In Cardinals, Phillies face toughest [NLDS] test yet
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In Cardinals, Phillies face toughest [NLDS] test yet
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia was 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA in 2011. (AP Photo / Jeff Roberson)
Please don't mis-interpret or mis-remember what you are about to read. The Phillies are a better baseball team than the Cardinals. They should win this series, just like they've won their previous three National League Division Series. When they do advance to their fourth straight National League Championship Series, I'm sure I will be on the receiving end of many publicly-hurled insults and projectiles.
Hey crap-for-brains! How do you like the Cardinals now?!
And that's great. Better to cover baseball in a town that cares enough about it's sports that the local beat scribe is an object of derision instead of another anonymous byline lost in the swirl of foreboding economic news.
Besides, my answer will be the same as it was in spring training, before Adam Wainwright went down with an elbow injury. I like the Cardinals very much. I like the Phillies much better. But I do like the Cardinals. And I think when you look at the numbers and situations, you have to agree that St. Louis is the toughest NLDS opponent the Phillies have faced since at least 2007.
We'll have plenty more breakdowns of the upcoming Best-of-Five series, but in the name of leaving Midtown Atlanta with enough time to catch my flight back home, here's a quick primer:
1) Cardinals rotation
Jaime Garcia has allowed one earned run in 15 innings against the Phillies this season. He shut them down last season, as well. If you were building a prototype of the pitcher that gives the Phillies fits, his would be a good mold to cast.
The best rotation the Phillies have faced in the first round over the previous three postseasons was the 2008 Brewers. But keep in mind those Brewers were moving in the opposite direction of these Cardinals, struggling through September, firing their manager, and pitching C.C. Sabathia on three days rest in each of his final three starts of the regular season. So, yes, this Cardinals team will not start ace Chris Carpenter in Game 3, just like the Brewers did not start Sabathia until Game 2 in 2008. But Carpenter was not ridden like a racehorse down the stretch, either. Besides, when you are looking at match-ups, Garcia is probably the Cardinals' No. 1 pitcher against the Phillies (again, more on that after I hopefully catch my flight and land safely).
In Game 1 in 2008, the Phillies faced 22-year-old Yovani Gallardo, who was coming off an injury that sidelined him for all but the last four starts of the season. Last year in Game 1, they faced Edinson Volquez, who was coming off an injury that sideilned him for all but the last 12 starts of the season. In 2009, they faced righty Ubaldo Jimenez, who was legit.
In Game 2 this year, they will face Kyle Lohse (3.39 ERA, 1.168 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 2.0 BB/9), compared with Bronson Arroyo in 2010 (3.88, 1.168, 5.0, 2.5) and Aaron Cook in 2009 (4.16, 1.405, 4.4, 2.7) and Sabathia in 2008 (2.70, 1.15, 8.9, 2.1).
In Game 3, it will be Carpenter (3.59, 1.292, 7.1, 2.1) compared with Jonny Cueto (3.64, 1.276, 6.7, 2.7) and Jason Hammel (4.33, 1.387, 6.8, 2.1) and Dave Bush (4.18, 1.141, 5.3, 2.3).
In Game 4, it would likely be Edwin Jackson (3.79, 1.437, 6.7, 2.8), compared with Volquez, Jason Marquis (4.04, 1.380, 4.8, 3.3) and Jeff Suppan (4.96, 1.542, 4.6, 3.4).
In 2008, the Brewers lost Ben Sheets down the stretch. In 2009, the Rockies lost Jorge de la Rosa down the stretch. Two good breaks for the Phillies.
You can argue that Milwaukee's rotation was better in 2008 because of the track record of Sabathia and the potential of Gallardo, but when you look at the match-ups, the Cardinals are far better in Games 3 and 4 with Carpenter and Jackson than the Brewers were with Bush and Suppan.
Also, this will be the first time since C.C. Sabathia in '08 that the Phillies face a left-handed starter in the first round. That's not the hiccup it once was for this team, but guys like Garcia still give them problems, although the new line-up should help to combat that.
2) Cardinals bullpen
This series could very well come down to how well the Phillies take advantage of St. Louis' porous bullpen. The Cardinals blew a ridiculous 26 saves in the regular season, compared with the Phillies league-best total of nine. Their 64 percent save percentage ranked 10th, compared with the Phillies' league-leading 84. The 2010 Reds and 2008 Brewers both had solid bullpens, while the 2009 Rockies made a couple of late-season editions that fortified their unit. St. Louis finished 11th in the NL with a 3.73 bullpen ERA, compared with the Reds finishing seventh in 2010 with 3.97, the Rockies finishing 13th in 2009 with 4.53, and the Brewers finishing fourth in 2008 with 3.89. But the Cardinals' staff has put up some decent rate numbers, including allowing 29 percent of inherited runners to score (Reds - 34, Rockies -32, Brewers -26).
This is the worst bullpen the Phillies will have faced in the first round.
3) Cardinals offense
A lot depends on the health of Matt Holliday, who left Tuesday's game with an inflamed tendon in his hand. I have not heard an update on his status, but losing Holliday would be a huge blow. Rafael Furcal is also battling a hamstring strain.
If the Cardinals are healthy, they are potent. They lead the majors in runs, batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage. The Reds did the same last year, except for OBP, where they finished second.
4) Experience
This is a huge difference from the previous three offseasons, when the Phillies faced young underdoggish teams. For all their faults, the Cardinals are 20-17 against playoff teams this season. The Phillies are 12-13. The Reds were 7-12 in 2010, the Rockies were 12-19 in 2009, and the Brewers were 10-21 in 2008. Also notable, the Cardinals were 45-36 on the road this season, compared with the Reds' 42-39 mark last year, the Rockies 41-40 in 2009 and the Brewers 41-40 in 2008.
Like I said, the Phillies are the favorites here. Their rotation makes them the favorite in every series they will play. But the Cardinals present a formidable challenge, particularly when you figure that Garcia and Carpenter are on track to start three of the five games of the series. The Phillies' starting pitching advantage can be nullified if the Phillies fail to score and force Charlie Manuel to consider pinch-hitting before he would like to. At that point, it would turn into a battle of the bullpens. The Phillies have the edge their on paper. But the bullpen is also something of a question mark after a shaky September.
That's all for now from your resident fear-mongerer.
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Comments (105)
If someone gives Rollins 5 year deal they know they are overpaying to get him just as Nats felt with Werth. Im hoping Rollins stays. Rollins made 7 errors this year. Furcal 14 backup SS Theriot made 18 in 2/3 playing time. Probably more important to sign closer Madson. Rollins demands may be no more then contract ploy.— Don w- unlike the eagles last week, the Phils need to take advantage of the favorable matchups at home in Game 1 and 2. Roy will not be throwing a no-hitter this time and hope Cliff's hand isnt sore from signing $89 autographs in Havertown last night. I'm confident they hit Edwin Jackson in game 2, but the offense usually comes out a little slow in these opening playoff games...but its still Kyle stinking Lohse..the fact that they have seen him a couple times this year has to help, right?— jim715
- saw this on yahoo sports, too funny:
30. Houston Astros (56-106; Previous: 30) – First overall draft pick brings stark decisions for Astros: pitcher or position player? High school or college? And, in seven years, what will be Phillies’ greatest area of need?— furio - One more thing.... The cards record against the phils was skewed...they won 3 of those game after the phils clinched......it's all good. Watch and enjoy the greatest era of phillies baseball ever. Enjoy the parade....I might just have to fly up to enjoy it with you.....a rematch of 2008 would be great so i could stay home and watch them win in Tampa ....again, but the Yankees would be sweeter, although I think we are getting the tigers...we find out soon. Go phills— joefromtampa
- You dou realize that loshe is starting game 1. Advantage phils. They will win in 3 or 4. Relax and listen to chase. They are ready and don't care how they play....as Charlie quoted the great Walter Alston ...champions can beat anybody. Let's enjoy the ride. Goop oo phillls— joefromtampa
- I will love the Phillies till the day I die. They lose this series, and it wouldn't surprise me if they get swept. The Phillies offense does not match up well against the first two starters, and the only truly healthy bat in the lineup belongs to an aging platoon outfielder (Ibanez), and he looked awful against the Braves in big spots last night. Cards in 3.— andrewfrombrooklyn
- Don't forget that the Cardinals have a winning record against your Phillies. Didn't see any mention of that.— redbirdfan
- thank God for a Cardinals lurker. I have been missing the Giants lurkers from last year. welcome to the party. your stay will be brief. — coloradoeagle
- It comes down to one singular component: if the Phils are not patient, and can't use a scintilla of batting discipline, they will probably lung and make feeble swings at the junk pitches of Garcia and Lohse and if they do that, they will lose. Since Cholly is too incompetent to work on the Phils hitters with off speed junk pitches, they will never apparently learn to hit them just like they can't hit Meyers or the Mets Dickey etc.. The Yankees and Brewers for instance insist their hitters work on off speed junk balls as part of their practice. Secondly, the Phils enter this series with one glaring handicap and that is, gulp, I hate to say it again and again...........is CHOLLY the Rhesus Monkey Manager. In this series you will have Larussa vs Cholly which is tantamount to pitting Sarah Palen against Stephen Hawking in baseball terms or maybe more accurately, a chimp managing against a human college grad student, not a good scenario. YES, I think the Phls are the superior team, no question, but if their hitters flail feebly at junk balls and don't practice discretion, it will spell........T R O U B L E.— daystrum
- Murph right on this is a very, very tough series~ grammar pikkin' seriously?! Phils, but barely in 5— Phightinsfanatic
- Loshe is starting game 1— jjjimjjj
- I know. He's holding Garcia back for Game 4! What a 1st class idiot. He's going into a 5 game series with Loshe and Edwin Jackson starting against Doc and Lee? Seriously a stupid move. — philliesphan79
- Strong finish and most importantly Doc looking very sharp last Sunday in his tune-up. Also like Oswalt's form progression. Will come down to the starters in each series......the only difference between last year on the offense is Pence and Mayberry being much tougher on lefties and what looks like a rejuvenated and hungry Rollins who can be the difference maker as he looks for his free agency pay day.— Northcountry
- yourdaddy!, the Phils couldn't have met the Braves in the NLDS. Had Atlanta made it the Phils would be meeting the DBacks. Most people would still say that would be more favorable than the Cards with their momentum, winning record over the Phils this this year and so on but it is what it is. Whoever the opponent, they will most likely be more apprehensive about the series than the Phils should be. Great piching coupled with adequate run production invariably wins in the postseason and the Phils should be able to provide that.— Artie DuBois
- The whole playoff field is much tougher in the NL than its been the last few years, but then again the Phillies are far, far better than ever. If they lose any series where Justin Verlander doesn't win three games it will be a massive underachievement.— jtj06
- someone else led the majors in bating average and runs last year.. oh yea the reds.. who the phillies faced in first round. diff year.. diff team— LAdelphia
- And Larussa makes the first of many head scratching "this guys a genius?" moves announcing that the Cards are matching Halladay and Lee with Lohse and Jackson. No Garcia until Game 4 which might mean no Garcia period. We easily drew the easiest assignment available.— philliesphan79
- Why do I get the feeling Charlie Manual is going to get embarrassed (outmanaged) by Tony "Let's bring 40 30 packs of Budweiser on a mechanized cart used to lug around heavy machinery into our clubhouse" Larussa.— brmorgen81
- I would have much rather faced rthe Braves. Cards will not go quietly— yourdaddy!
- What is particularly sickening about this is the media inspired elevation of the Cardinalitos and the much over-rated Tony LaRussa into MLB sainthood, as it were. Trying to watch the MLB network to see what was happening with the whole MLB wild card thing turned into a continual blithering about TLaR's "best job ever as a manager." "The Cardinalitos had injuries," was repeated several dozen times, at the least.
Once again, however, the much over-rated TLaR underachieved, however! With the team he had at his disposal, there should NEVER have been doubt as to a wild card, and the Cardinalitos SHOULD have been challenging the Brew Crew for the division.
As I recall, the Phillies has some injuries, and KEY injuries at that.— BEMiller - You guys need something to write about don't you. The Cardinals are a passing fancy in a ridiculously crappy division who beat this team when our season was over. Maybe you should also write about the Yankees and the Red Sox.
- as long as our bats stay alive and our pitching stays unbeatable as usual, then we got this series. a lot of you are reading too much into their problems, worrying too much. the only reason we lost to them 2 weeks ago was because that was during their slump when we were playing without caring, and with rookies. we can't base anything off of that slump, it'll be much different this saturday— Lets Go Eat
- We're screwed! Oh-my-God! Elizabeth, I'm coming to join ya, honey!— auntesther
- I thought that the Cards were the up and coming team two years ago, but they never did fulfill their expectations. Let's face it the Braves lost the Wild Crad as much as the cards won it. Still have to wonder why the Phillies did not just let the Braves win last night given their record against the Braves in September-October. Unless they worry about Arizona more than they do about the Cards. Or maybe they just really hate the Braves and wanted them out of the playoffs, like the Yankees dumped the Red Sox by letting Tampa win last night.— atp2007
- I thought that the Cards were the up and coming team two years ago, but they never did fulfill their expectations. Let's face it the Braves lost the Wild Crad as much as the cards won it. Still have to wonder why the Phillies did not just let the Braves win last night given their record against the Braves in September-October. Unless they worry about Arizona more than they do about the Cards. Or maybe they just really hate the Braves and wanted them out of the playoffs, like the Yankees dumped the Red Sox by letting Tampa win last night.— atp2007
- Every game will be tough, make no mistake. GO PHILS, GO PHILS, GO PHILS!!!— The Young Geezer
- My sincerest, and heartiest CONGRATULATIONS to the Phillies Organization! It has been the best year EVER for our Fightins (regular season that is), and I enjoyed it to the fullest. It was everything I hoped, and thought, that it would be. Our pitching blew my mind....as it did many an opponant. And I finally heard some respect for our defense from someone in the media! Ricky Bo captured my feelings exactly in a dissertation the other evening. Without knowing the MLB stats, I don't know of any other team in Baseball that did what we did with leather. And when you consider that quite an amount of games was played by bench players, it's even more impressive. My hat is off especially to Ryan Howard for HIS glove work, because you just do NOT expect it from him. If he ever gets over the yips when throwing to 2B, he'd be a Gold Glover.— TBear
- All stats, past events and tendencies are out the window now. Whoever brings it wins the series. Phillies have the attitude and focus, but we should know by the second or third inning whether Doc carries us through.
To tell you the truth it really doesn't matter that much to me who wins, actually. The Phils were the dominant team in baseball this year and played outstanding ball most of the time. And the way they played against Atlanta - all out, playing to win without the slightest concern where the chips fell - says a lot about this team and manager. Nice job. Well done.— Cameiros - Arizona bark twice if you're in Milwaukee— northeast26
Comment removed.- Visionary, those numbers are not just for this year. 113 PA. In 6 games against the Phillies he is 2-1 with a 1.20 ERA. In CBP he has won the only game he started with an 1.38 ERA. And yes, the lineup he'll likely face this time is more balance. The key is to be patient with him.— EL Zorro
- Absolutely right, uncle. These aren't technical writing errors; these are mistakes that 5th graders wouldn't make, let alone a writer (or editor) for a major metropolitan news organization.
- While I understand the concern over the Cardinals talent and Phillies' struggles with Garcia. One thing you have overlooked...the Cardinals' serious under-performance in post season of late. They were prohibitive favorites against the Dodgers in 09 and got swept.— momofurball
- Sorry about the grammatical errors. I just sprinkled them in to distract you from the fact that I called Jeff Suppan a righty. I just assume anybody that bad at his age has to be a lefty. Apologies. Wanted to get post up before I got into the air. Will clean it up— dmurph003
- Dave, we're going to have to DFA you for that. Sorry, but if you clear waivers we'll take you back on the Reading Eagle and you can try and work yourself back onto the big league roster. — s
- "
And that's great. Better to cover baseball in a town that cares enough about it's sports that the local beat scribe is an object of derision instead of another anonymous byline lost in the swirl of forboding economic news." Hey Murph, do you mean just like Andy Martino?— Dan in Holmesburg - Good post as always, chuckw. And great job setting the record straight for the new poster regarding the troll whose name I won't mention. I'm pretty sure the short bus doesn't go into Afghanistan.— dasher
- Jeff Suppan was a lefty?— jaredphillyfan
- Phillies need to sweep at home or they stand a good chance of losing this series. Cardinals have been tough on them all year. Phillies need to be patient against Garcia and make him throw strikes. Tendancy to chase bad pitches against junkballers always costs them.— SteveS11
- Murph, seems as if you should talk to Les about growing a pair. He knows how to handle Twitter matters and he doesn't take cabs.— StorminNorman
- Remember last year at this time, all the Giants blowhards on the board? Just one question for them today: How's that Carlos Beltran acquisition working out for you?— dasher
- Wouldn't the Diamondbacks have been a better matchup than the Cardinals? Why did the Phillies knock the Braves out then? Their present is the hottest team in the NL. And most dangerous.— arrowamy
- its actually spelled they're instead of their and its ares not ours.— PhillyCheeseSnake
- its actually spelled they're instead of their and its ares not ours.— PhillyCheeseSnake
- Comment removed.
- Ooops. The combined OPS against Garcia is .561. The starting 8 is even worst.— EL Zorro
- Garcia is almost as tough as noted Phillies-killer Sanchez on the Giants. Don't be surprised if Garcia is as big a bust int the playoffs as Sanchez was. — mrnmkr
- He's not going to walk the ballpark like Sanchez. If anything, we can hope that he's not sharp early, leaves something over the plate and pays for it. He pitches backwards to us. If we go in there looking for change-ups we'll bang the ball around the yard. — auntesther
- He's not going to walk the ballpark like Sanchez. If anything, we can hope that he's not sharp early, leaves something over the plate and pays for it. He pitches backwards to us. If we go in there looking for change-ups we'll bang the ball around the yard. — auntesther
- Higgs11, I was just responding to another poster (DonW) who mentioned Rollins contract situation. I think he could get a 4-5 year deal with some team. Especially an up-and-coming young team that needs a veteran presence with playoff experience. He'll get a good deal, but I'm afraid it won't be here.— EL Zorro
- Negadelphian.— F. Harry Stowe
- Yes, Visionary, the two starting lineups you posted are not the same he'll face this coming Saturday. However, the Phillies in 113 PA have a .194 BA and combined OPS against him. And that includes Michael Martinez going 4-2, Brandon Moss 1-1, Schnnieder 2-1 and Valdez and Ibañez both going 3-1. I don't think any of those guys will be in the starting lineup. Mayberry, who most likely will start against him, has a .500 (6-3) BA against him. This are the projected SL and BA:
Rollins - .091
Utley - .000
Pence - .200
Howard - .167
Victorino - .222
Mayberry - .500
Polanco - .182
Ruiz - .222
García allowed only 2 HRs and 5 RBI against the team in those 113 PA and as you know, the Phillies are not good at manufacturing runs. That's why he always give us trouble.— EL Zorro - Yeah, but those numbers don't happen in a vacuum. There is some context to all 3 series against the Cards, and their failure against Garcia. Those lineups had a complete lack of balance. The stretch in September was part of the 33 games in 31 days. — TheVisionary
- Good piece Dave. The Phillies could have easily avoided the Cards. They want to play the best. That's what makes this team great. I also agree that game one is key in a five game series. Our fans and Doc against Garcia or Lohse sounds like a win to me. I bet Doc has his game face on already. Can't wait to see him out there Saturday.— s
- You make the good point -- the Phillies really want to face, beat and eliminate the Cards for whatever reason (losing season series, all the "talk" or even history ('64)) — mrnmkr
- I definitely got the feeling that game 162 was more of a "Bring on the Cards" effort than a "We want to break the season win record" effort. Maybe not, but it felt that way. Also look at what they did to the Braves in the last two series. Early in the year we were worried about them so they went out and swept them twice. That's the mentality of this team: Go through the obstacles, don't run from them. Doc has that mindset to the max. Lee is close behind. That's our #1 and #2. Obviously they can't do it themselves and I could end up eating my words but that's the way I feel after watching that last series they played. — s
- Interesting that many of the same posters who are terrified of the Cardinals were earlier terrified of the Giants and the Braves, and also frightened of the Brewers. The Phillies are a veteran-laden team which has gone through the grinder in both the regular and post-seasons for five seasons and has three top-notch starters aching for a World Series ring in Halliday, Lee, and Oswalt. While anything can happen in a five-game series, look for the Phillies to smack around Tony "I invented Baseball strategy" Larussa's club and move on to the next series.— chuckw
- Game 1 is a must win for the Cards. They can't go down a game staring at Lee in game 2.— sla6yer
- El Zorro - nobody in their right mind is signing soon to be 33 year old jimmy Rollins to a 5 year contract at the money he is reportedly looking for. He will sign for fewer years somewhere, very possibly here. This however, is not a problem until AFTER the WS.— Higgs11
- Murphy just annoys me now I can't even read his stuff. Sad, I used to like him...— Badhog
- You guys are way worse than me. Please tell me what other city writer is going to bother to compare the Cards to the other NLDS foes of the last 4 years? Good job, Murph.— PhillySubsMac
- I see according to the top of the sports page the Phillies game Saturday starts at 3am!!!— slade1955
- Well done, Murph. Let's go, Phils!!!— Clt Philly Fan
- Considering that none of the aces won 20 games, hitting declined, yet the team won 100+ games says that the Phils know how to WIN. And they are hot with their bats. Timing is perfect for a strong push to win the World Series. If the 8 game streak had continued, it would create a different feel. But for the first time in a long time, it seems their bats are hot going into the playoffs. Pitching & D will be huge assets. Phils sweep two series on the way to a title.— MichaelZoe
- According to Philly.com game time for Saturday is 3:00 AM, lol— philliesphan79
- Stop, stop, stop. We've heard the same about the Rockies, Brewers and Reds before. The same has been said about the Braves, Giants, Diamondbacks and Brewers this year....at one point, the local media has been telling us how one of those teams was our most dangerous playoff opponent...now you guys have moved onto a 5th team. Just the flavor of the week for you guys. By the way, please stop trying to downplay the beating that the Phils issued to Sabathia in the playoffs...he showed NO signs of tiring before the playoffs started so quit making excuses and trying to take credit away from the Phils by making some excuse that Sabathia was tired. He wasn't. He just got beat.— JimG
- Come on, the Phils have the best starting pitching and the best bullpen, and their hitters are playoff experienced. If they don't go to the WS with this team they flat out choked, and I don't foresee that!— nocarp
- For the record, ESPN is reporting that it will be Lohse in Game 1 for The Cardinals which would mean more Lohse in Game 5 and only Garcia and Carpenter once in the series.— philliesphan79
- cardnals are tough and experienced have more WS than phillies..mayberry must start in LF in the 1st game.— only 9
- Let's say we have to beat the Cardinals, Brewers and Yankees or Rangers to win it all. Captain Obvious here, but if that's what it takes, then it just is. Can we do it? With our rotation, sure? Will we do it? That's why they play the games. 102 wins means nothing at this point. Win or lose, I can't wait for these playoff games to start.— eman
- I have no doubt that Doc and Cliff will pitch the way the two best pitchers in the National League ought to pitch, which is efficiently and deep into the game. And that should be enough to beat the Cardinals. But what if the Phillies have only one run by the seventh or eighth and Doc or Cliff comes to the plate, the question Murphy raised? I don't see a problem. With the latter it's a no-brainer; unless his pitch count is elevated you let him hit, because he's as good as a pinch-hitter. With the former, it's a little tougher call, but I don't see Charlie pulling Doc in such a situation if his pitch count is manageable. And remember, the only Cards pitcher who frequently completes games is Carpenter; Garcia, Lohse and Jackson are usually gone by the 7th-8th, and that's a good thing given the state of the Cards 'pen.— Dave Clemens
- This is a flawed comparison and thats fine because just about every kind of comparison of this sort is flawed. Imo, you have to squint very hard to stay this Cardinal's team is better then any of the pervious teams the Phillies have faced in the first round before in any meaningful way. In fact, in my opinion last years Red's team statistically was probably the best team the Phillies have faced out of the teams Murph listed. They had a better run differential (105 versus 70) then this years Cardinals team and very comparable pitching and offense. You can't just look at things like WHIP and ERA to by the way. ERA is pretty much meaningless. What about there SIERA or FIP or XFIP? At the end of the day the Phillies are a much better team then this Cardianl's team and this will be one of the biggest chokes in franchise history if they lose to the Cardinals.— brannigan73
- Key to beating Cardinals bullpen is patience at the plate. If the Phillies hitters can work the counts against these guys they will be successful.— Joe Lis lives
- It's such a different feeling from last year, when we stumbled into the postseason with serious offense and bullpen problems. The offense is still inconsistent, but inconsistent is OK compared to last year. The 'pen gives us a huge advantage here. My first guess is Phillies in 4. Guess #2 is Phillies in 3.— 1980
- "The Phillies have the edge their on paper."
It's "there". Murphy, you write for a living?
— maurysline - anyone asking for johnny smalls press credentials today???
http://articles.philly.com/2011-05-09/sports/29525431_1_cole-hamels-phillies-starter-phillies-offense— Shemp Howard - Oops "most''— EL Zorro
- Our pitching is the key; if we are "on" we will do fine. If we're not, it will be an extremely difficult series.— JBinPA
- Rollins wants a 5 year deal, according to a SI.com interview the other day. And it will take 12-14 millions per to sign him. Remember, this is his last big contract. And he really was underpay. He avg. 8 millions during his 5 year deal, the same amount Blanton, Moyer and even Adam Eaton. Raul is making more than him and almost the entire starting 9 plus must of the pitchers. Even Werth got a 7-year deal at big bucks and he's one year younger than Rollins, I believe. So there won't be a hometown discount this time. Now way he signs with the Phillies with those demands.— EL Zorro
Can't be any worse that a philly sportswriter who claimed the braves rotation was better than the phillies...johnny smalls anyone?!?!?- A few weeks ago the Phillies bailed Garcia out a few times. Phillies hitters will bare down here and give better at bats. Garcia will be knocked out by the 4th.— FetchDixon
- I considered all of these factors, but I like the way the Phillies played this week with all the starters in and the new lineup. If Chase heats up, we'll be alright!— micconway
- I fear the cards most, and I am proud that the Phillies played so hard last night and won, because it would have been in their interest to face Atlanta. Pujols Holliday and Berkman are formidable, and their lineup has SIX guys hitting better than 295!! Roy and Cliff need to bring their hottest stuff.— doc35
- If we're looking ahead, we should all start planning now how we can productively spend our time during Tony LaRussa's 7 pitching changes per game.— RickSchuBlues
- I think LaRussa's tendency to overmanage is a good point/key to the series. If we can get leads in the middle innings, LaRussa is likely to pinch hit for his starters if the situation presents itself, which will give the Phillies access to that "porous" bullpen. I won't criticize CM managing style, but this might be a good reason to manufacture runs early and often. — hayndude
- Feel toughest test would be Brewers a more balanced team. Its a short series and anything can happen. Post season will probably be Philly swan song for Lidge, Ibanez,and probably Oswalt. I hope Phills can bring back Madson and Rollins. Madson has been solid in premier closer role and pen very thin. I dont think Galvis ready in 2012 but unlikely Rollins signs for less than 2 years probably takes 3 to get his signature. I would like to see them bring back Oswalt. Unlikely much market for him at 16 mill with questionable back but he can still pitch.— Don w
- Does anyone remember our opponent in 2007? The Rockies were the hottest team in baseball...winning is contageous...glad the Phils were able to string together 4 in a row with our everyday line-up— philly13
- Does anyone actually check ANYTHING before they do the common tater bit? Yes, the Rockheads were hot, but so were the Phillies. Moreover, in 2007, the Phillies had not NEARLY the pitching they have THIS year, and that is what won and lost it in 2007.
The most important comparison between the Rockheads and Phillies of that year and the Cardinalitos of this year is that all three underachieved during the first five month of the season, then had to rely upon the collapse of OTHER teams to win.— BEMiller - Oh...and tough, maybe (with Holliday and Furcal) but the Phils will be favored with good reason (two of them named Halladay and Lee). Would have loved to have seen the Cards & Braves have to play a 163rd game, especially after taking the Braves 13 last night. Both teams would have had to play everybody trying to get in.— PhillySubsMac
- Not bad for a guy who twice felt the need to tell us he was trying to get out of an again-burned Atlanta. I'll forgive the it's and their usage gaffes.— PhillySubsMac
- The loss of Furcal will be huge for the Cardinal. He's been hitting pretty well during their hot stretch in a month or so (.273) and .293 the last two weeks. He's their sparkplug in front of their big guns.— EL Zorro
- Good point Furcal may be a huge loss for the Cardinals. In fact I could see Rafael Furcal if healthy being the Edgar Renteria of last year. — JST1331
- I always appreciate Murphy's thoughtfulness and perspective; he balances a fan's emotional interest in seeing the Phillies crush all comers with a fan's intellectual interest in understanding how it all happens (usually). But the technical writing errors make me crazy: "it's" instead of "its" in the third paragraph, "editions" instead of "additions" in Cardinals point number 2, and "their" instead of "there" in point number 4. C'mon, Fonzie, you're better than that.— Depty Insp 75
- The use of "their" in point 4 is correct, since it is a possessive. Sheesh. — TW
- To be clear, I meant the use of "their" in the second paragraph of point 4, not in the first. Baseball fans, of all sports fans, ought to appreciate the value of precision, consistency, and accuracy in the practice of a craft. What is a neatly executed bunt or clean relay from right field to home plate but the proper grammar of baseball on display? — Depty Insp 75
- Sheesh is not a sentence. — Phightinsfanatic
- Depty Insp 75
It's one thing to be nit-picker but it's quite another to make accusations that are simply false and totally without merit.
I scrutinized the column and couldn't find a single instance of the "mistakes" you cited.
Do you even know the difference between it's and its or their and there?
But the main point is that any Phillies fan should not be fussing about grammar today. They should be in 5th Heaven today - 6th Heaven after the Playoffs and 7th Heaven after they win The World Series and enjoying every second. - HVT - they're there, in all their glory, and that statement is completely grammatically correct. — uncle meat
- Get over yourself with the technical writing errors. You knew what he was trying to say.
- The first game, as in most times, is the key. We need to score more than 2 run against Garcia. We can't give up home field advantage right right away and then face Carpenter in game 3 at their ballpark, who pitched a pretty good game against us the last time. I like the Phillies in 4, but they have to win that first game at home.— EL Zorro
- Not to discount what Garcia has done, but have you seen the appalling lineups that he faced? With no wins to show for it, BTW... 5/17: Rollins, Martinez (!), Polanco, Howard, Mayberry, Francisco, Valdez, Sardinha (!!), Oswalt (hurting). 9/16: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Pence, Polanco, Mayberry, Francisco (!), Schneider (!!), Worley. — TheVisionary
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High Cheese is your place for the best Phillies coverage from the Daily News.
David Murphy
Daily News Staff Writer
Ryan Lawrence
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