Down here at Gate D-11, it is just past 5 am and the traveling party is assembling -- and I have to tell you, it is one fine-looking group. The plan for most of us is to fly to Chicago and drive the 90 minutes to Milwaukee. I told Hagen he could drive the first part and I'd take over when we got to Kenosha, but he says he'll take the whole thing. Hagen is a horse, much more effective on three hours' rest than CC Sabathia was on three days' rest in Game 2.
In case you missed it, the Phils are ahead by two games to none in their five-game division series over the Brewers. Their position does not suck. But everyone knows how quickly this thing can turn if Milwaukee wins Game 3 on Saturday night. To pretend otherwise is foolish. The Phils still have not hit, bunching all of their scoring into a couple of quick bursts and just meandering along the rest of the time. The middle of the lineup is silent. The rest of it is inconsistent. Excellent starting pitching and a couple of key moments have won these games.
Watching this team, you are simultaneously impressed by their demeanor and wondering about when the lineup is going to kick in. You like their chances and, at the same time, cannot believe that they can continue to win with only these intermittent bursts of offense. There is plenty to chew on here. They don't play five-game series in the NHL, but the hockey people all say, "It isn't a series until a home team loses a game." And, well, that hasn't happened yet. This is not over.
With that, we'll all be at the Phillies' and Brewers' workouts this afternoon, somewhere north of Kenosha.