a lot of runs. The Phillies bullpen looked great in game 2 against the Reds and are well rested. A series victory of this magnitude would, without question, give the Phils that extra fire going into the World Series.
Phillies vs. Braves: Brian McCann. Phillies killer. The first thing I think about when facing the Braves is the success that their hitters have against us. Brian McCann especially. He seems to be in the zone whenever he plays against Philly and always seems to change the game in favor of Atlanta. Even though the Phillies own the 10-8 regular season advantage, the playoffs is where desperation and clutch hits come in. Atlanta has shown that they do have that ability but their bullpen seems to screw it up for them. The Braves would throw Lowe, Hudson and Hanson in the first three games with the possibility of rookie Brandon Beachy in game four. The Phillies have faced Lowe in the playoff when they played the Dodgers and have good numbers against Hanson. Besides McCann, Atlanta has other sources of hitting in Rick Ankiel, Derek Lee and rookie-of-the-year candidate, Jason Heyward. This matchup might be more "familiar" for the Phillies and will still pose a difficult feat to overcome. The Phillies pitching and hitting is better than Atlanta and they proved that by coming back from a seven-game hole to win the NL East. We have seen so many Braves vs. Phillies games and sure and NL East showdown for the NL Championship might be exciting, but it just doesn't seem likes less of a test. The Giants pose a bigger threat overall and the Phillies need to overcome that test to move on confidently into the Fall Classic.
There are pros and cons to each scenario in the NLCS. As you can tell, I would rather see the Giants because I believe the victory over them will feel a lot better than a victory over the Braves. The Phillies advancing is the biggest factor, whether they end up playing Atlanta or San Francisco. I think the Braves will force a game five then Lincecum will close the door to seal it for the Giants. On the American League side, I think the Rangers will still get their first postseason series win in St. Petersburg and move on to face the Yanks for the AL Pennant.
The Phillies have taken the fans on an unbelievable ride these past few years and hopefully they keep it going in the NLCS. GO PHILLIES!
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