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Originally Posted by Kaxmax  I love the heart that this Phillies team has shown this season, but I'm not sure they have the pitching to go deep into the playoffs. Outside of Cole Hamels they have nobody who can shut a team down, and their pen is pretty bad. On the flip side they can score runs in a hurry, so who knows. I'm certainly not going to write them off though, if their bats stay hot they can beat anybody. I'd love to see them make a run like the '93 team did. |
For the entire year the Phillies' bullpen was definitely their weak spot, until September. Their play during September is in my opinion the reason the Phillies are in the playoffs. Without a doubt Hamels is the best pitcher on the staff. However, I think Moyer proved he still has something left with his performance on Sunday. Kendrick has been a solid starter, but the fact that he is a rookie bothers me. Hopefully he won't buckle under the pressure. Lohse has pitched well in his last few starts and hopefully that will carry into the playoffs. Eaton is the biggest problem, and even he didn't pitch to poorly his last outing. As long as the Phillies starters can provide quality starts, and our bullpen continues to play well, pitching shouldn't be to big of a concern.
In the end, it will probably come down to if the Phillies bats stay hot or not. I think the Phillies and the Rockies are the only team from the NL that will have the fire power to have a chance against the AL. Since the AL team is yet again going to have home field advantage during the WS, neither team will get the full benefit of their home field's "hitter-friendly" confines. Also the Rockies, as mentioned earlier, play much better at home. Unlike the Rockies, the Phillies have a winning away record, and Jimmy Rollins has hit better outside of Citizens Bank Park.
I actually prefer a pitching duel, but won't mind if the Phillies can muster enough runs to out gun their opponents.