NLCS Game 4: A Strange Yet Familiar Script for the Philadelphia Phillies

Last night’s NLCS game followed a script very familiar to Phillies fans.

The team scratched out a first-inning run, helped along by the miscues of their opponent.  They got key contributions throughout the lineup.  The unexpected hitting star continued to shine.  They were patient and did some damage against an opposing reliever.  The relief ace was lights out.  And they won the game thanks to some late-game heroics.

Since 2008, the Phillies have seemed to follow that script several times en route to six series wins, two pennants and one World Series championship.  Except last night, it was the Giants who managed to follow the winning formula, and the Phillies who came up short.

It was the Giants who took advantage of two wild pitches to score a first-inning run.  It was the Giants who got big hits throughout their lineup.  It wasn’t Carlos Ruiz who continued to emerge as a postseason star—but rather Cody Ross.  Instead of the Phillies beating up on Jonathan Broxton, it was the Giants taking the lead against Chad Durbin.  It wasn’t Brad Lidge shutting down his opponents, but rather Brian Wilson who left the Phillies’ hitters looking helpless. 

And finally, it was the Giants who scored the winning run in the ninth inning.

And now it is the Giants who look poised to capture the National League pennant, which most people had pretty much handed to the Phillies before the postseason began.

The Giants look very similar to the 2008 Phillies right now.  Their lineup might not be nearly as dangerous—but as we’ve seen in the postseason, that doesn’t necessarily matter.  What does matter is that they’re receiving strong pitching performances, making all the necessary plays and coming up with key hits.

On the other hand, the Phillies look lost.  This series is starting to look an awful lot like the August series against the Astros where everything just seemed to go against the Phillies.  Their hitters are struggling.  The pitchers perform decently, but not quite well enough. The manager’s moves don’t work.  Umpire calls go against them.  (I’m certainly not blaming the umps for the loss, but that was one of the worst performances by a home plate umpire in awhile.  The strike zone had absolutely no consistency.)

Even when they appear to get a break, it doesn’t end up helping them.  Pablo Sandoval hit a ball that was ruled foul, but replays showed that it was probably fair.  (To be honest, that was about as close as a ball can come, and I don’t know if they could have overturned it even with replay).  Sandoval just came back and hit a double.

Or when a pitch seemed to hit Juan Uribe on the hand, but it was ruled a foul.  That didn’t stop Uribe from hitting the game-winning sacrifice fly.

So now the Phillies are trailing the series 3-1, and have to win three games against the Giants’ starting trio of Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain.  Considering the way they’ve struggled at the plate, it doesn’t seem like a promising scenario.

There was a lot of debate over Charlie Manuel’s decision to start Joe Blanton last night instead of Roy Halladay on short rest.  I agreed with the move, even though it didn’t work out.

First, Blanton is a much better pitcher than people think.  He’s not as good as the “Big Three,” but he’s proven to be a solid major-league starter.  He’s won postseason games for this team before, and pitched well in the second half.  A start by Blanton was far from an automatic loss.

More importantly, if they had gone with Halladay on short rest, then they would have also had to go with Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and then possibly Halladay again on short rest.  It seems like a bad idea to have the final four games of a series started by pitchers on short rest.

For those who suggested that they could just use Blanton for Game 5 or 6 instead, I don’t understand the logic behind that move.  If you don’t trust him in Game 4 matched against rookie Madison Bumgarner, then why would you trust him in a potentially more important game against Lincecum, Cain or Sanchez?

If there was a move by Manuel that should be questioned, it would be the use of Oswalt in relief.  While it isn’t unusual for a starter to be used in the bullpen between starts, the manager typically prepares the starter ahead of time, and tells him not to take his usual throwing session that day.  Supposedly, Oswalt had already thrown earlier in the day. 

I could understand using him if the game had gone into extra innings, and they were left with no other options.  But Manuel still had three relievers available.  Obviously, using the inconsistent Kyle Kendrick isn’t the preferred option (and they’d want to save him in case the game went long anyway), and I can understand saving Brad Lidge until they got a lead, otherwise he’d have to pitch multiple innings or be replaced. 

But why didn’t Manuel use JC Romero in the ninth?  I’d think that using an experienced relief pitcher would be a much better option than using one of his starters who had already thrown earlier in the day.  Was Romero unavailable for some reason?

Regardless, the game is over, and the Phillies are now faced with the task of winning three games in a row.  It is a difficult situation, but far from impossible.  The upside of going with Blanton last night is that they now have Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels lined up to start on full rest. 

The Giants’ starters may be imposing, but expecting the Phillies to win three straight games (two at home) started by their aces is far from unrealistic.

Hopefully starting tonight, the Phillies can remember how to get back to their winning ways.  Otherwise, they’re going to be faced with a script that has become very unfamiliar to them: Someone else celebrating a National League pennant.

Originally published on my blog: Stranger in a Strange Land

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Charlie Manuel Is the Most Overrated Manager in Baseball History

I am a Phillies fan and am one of the few people who has said from day one that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is terrible.  I have said the Phillies have won despite his ineptitude because they have an extremely talented team.  When the Phillies lose, they lose because of him. When they win, they win despite of him.

Manuel is a hero to most people in Philadelphia. People love Charlie and think he is an amazing manager.  I always ask people what he does that is so amazing, and they say he won a World Series and wins games.  However, this is what people don’t understand.  He won a World Series because he has an immensely talented team.  He wins games for the same reason.

The Phillies’ success is solely because they are so good, and Manuel has not been able to screw it up in the past.  He has never been a good manager and it was exposed last year when he was badly out-strategized by Joe Girardi and it is being exposed again this year when he is being badly out-managed by Bruce Bochy, who is an excellent manager.

I have never seen a more evident example of Manuel’s poor abilities than in Game 4 of the NLCS.

First, the Phillies continue to pitch Cody Ross inside with fastballs.  It’s the only pitch he can hit; stop throwing it to him there!

Second, Charlie came out to get Joe Blanton in the fifth inning, then decided to leave him in to give up a hit to give the Giants another run when he should have pulled him for Contreras right then.

Third, he left Chad Durbin in way too long when he was getting shelled.

Fourth, he did not give Jimmy Rollins the bunt sign in an obvious bunt situation with a runner on second base and no one out in a tie game.

Fifth, he let Oswalt pitch the ninth inning.  While it would have been okay to pitch Oswalt if the game went to extra innings, he still had Romero in the bullpen and he should have went to Romero there (especially since Huff a lefty was at the plate).

Sixth, he left Bastardo in to face right handed hitters, when he should have just faced the lefty.

Seventh, the Phillies inexplicably sent Carlos Ruiz with one out in the 5th inning on a hard hit ball to center field, I know, Manuel isn’t the third base coach but it’s his coaching staff, so I believe he still gets part of the blame.

Finally, he did not double switch in the fifth inning and let Contreras pitch to only one batter.  He also could have let Contreras bat with two outs and no one on in the sixth. 

Charlie knew Blanton got chased early, so he could have left Contreras in to start the sixth inning. Had he done that, he may still have had more arms available in the ninth, like Ryan Madson. 

If Contreras pitched the sixth, Chad Durbin could have moved to the seventh, Antonio Bastardo/Madson doesn’t happen till the eighth and most likely Madson stays in to pitch the 9th. 

There are probably more examples I am forgetting.  The reality is that Manuel often leaves pitchers in too long, fails to double switch when he should and uses no strategy whatsoever in the everyday context of the game.

He is one of the worst managers in baseball, and gets away with being a moron because the Phillies are an extremely talented team.  Anyone could win with this team, and Manuel is trying his best to screw it up.

Manuel also missed a great chance to fire his team up in the first inning.  He should have been out of the dugout to argue a horrendous called third strike on Victorino on a pitch that was about a foot inside.  If I am Charlie Manuel in that situation, I argue that call and if I get ejected, I get ejected.  It would have sent a great message to the team that you have their back and probably fired up your team.  Lou Pinella would have been out of the dugout faster than Michael Johnson ran the 100 yard dash.

I have pointed out to people all the mistakes and dumb decisions Charlie makes on an almost regular basis.  People used to tell me I was crazy, but then they started paying attention and now most people I know agree with me.

Notice that I have not mentioned starting Blanton as a bad decision, because personally I think it was the right move, even though they lost.  I would rather have the big three on full rest than have them all on short rest, so to be fair, I don’t blame Manuel at all for that one.

He costs the Phillies about 10 wins a year with his poor managerial decisions, and he will likely cost them the NLCS with his stupidity as well.

The only good news is the Phillies have three very good pitchers in the next three games and they might pull it out. If they do, it will once again be in spite of Charlie.  Manuel does nothing to help this team win.

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NLCS Report Card: Phillies Missing That Phight

After four game into the NCLS, we have ourselves quite a matchup, but with contrasting results.

The Phillies have looked consevative, out of sync, and at times, without that fight that has made them who they are.

The Giants, on the other hand, have looked cool, crisp, and methodical which are the very tratis that helped them win the West.

Last night’s game was a little indicative of the aforementioned.

While it’s hard to put a grade on a game that was really based around well hit and placed balls, there are some specifics that could’ve made a difference.

Let’s take a look.= at last night’s report card.

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2010 NLCS Phillies-Giants Game 4: Is the Romance in Philadelphia Over?

Now before I address my analysis of this game, let me get one thing clear.

Jimmy Rollins, in 2008, called Phillies fans “front-runners.” Now, was that called for J-Roll? Do you really think we’re front-runners?

Or is it that we care too much? So much, that we are in deep when the dagger goes through our hearts? Kinda like a Romeo and Juliet kinda thing.

Some of us love our Phils so much this 3-1 hole could resemble the “death-like coma” that Juliet was in…how do we respond to what seems to be a tragedy? Dramatically. Just as Romeo did. It could cost us, though (as it always does). It could make us look ridiculous, like the rest of the Nation thinks we are, when really, it’s passion.

With that being said—the Phillies suck!

The game was over when one-fourth of our stubborn shot-callers of Philadelphia decided to keep Blanton as the starter when everyone knew, even him, that this was a game that was absolutely needed. How do we know Manuel was caught like a deer in the headlights? Roy Oswalt closed the…(gathering myself)…when Roy Oswalt closed the game.

That told me, Charlie is making a desperate move NOW in the ninth, when he should have made an urgent move BEFORE the first.

The bats—you can’t ask anymore out of the bats, (not really) they did their job. (It’s all politics, folks.) The pitching however…not good enough.

This one falls on Manuel’s hand.

If it’s not enough, he went with Blanton in the first place after 20, or so, days of not throwing a ball in a series in which they were down 2-1, and he yanks him in the fifth as if his first name were Jerry, and he managed the Mets.

Blanton still had the lead, albeit, he was laboring through. His decision set in motion a chain of events that ended with Roy Oswalt trying to pitch in a wildly unfamiliar role, needless to say (so why am I saying it?), he failed. Oswalt gave up two singles and a sacrifice fly that proved costly for the Phils, and made our managers look extremely _____ (fill in the blank). You name it.

While I’ll give Manuel credit, he was trying to win the game at all costs—and that does says a lot about a man, this is not PS3; can’t expect that to work in real life Uncle Char.

Phil Sheridan of Philly.com, couldn’t have said it better when he said in his column:

We’ll never know what would have happened if they had started Roy Halladay on short rest Wednesday night. Maybe he would have shut the Giants down, maybe not. Manuel’s gamble was that Blanton would turn in a decent start, the offense would score a few runs off rookie Madison Bumgarner, and the series would be tied.

And that’s just what was happening until Manuel walked to the mound with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Let’s be clear. No one is suggesting Blanton is any more than what he is, a good major-league pitcher. He does not have the stellar array of pitches that Halladay, Oswalt, and Cole Hamels use to dazzle hitters. He is not a shutout waiting to happen.

But Manuel and Dubee decided to give him the ball in the biggest game of the postseason so far. If that was the right call, then logic dictates they needed to go all in with Blanton. If he was good enough to deserve this start, he was good enough to finish the fifth and then go another inning or two.

How could I have said it any better?

After the game, Manuel said, as reported by David Murphy of Philly.com:

“He [Oswalt] already told [pitching coach Rich] Dubee that he was ready to go. He wanted to be in there. I didn’t ask him. Dubee told me Oswalt could go.”  Manuel was asked that since he used Oswalt, why didn’t he just start ace Roy Halladay in Game 4? “I think I have answered that haven’t I?” Manuel said. “[Joe] Blanton had a lead when he left.” 

Stubborn.

Charlie, if Oswalt told you he wanted to jump off a bridge—would you let him?

I’ve made it very clear, all season…I’ve made numerous predictions this year and I can’t think of one that hasn’t come to fruition.

So this, what I’m about to say, is scary.

Philadelphia…it’s all over. Not officially, of course. But, in a Romeo and Juliet kind of way. 3-1 is a deficit not many overcome. Could this be another thing to add to the Phillies legacy? A 3-1 comeback?

Maybe, but I’m afraid not. The Phils need to figure something out, quick. Before this love affair becomes a complete tragedy. We need the Friar to make sure the message gets to Philly fans like me, who are making dramatic predictions such as these:

Giants in six. (Shaking my head.)

Rip me to shreds Philly. Tell me I’m wrong. Be the messenger that didn’t get to Romeo in time to tell him it isn’t what it appears to be. I need the pep talk.

Bookmark this article and I hope you all have the chance to return and tell me what an idiot I am in true Philly style. I can handle it. It’s certainly something I’d be glad to be dead wrong and ignorant about.

Oh Philly, wherefore art thou bats? Wherefore art thou strikes? And wherefore art thou manager’s brains? For never was a story of more woe / Than this of what happened, in Game 4, in San Francisco.

Note: This article also appears on Sports Haze.com.

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Phillies Fail To Do ‘The Little Things’ in NLCS Game 4 and It Costs Them

There’s no doubt about it. That was a heart breaker. And while the Phillies have their Big 3 lined up to attempt to climb out of the hole they find themselves in, they’ll be facing a Big 3 every bit as formidable—at least in these playoffs—of the Giants.

So what went wrong in Game 4? Well, the Phillies finally scored some runs. Five of them in fact. But they had chances to score more.

Every bit as important (and fatal) was poor run prevention. Here’s what I saw happen in Game 5:

THE BIG PICTURE

• I feel like every game has featured an inconsistent strike zone. It was, however, consistently poor for both teams.

• Madison Bumgarner, despite striking out five batters his first time through the Phillies order, didn’t scare me. His fastball was straight and his offspeed pitches were not overly impressive. The Phillies could have and probably should have put more runs on him before getting into the Giants’ bullpen.

• Joe Blanton pitched OK, recovering from early command issues. However, his inability to pitch deep into the game exposed the Phillies’ lack of bullpen depth. The assumption is that our bullpen is fine—and it is when Doc, Oswalt or Hamels go seven, but outside of Madson, Contreras and Lidge, the teams lacks power relievers. While it’s tough to be hard on a guy who pitched just one-third of an inning against the Reds in the postseason, Chad Durbin did not get the job done tonight. His fastball was lifeless and he was lucky to survive the sixth inning allowing just two runs.

 

THE LITTLE THINGS

• I know what a balk is and so does Mitch Williams. First base umpire Jeff Nelson apparently does not.

• Tim McCarver is the worst.

• After prodding from Fox, I considered purchasing stock in Giants Starting Pitching on E-Trade…searched and searched, but couldn’t find it.

• That was the best bunt of Joe Blanton’s life in the fifth inning. He really shocked me there as outside of Halladay, he has to be the worst bunter on the starting pitchers.

• Third base coach Sam Perlozzo cost the Phillies a run when he windmilled Carlos Ruiz home on a Shane Victorino single in the top of the fifth. The team would have had runners on the corners with one out for Chase Utley who singled in his at-bat.

• Shane Victorino showed inattention to detail when he failed to move up to second base on the play at the plate on Ruiz. This did not end up hurting the Phils as Placido Polanco came up with a huge two-out double, but when the offense is struggling, you need to take advantage of every opportunity.

• Jimmy Rollins went 0-3 with RISP and had a particularly horrendous at-bat in the top of the eighth. After Howard and Werth started the inning with back-to-back doubles, Rollins lofted a weak pop-up to shallow left field, failing in his duty to advance Werth to third.

• Second guessing Charlie: Why not bring in a lefty to pitch to Huff in the bottom of the fifth? Why not pinch-hit for Ben Francisco with Ross Gload or Raul Ibanez against Sergio Romo in the top of the eighth? Yes, Francisco can hit a fastball from either a lefty or a righty, but Romo had no intention of giving in and threw him three straight sliders.

• Leadoff walks to Andres Torres in the fifth and Pat Burrell in the sixth turned into two runs for the Giants. YOU CAN’T WALK THE LEADOFF MAN. Especially, when those leadoff men are Torres and Burrell.

• Placido Polanco misplayed a potential double play ball in the bottom of the fifth that would eventually allow Torres to score. Combining a leadoff walk with a misplay with a bad matchup of Blanton vs. Huff for a run was a frustrating result.

• I think it may have been a mistake to include Domonic Brown on the playoff roster. He’s basically useless as a pinch-hitter, going 3-for-17 on the year as a substitute. As terrible as Greg Dobbs was on the year, I’d prefer his experience to seeing Brown look simply overmatched in his two postseason trips to the plate.

• Juan Uribe made the play of the game robbing Ross Gload of a hit to lead off the ninth. Of course, Gload could easily have been called safe (tie goes to the runner, si?).

• Brian Wilson is either a lot better than I thought he was or he’s simply pitching right now a lot better than he actually is. As Buck and McCarver correctly pointed out, he hasn’t given the Phillies a chance to do much damage against him. He’s stayed on the outer half of the plate and thrown strikes. I do not fear his beard.

• I still don’t know what to think about tossing Oswalt out there. Obviously the move didn’t work, as Roy was charged with the loss and apparently he had already thrown his bullpen session in preparation for Saturday’s (hopeful) start. Seems a bit risky to me, but then of course, Charlie’s alternatives were Kyle Kendrick and JC Romero. Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess.

• Just in case he reads this, Dan Lauletta correctly pointed out on Facebook that Carlos Ruiz has to be questioned a bit for some of his calls behind the plate. First and foremost was the offspeed pitch he called against Juan Uribe that turned into the game winning sacrifice fly. I’m guessing his thought process was to surprise Uribe after four straight fastballs but the move backfired. In addition, the high fastball he called for in Pablo Sandoval’s at-bat wasn’t my cup of tea. 89 MPH fastballs at the belt can get smashed in the big leagues, and the Panda smashed Durbin’s offering.

• Cody Ross. What a pain in the neck. I’m not going to blame Chooch for the ongoing Cody issues. I can’t remember a pitch he’s hit well where Chooch wasn’t moving his glove. I’m pretty sure he’s not calling low inside fastballs, but that everyone keeps missing their spots. I think whoever is facing him is just psyched out by his present aura of invincibility and is trying to be too perfect. As a reminder to Phillies pitchers everywhere: He’s still Cody Ross.

• The Phillies had kept Buster Posey under control in the series so far. Until tonight. It didn’t look like anything they threw him would get him out. Each and every at-bat was very impressive. Oswalt had him down 0-2 in the bottom of the ninth and after just missing a double down the line and spoiling a tough two strike pitch, he poked a single down the line that setup the game-winning sac fly.

There is still light at the end of the tunnel. The offense showed a pulse in Game 4 and I’d say contrary to popular belief, Lincecum didn’t exactly dominate the Phillies in Game 1. They can hit him, but as Wee Willie Keeler would say, the key is “to hit it where they ain’t.”

I don’t see Halladay making the same mistakes he made in Game 1. The key is to bring the series back home and get the crowd involved. The friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park should produce a few home runs and for an offense struggling to sustain more than one (if that) rally per game, the long ball can be a cure-all.

It’ll be difficult, but this remains a winnable series for the Phillies. I still believe…a little.

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Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Francisco Giants: Game 4 Live Blog

Good evening baseball fans! Welcome to Game Four of the NLCS between the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants.

Bleacher bum Evan Adrian here, taking you every step of the way through this pivotal matchup.

Philadelphia decided not to send Roy Halladay out on short rest, so Joe Blanton will take the mound for Philadelphia the first time this postseason. San Francisco trots out 21-year-old rookie Madison Bumgarner, who pitched six solid innings against the Braves, giving up just two runs in the series-clincher.

Philly is desperate for a win, which would tie this NLCS at two games a piece. Can Blanton come through? Keep it here to find out!

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Playing Philadelphia Phillies Manager: Four Moves for NLCS Game 4 and Beyond

Phillies’ skipper Charlie Manuel has played things pretty much straight up over the past two postseasons and has two NL Pennants and a World Series ring to show for it. With his team finding itself down two games to one and the next two contests in AT&T Park, the time is right to veer from previous course. 

San Franciso Giants manager Bruce Bochy adjusted his lineup for Game 3 and it paid large dividends. 

Moving certified Phillies killer Cody Ross up to the five hole put him in position to drive in the games first, and ultimate winning run. The line single to left plated non prototypical leadoff hitter Edgar Renteria, who had started the rally.  

And, former Phil Aaron Rowand got his first start of the postseason in place of Andres Torres, who has provided nothing offensively other than a breeze from his empty whiffs. Rowand, of course, responded with a double and later scored to extend the Giants lead to 3-0. 

Any notion that Jimmy Rollins might have kick started the Phillies offense with his bases loaded double on Sunday night was quickly dismissed with another moribund postseason showing. 

Yes, Matt Cain is pretty good, but the Phillies have owned him prior to his two-hit, no run work over seven innings yesterday. He was 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA against the Phillies coming into the game. 

Cain, Javier Lopez, and the anti-Beach Boy Brian Wilson combined to shutout the Phillies on three hits. They seemingly alternated between striking out Phillies hitters and getting them to hit routine ground balls to second baseman Freddy Sanchez.  

The time has come for Manuel to change things up to perhaps trigger a spark or avoid digging a bigger hole. Here are four suggestions for tonight’s game that could make a difference. 

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How the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies Can Save Their Seasons

The preseason favorites. The favorites after 162 games. The favorites after Game 6 in 2009.

These titles refer to the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yet they stand on the wrong side of the win-loss hyphen.

Both are losing to unproven teams with little postseason experience who were considered World Series long-shots before the season—the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants.

Here’s some advice to both teams on how they can turn things around.

 

Yankees

The Yankees need the most help, looking up at a 3-1 deficit. On top of that, they have to face Cliff Lee again and play two games in Arlington, Texas. Ouch. The Yankees’ to-do list is long. Or it’s a singular item, depending on your approach.

The Yankees still have to face this guy—in Texas—if they want a chance to repeat as world champions.

The List:

• Turn the pressure around. Even though the pressure is on the Yankees right now to win three straight, they can’t allow themselves to be enveloped by that pressure. Take some, use it for fuel, and turn the rest onto the Rangers. Prove to them you aren’t out of it. If nothing else, make them fear you just because you’re the Yankees.
• Make the Rangers work for their last win. That means taking pitches and getting to the bullpen. It means driving the ball hard, even if it’s for an out. It means not giving them easy outs. They still need 27 outs.
• Jump on the starters early. You’ve now seen CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis in the series. You know what they’ve got. Know what pitch you can hit, and jump on it.
• Play perfect defense. A good team makes you pay for giving them 4 (or more) outs in an inning. A team like the Rangers uses it to put you away.

Then there’s the short list:

• Play Yankees baseball.

 

Phillies

The Phillies are in a better position. Down 2-1, they still have the best pitching trio in baseball set to pitch in three of four games. Not coincidentally, three wins will get them to the World Series. The problem is, the Giants have a pretty good trio of their own.

The List:

• Stop helping the Giants. You can’t give a team extra outs and expect to survive. The Phillies almost suffered that fate against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 2 of the NLDS, but luckily the Reds defense turned around and gave those outs right back…and then some.
• Get a strong outing from Joe Blanton in Game 4. Winning Game 4 would be huge, and the key is staying in the game early on. With the Philly offense sputtering (okay, more like breaking down a few miles from home), the pitching needs to be extra sharp.
• Take Cody Ross out of the game. This is not a call for head-hunting, but you have to do something to keep this guy from hurting you. Pitch around him.  Don’t let anyone on base in front of him. But most importantly, don’t throw the ball down and in.

Cody Ross has killed the Phillies through three games. Limiting his opportunities is a key to the Phillies’ comeback attempts.

• Shake up the lineup. Charlie Manuel has to find a way to jump-start this offense. After hitting .212 against the Reds, they are under .200 in the NLCS. Maybe you put Jimmy Rollins back in the lead-off spot. Maybe you sit Raul Ibanez against the lefty in Game 4, going instead with Ben Francisco. Maybe you completely change the lineup—the Phillies have five guys in their lineup who have led-off for this team in the past, and another with the OBP to do so.
• Hit home runs. Ryan Howard is hitting the ball hard, but not out.  He needs to launch one to energize this team. A home run out of the lead-off spot would set the tone for the offense as well.
• Capitalize on opportunities. You know why Cody Ross is killing you? It’s because he’s doing what you’re not—taking a mistake pitch, or his pitch, and jumping on it. Don’t let opportunities—like lead-off base-runners and belt-high fastballs—go to waste.
• Know when to be patient and when to be aggressive. Guys like Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain don’t give you much to hit, so when you get a fastball, swing. You handled Sanchez perfectly. Knowing his tendency to be wild, you were patient early and were rewarded with walks. But as the game wore on, Sanchez tried harder to throw strikes, and you jumped on fastballs thrown early in the count.

That might seem like a lot, and frankly, it is. But it’s nothing that these teams haven’t done for years with roughly the same group of guys. A Phillies-Yankees rematch is still a possibility, and until a team has been beaten four times, don’t count either of them out.  This should be one heck of a finish.

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NLCS Game 3: Matt Cain Shuts Down Phillies

In a press conference the other day, Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel said his team really hasn’t hit since the first half of last season. Well, the man knows his team and knows what he is talking about.

Since the start of the second half last and including this year’s postseason, the Phillies have hit .245 as a team. Things only got worse for the Philly batters in Game 3 of the NLCS.

San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Matt Cain completely shut down the Phillies for seven innings, and Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson finished the job as the Giants beat the Phillies 3-0 to take a 2-1 series lead in their best-of-seven NLCS.

Cain pitched seven strong innings allowing just two hits, no runs, three walks and struck out five in the 119-pitch effort. Was Cain “Oh my god” great? No, he wasn’t, but he was good enough.

Out of his 119 pitches, only 69 of them were strikes, so his ball-to-strike ratio was almost 1-to-1. He also pegged Carlos Ruiz and Shane Victorino. Not too impressive, but Cain used a combination of four-seem fastballs, changeups and sliders to keep the Phillies’ hitters at bay.

The key for Cain in this game was the above mentioned changeup. It was as good as it gets today for Cain. He threw 30 changeups, and 14 of them were for strikes.

The key? He kept it down. Here is his pitch type plot courtesy of the PitchFX tool…

The changeups are in yellow, and Cain did an outstanding job all afternoon of keeping the change down, so when the Philly batters did hit the ball, it was on the ground.

Cain now hasn’t allowed a run in two postseason starts.

Here are some other observations from Game 3…

The way Cole Hamels went through the first nine batters, I thought he would throw a perfect game today. Nine up and nine down, and the Giants looked completely overmatched early.

The Pat Burrell walk with two outs in the fourth was a killer. Burrell walks and then Cody Ross singles, then Aubrey Huff singled, and just like that, the Giants were up 2-0.

Ross has a 1.444 OPS this series. Just sayin’.

The Phillies won’t win this series if Chase Utley continues to play like he is playing. His error in the fifth that led to the Giants’ third run was a back breaker, and he is batting .100 in this series at the plate.

How bad is Jimmy Rollins hurting right now? The guy couldn’t make it to second on a ball hit to the right field wall in the ninth. Granted the ball was scorched, but a healthy Rollins makes it to second on that hit.

Manuel is making the right decision to go with Joe Blanton in Game 4. Even if they lose, the Phillies will have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Hamels on full rest for the final three games of the series. I will take my chances with those three down the stretch.

Wilson is locked in right now. 2.1 IP and 5 K’s.

Game 4 is Wednesday night at 7:57 PM est.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

NLCS 2010: 10 Ways the Philadelphia Phillies Can Turn Around Things

What are the 10 ways the Phillies can turn the NLCS around and become the first NL team since the 1940s to reach three straight World Series?

Thank you for asking.

After doing nothing against Matt Cain and Co. in Game 3, how do the prohibitive National League favorites right the ship? 

Can they afford to lose Game 4, pinning their hopes on H20 to carry them the next three games?

How can they revive their offense? It has been somewhat erratic in the regular season, yet it is still one of the best lineups in baseball and much better (on paper) than the Giants.

Does their ever-faithful skipper Charlie Manuel need to make any changes?

Check out my 10-point prescription for how the Phillies can turn around this series. Some points may be obvious, one or two may be satirical, and a few may even be insightful.

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