NLDS Preview: 5 Keys to the Phillies Beating the Cardinals
October 1, 2011 by Susan Cohen-Dickler
Filed under Fan News
After a wild and crazy final day of the regular season, the Philadelphia Phillies finally learned who their NLDS opponent would be: the St. Louis Cardinals. In fact, the Phillies played a part in the drama that night as they beat the Atlanta Braves in 13 innings, helping the Cardinals to complete their incredible climb from 8.5 games back to beat out the Braves for the National League Wild Card. The Cardinals prize? Facing the Phillies, the team with the best record in baseball, in the NLDS.
But many experts believe that the Cardinals, especially with their hot finish, may pose a challenge to the Phillies in a short series. The Cardinals were 6-3 against the Phillies in the regular season making them one of only three teams to post a winning record against the NL East winner.
In a short series unexpected things can and often do happen. The Cardinals, having worked so hard to get to the playoffs, would like nothing more than to knock off the favorites. As for the Phillies, they need to keep doing what they’ve been doing all year. And what might that be? Here are the five keys to the Phillies taking care of business and beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.