Phillies should be hoping for Cardinals
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Phillies should be hoping for Cardinals
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
One of three teams is going to show up at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1 of the National League division series Saturday against the Phillies.
The team the Phillies should want to see the most is the only one of the three that had a winning record against them this season and is currently the hottest of all the contenders.
The St. Louis Cardinals went into their final three games of the season at Houston having won 14 of 18 games to pull within one game of Atlanta in the N.L. wildcard standings. They recently took three of four games from the Phillies in Philadelphia and now have Matt Holliday back in their dangerous lineup.
All of that may sound threatening, but there is one simple reason the Phillies should be cheering for the Cardinals to overtake the Braves for the wildcard: pitching.
Should the Cardinals finish off their remarkable climb back from 10 1/2 games behind the Braves to win the wildcard, they will have to use Chris Carpenter in Wednesday's season finale to get the job done.
In the best-case scenario for the Phillies, the Cardinals and Braves would play a one-game playoff Thursday in St. Louis with Kyle Lohse pitching and beating Atlanta.
If that were to happen, the Cardinals would likely pitch Jaime Garcia in Game 1 and either Jake Westbrook or Edwin Jackson in Game 2. Garcia has a career 1.20 ERA in six games (four starts) against the Phillies, but you still have to like Halladay at home in that Game 1 matchup.
The Cardinals would certainly prefer to use Carpenter or Lohse in Game 2 and would be at a distinct disadvantage with Westbrook or Jackson going against Lee.
Win the first two games at home and they should be able to finish off the series in St. Louis.
The other reason the Phillies should want to face the Cardinals is the St. Louis bullpen is the worst among the playoff contenders and that usually proves to be important in tight postseason games.
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I dont agree...almost silly to claim the phillies have this huge edge with doc going in game one vs Garcia...a 1.20 ERA in six games vs the phillies is a 1.20 ERA...While the phillies would be favorite to win game 1, there is hardly a huge edge there. Fact is, hot teams are usually the most dangerous...a team with Pujols and Berkman in the middle of lineup is anchored with experienced stars...and IF the cards can manage a split in games 1 and 2, then its carpenter vs hamels IN STL....at best a toss up...sorry, but I would much rather take my chances with a very young and green AZ team...Kennedy might be tough in game one, but the Cards are the LAST team I want to play in NLDS.— TheLon- doesn't matter how vulnerable Card bullpen may be against Mets or a team with a genuine bench - Phils only weapon on bench is Mayberry and LaRussa will figure out a way to get Mayberry out .. nobody is going to be quaking when they see Francisco up there with game on the line (as was the case in every key spot in 2010)...and if it's the meat of the order for Phils all any team has to do is throw a lefty out there to retire Utley, Howard and Ibanez --Phils need to win games 5-2 or 2-1 with Halladay, Lee and Hamel all going 8 or more innings before Madson— warbiscuit
- Go back to the eagles beat where we won't need any knowledgeable playoff insight...........— Earl J
Cardinals are far and away the best-hitting team among the NL playoff-bound and -contending teams, both in terms of runs scored and BA. Pick your poison - the Brewers, D-Backs and Cardinals all have the weapons to win at least one round (not so sure about the Braves). I'm looking for our guys, over these last 3 games, just to get back to who and what they really are, and what they're really capable of doing. If they can manage that, I'll take my chances against anybody.— 1980- See Murph's post on this folks about 3 hours ago. And see the comments too - warblebiscuit.— 24sDad
- See Murph's post on this folks about 3 hours ago. And see the comments too - warblebiscuit.— 24sDad
- Um, who told you this, Andy Reid? Cards are too hot and LaRussa is a true NL manager...I'll take AZ if I have a choice.— outta work
- All the analysis in the world is just meaningless mumbling. Anything can happen in any game. A number 5 pitcher can win a game over a number 1 pitcher. All this stuff is impervious to analysis,yet we diddle way just to assauge the boredom. Steve Carlton should have won game 3 of the 1983 series against Baltimore's Jim Palmer ( a really old Jim Palmer) I guess the predictors didn't figure in a Dejesus error in the 8th inning) I used just one game to make a point...but all games make the point. It's just ridiculous to make projections like this.— retzlaff
- Short of throwing games to the Braves (isn't going to happen and do you really want to go in having lost 11 of 12), they can't control who they face. They are decided favorites against any of the possible opponents, but all have their strengths. At the end of the day, don't worry about it, they'll play who they play, and you can bet there is one team NONE of the other NL teams wants to see, and that is the Phillies.— Phils Phan 28
- Don't wish for any team. Take what comes our way. Sometimes you regret what you wish for.— P Even
- I think you're smoking something, Bob. Me, I'd just as soon Braves hold on barely and we get Diamondbacks. Which would leave Milwaukee (or even the Braves with some luck) for the NLCS from here.— PhillySubsMac
- Huh? You'd rather face the hottest team v. A team collapsing along with the Phils? You'd rather face some of the best hitters in the game? Yikes! It's going to be interesting....— Phillyfan666
- Why does everyone think LaRussa is some sort of tactical genius? He has lost plenty of games this year (and throughout his career) by making dumb moves. He made a few bone-headed moves the last week and a half that would have given the Cards wins and the WC lead at this point.— ESFjellin
- We should not care who we play.— johnny eagle
- THANK YOU. This is what I've been thinking, too. It doesn't matter who we play - if we can't beat whoever we have to play we don't deserve to be champs. We should play to win these last 2 games and pound whoever we play in the NLDS, NLCS and WS!!!!! Go Phillies! — PhanNan
