NLCS 2011: 5 Key Aspects of Phillies-Cardinals Series Heading into Game 5

While Phillies Nation (but hopefully, not the players) nervously await Friday night’s NLCS rubber game versus the Cardinals, MLB and more neutral fans must be celebrating the good fortune of three of the four division series heading to winner-take-all games.

Can baseball have drawn it up much better? It almost matches the insane drama of the last night of the regular season, featuring four climactic games being played almost simultaneously.

The drama and tension of the Phillies-Cardinals series is palpable. It’s hard to make complete sense of what has happened in the first four games (surprises have abounded, without even analyzing the baserunning skills of a certain, notorious squirrel), but is a Game 5 all that surprising?

I admit that I am a little surprised: I predicted the Phillies to win in four.  

What follows is my take on Five Key Aspects of the Phillies-Cardinals NLCS.

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Cardinals vs Phillies Video: Watch Squirrel Drive Roy Oswalt Nuts in Game 4

Philadelphia Phillies versus St. Louis Cardinals: The Return of the Squirrel.

If they were making a movie about this incident, that would be the title. Luckily for us, they’re not.

For the second straight game in the Phillies-Cardinals series, a squirrel made a cameo in Busch Stadium. This time, the squirrel ran right across the batter’s box just moments after Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt had delivered a pitch.

Oswalt tried to argue the call, but to no avail. His arguing the call just goes to show you that almost any professional athlete would love to pull a fast one on an official of their sport. Nonetheless, Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel was out there a few seconds later arguing for his pitcher.

If this squirrel had decided to grace Fenway Park or Wrigley Field with its presence, the squirrel would have had an automatic impact on the game. Fate would be blamed. Even if the rodent had no affect on the game, the squirrel would be barred from the stadium, never to enjoy another Cracker Jack.

Regardless of the impact it had on the game, which should have been none, it was a candid moment to break up the seriousness of the game. The little critter would continue on into the crowd, causing some fans to act as if a bear was about to attack.

Watch as some fans pop out of their seats as if the squirrel is going to jump in their laps and eat their overpriced game-day snack. A win for the coverage team is the fact that the cameraman never took a spill on either occasion while tracking the squirrel.

The same can’t be said for the cameraman following Adrian Beltre to home plate, whose tumble was well broadcasted on sports shows and the Internet.

Because the squirrel ran between the mound and home plate, commentators brought up the infamous dove that Randy Johnson exploded with a fastball way back in the 1990s. One commentator even said the bird left more peacefully.

Wow.

The squirrel drama was eventually quelled and the game continued on.

Makes you miss the squirrel a little, doesn’t it?

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2011 MLB Playoffs: Why Roy Halladay Must Beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5

The MLB playoffs mean a lot to fans, to players, to managers—they’re understandably important to just about everyone involved with MLB in some way or another. But there’s one person these playoffs must matter to more than anyone else.

Roy Halladay.

But why should they matter to “Doc” Halladay more than anyone else? After all, he might be the best pitcher of his generation.

When it comes to regular season accolades, what more can Halladay accomplish? Cy Young award in both leagues? Check. Multiple All-Star Selections? Check (Eight total). Perfect Game? Check. It’s clear that Halladay is basically a lock for the Hall of Fame based on his regular season achievements alone.

But Doc also has some other very impressive things on his resume: he’s on the cover of a baseball video game (albeit the inferior competitor to MLB: The Show) and he pitched a no-hitter in his first career playoff start. When sports talk radio hosts and know-it-all sportswriters (like me) have the discussion about “Who would be my pitcher if I had to win one game,” Halladay is usually at the top of the list. Hell, he probably should be the list.

There’s nothing left for you to accomplish, Doc. You’re like a superstar collegiate quarterback after a Heisman-winning junior year: You’ve done all you can do, it’s time for the next level.

Because there’s one thing that has eluded Halladay in his 14-year career: That same thing which eluded other hall of famers like Dan Marino, Charles Barkley, Frank Thomas and Jeff Kent. The ring.

There’s no doubt that Halladay wants that little piece of jewelry like the blazing eye of Sauron in “Lord of the Rings” (nerd reference, sorry). And he’s never going to have a better opportunity than this year to get it.

The Phillies are stacked—prohibitive favorites to win the World Series. For years they’ve had a lineup anchored by some of the best hitters in the game: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins. But then GM Ruben Amaro Jr. decided to assemble a poker player’s wildest dream: four aces.

He added Cliff Lee to his already talented top three of Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, and the pitchers have been sickeningly dominant.

Here’s some numbers to mull over: In the NL, Hamels, Halladay and Lee are all in the top five in WHIP, top six in ERA and top 10 in strikeouts. For those of you who prefer sabermetric stats, Halladay’s WAR is an absurd 8.2, followed by Lee (6.7) and Hamels (4.9). Oswalt’s season was limited to 23 starts, but he still posted a respectable 3.69 ERA with 2.5 WAR.

But like so many championship runs, this window is closing fast. Oswalt is 34 years old, and Lee is right behind him at 33. We’re likely nearing the end for at least one of Philly’s aces; only so many pitchers can have pinpoint control and smarts like Greg Maddux that allows them to keep chucking into their late-30s and early-40s.

The Phillies overall are not a young team. It feels like only yesterday that Howard couldn’t get past Jim Thome to be the team’s starting first baseman; but Howard is 31 now, and big fellas with his body type can flame out pretty fast in their 30s. Utley has also crossed that 30-year-old threshold, and free-agent-to-be Rollins might be gone in the offseason. Rebuilding can’t be put off forever—just ask the Boston Red Sox, who have some tough questions to ask after spending $300+ million the last two years with nothing to show for it.

So the time is now for Halladay. He couldn’t ask for a better draw: Philadelphia has a tremendous pitching advantage over every NL competitor. And in the World Series, who would best the four aces? The Yankees and Tigers both have one-man pitching rotations, and C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander can’t pitch every game in a series.

The Phillies should have beaten the Giants in the NLCS last year. On paper, the matchup wasn’t even close—but as the saying goes, games aren’t played on paper. The Phils are easily favorites again this year, and there are no excuses if they fail to deliver another championship.

As the most dominant and talented ace on a staff full of them, Halladay must pitch one of the best games of his career against the Cardinals. This is Halladay’s best chance at getting his ring, and his legacy may forever be defined by this playoff run—a run which will end Friday night if he doesn’t lead the Phillies to victory. No pressure, Doc.

For more foolish analysis, with an occasional witty comment, follow me on Twitter (@FernandoRGallo)

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Cardinals vs. Phillies: Philadelphia’s Sluggers Make Them the Clear Team to Beat

Things seemed to be looking good for the Cardinals in Game 1 against the Cardinals. Lance Berkman had hit a three-run homerun in the first inning and St. Louis was sitting with a nice 3-1 lead. Then the bottom of the fifth happened.

Ryan Howard belted a three-run homer of his own, giving Philadelphia the lead. After a Shane Victorino single, Raul Ibanez belted a two-run shot of his own. All of a sudden the Cardinals, the rest of the National League and the entire American League was put on notice.

The Phillies are the best team in baseball. We know that the pitching staff is vaunted, but there was one persisting question. How would their aging offense manage in the playoffs? Would the bats fall flat like they did last October?

Well, a lot of games remain, but the first game is showing that the answer is a resounding no.

Philadelphia didn’t stop there, as they went on to an 11-6 win. Halladay didn’t allow a single run after Berkman’s blast, retiring each of hist last 23 batters.

It’s not just the arms. Philadelphia’s bats are clicking. The pitching was great, but you don’t win 102 games on pitching alone. Even a great pitching team will only win between 80-90 games if the bats don’t back them up.

The Phillies are not just built for the playoffs, but now that they’re there and the bats are swinging, they are in it to win it.

There simply isn’t a team left with the same caliber of pitchers that Philadelphia has. Remember, the Phillies very nearly outpitched the Giants in the 2010 NLCS (Philadelphia actually scored more runs than the Giants). Since that series, the Phillies have added Cliff Lee to the rotation and Hunter Pence to the lineup.

Philadelphia also won’t hit a team that has San Francisco’s pitching.

It’s just one game and you never want to go too strong off of that, but Philadelphia’s arms are undeniable and their bats seem ready to join the party this October.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Their 10 Greatest Playoff Moments

The Philadelphia Phillies have had some crazy moments in postseason play history, and some of those moments are so indelible that many of us are just waiting to find out what the next great chapter will be.

Today, I would like to take a walk down memory lane and discuss what I feel are the 10 best moments in Phillie postseason history.

Won’t you join me?

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Phillies vs. Cardinals: Roy Halladay Puts Phils Weak Offense in Huge Hole

Roy Halladay stepped to the mound for the heavily favored Phils in Game One of the NLDS and wasted no time laying an egg. He gave up three runs before anyone had a chance to blink an eye, and just like that the anemic Phils offense was in a hole they are not in a position to climb out of.

Lance Berkaman delivered the big blow as he hit a two-run jack with one out in the first. And with that, the Cardinals capitalized on the old adage that if you are going to get to a great pitcher you have to get to them early.

And in the course of his slow start Halladay set a dangerous precedent. These fantastic Phillies pitchers cannot afford to let teams jump ahead of them early. Their offense is not setup to overcome that deficit.

Especially in the landscape of the playoffs where they are going to face better pitching throughout the game.

The Phillies hit just .253 during the regular season. That was the 16th ranked team average in the majors.

Their is not a stretch of the Phillies lineup that opposing pitchers will fear. Beyond that there isn’t a single hitter that pitchers will fear.

While they have a lineup of decent hitters, they don’t have one player that is offensively equipped to take this team on his back and carry them.

Give an opposing pitcher an early lead, and they are going to come out attacking the zone with confidence, and mow down the Phillies lineup.

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NLCS Prediction: The Philadelphia Phillies Will Play the Milwaukee Brewers

The Phillies will beat the Cards.

Since Philadelphia reacquired Cliff Lee, they have been the favorites to win the World Series. Their potent lineup, rotation of aces and stellar regular season only showed all of baseball why they are the team to fear. 

They are facing the St.Louis Cardinals, who obviously are not the team they once were.

Chris Carpenter pitched the season finale for them, so their Game 1 starter, who is going up against the likely Cy Young winner in Roy Halladay, will be Kyle Lohse, who is a good pitcher but definitely not the caliber of pitcher as Halladay, Lee or Hamels. Despite the injuries the Cards have endured, they still have a good rotation after Carpenter in Jaime Garcia and Lohse, but they are nothing like the Phils. 

The Cards have a strong offense centered around Pujols, but unfortunately Holliday is currently hampered by a finger injury. They are going to really need Berkman and Molina to step up offensively if they want to survive this round. 

As we have continued to see, Halladay can dominate a game at will and even complete games at will. The Phillies will have the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, so this all just stacks the odds in their favor. They are probably the only team in the playoffs who don’t have to worry about pitching their ace more than once in any series, so their pitchers will get all the rest needed. 

As for their offense, well, they have Howard, Pence, Utley, Victorino, Polanco and Rollins…do I really need to get in to it? 

 

The Brewers will beat the D’Backs.

Kirk Gibson has done a phenomenal job with the D’Backs. If he were to win Manager of the Year, it would be well deserved.

Ian Kennedy has pitched masterfully this season, winning over 20 games

The Brewers, however, are probably the biggest threat for the Phillies in the National League. They have two MVP candidates in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder; and they have two aces in Yovani Gallardo, who had 17 wins, and Zack Greinke, who had 16 wins. They also got solid seasons out of 13-game winners Randy Wolf and Shaun Marcum. They have a phenomenal bullpen starting with their two closers John Axford, who had 46 saves, and Frankie Rodriguez along with LaTroy Hawkins, who had 20 holds this season. 

The Brewers are a team to be feared; they have offense, scary power and great pitching. They are a gritty team that can play on all cylinders and will make the NLCS one to watch. 

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MLB Playoffs 2011: 6 Most Overrated Statistics in the Phillies-Cardinals Series

As the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals playoff series approaches and series previews are written, invariably many fans and writers will talk about random statistics based almost entirely on either small sample sizes or flawed metrics (wins, RBI, anyone?).

I don’t care what Ryan Howard’s average is in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium against Kyle Lohse, before the second inning and between 50 and 60 degrees, but whatever it is, I can tell you how he’ll most likely perform in the future.

Chances are he’ll hit about the same, as his numbers over the last few seasons suggest, against an above average, right-handed pitcher.

Please note I just made this scenario up and have no idea what it actually is, but it’s used to serve the point. 

Now, onto the stats.

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Philadelphia Phillies vs St. Louis Cardinals: Live Reaction from NLDS Game 1

As the calendar flips to the start of October, so does the switch on what is sure to be an electric month in Major League Baseball.  The postseason always delivers enough magic to keep fans coming back in droves to witness the next great moment in baseball lore.

Tonight’s NLDS Game 1 matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies promises to be no different and should be packed with energy from the very first pitch.

From the moment that Roy Halladay takes the rubber until the cleaning crew begins prepping Citizens Bank Park for Game 2, Bleacher Report will have you covered with an array of commentary, reactions and updates.  With fine pitching on the hill and two explosive offenses battling this evening in Philadelphia, you can expect a constant stream of action in the opener.

This crucial Game 1 will feature the reigning Cy Young winner Halladay squaring off against ex-Phillie Kyle Lohse, with the winner moving one game closer in this best-of-five sprint to the NLCS. Trying to replicate his no-hitter in Game 1 last season against Cincinnati, Doc will have to silence Albert Pujols, a rejuvenated Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday deep into the evening.

Keep it here and stay tuned in for discussion, questions and an interactive experience as two of the National League’s best kick off a thrilling series! 

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Jimmy Rollins’ Moral Dilemma: Win the World Series or Stay in Philadelphia

As the rain falls in New York, there is time to think about the team that will actually win the World Series: the Philadelphia Phillies. With 7-to-4 odds to win the ring, the champagne is already popping on Broad Street. But all is not roses in this city just 2,400 miles from Pasadena, especially for the native Californian and the beloved shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

He is probably being tortured tonight before the playoffs begin with a moral dilemma: if the Phillies win the World Series he will probably be gone from the only professional team he’s ever suited up for, and if the Phillies lose, he will probably be asked to stay on with an extended contract.

The Phillies are built to win, and Jimmy Rollins was the first piece to this championship team that has become a Goliath in MLB. During his reign in between second and third, the Phillies have gone from being known as the first team to lose 10,000 games to the team who has become a perennial favorite to contend for the Series.

With already five straight division titles and World Series appearances in two out of the last three, the best team may still be in the next couple of years, especially with the emerging John Mayberry and the coming of Hunter Pence. But the all-encompassing question is: Will Jimmy be around for the rest of the good times?

Jimmy Rollins’ stats belie his role as the leader and catalyst of this team. Though his playoff batting average is about 50 points under his regular season, his on-base percentage and slugging is stellar for the pressure of October. Not only that, but an avid Phillies fan has seldom been disappointed by Jimmy’s big hits in crucial moments in the playoffs.

You do remember the 2009 hit against Jonathan Broxton at home. It has been written correctly and ad infinitum that the Phillies will go as far as the pitching, but if any hitter is as important to a parade come November, it will be No. 11.

And there is the crux—Jimmy’s batting average of .270 is just not enough to warrant the long-term deal that he deserves. The Phillies are going to have to feel desperate, and losing the World Series will do just that.

There is no leader on the team like Jimmy Rollins. His experience and bravado to challenge and express his emotions propel the team to reach its potential. The Phillies will be forced to keep this dynamic and quixotic piece of the lineup for continuity, as the fear of getting a new shortstop and lead-off hitter will take time the organization feels it just doesn’t have.

Jimmy Rollins could suffer the same fate as Pat Burrell of the 2008 championship team. Without a whimper, the Phillies parted ways after they won because they had created some breathing room. Jimmy’s moral dilemma is, if he wins the World Series, he will to lose his position on the most desired team in baseball. For Jimmy, if the Phillies win the last game of the year, it will be his last game for the organization he made a winner.

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