The real story behind Phils' fairy-tale season

Once upon a time, in an itsy-bitsy ballpark in South Philadelphia, there lived a lineup of swaggering giants.

These fearsome Phillies were strong and powerful and most who dared venture too close were pummeled and pounded into submission by their mighty clubs.

Then in 2010, two warriors named Roy, one from the north and one from the south, arrived in this kingdom to ally with the bat-wielding behemoths.

And suddenly, as if these fair-haired newcomers had cast a magic spell, the Phillies were transformed. While they continued to smite their enemies, they did so not just with their bludgeons, but with their gloves and their prodigious arms.

Whether or not 2010 turns out to be another fairy-tale season for the Phillies remains to be determined. But on the eve of their fourth straight postseason appearance, it's clear that there's something new and different about this year's National League East champions:

A team whose lineup once evoked comparisons with the mid-1970s Big Red Machine has morphed into one that, in some very meaningful ways, is more reminiscent of the '69 Mets.

During a season in which, even after piling up 25 runs this weekend, they totaled 48 fewer runs than a year ago, hit 58 fewer homers, and scored three or fewer runs an astounding 75 times, these Phillies managed to win the most games in baseball, 97, because of great starting pitching, defense, and speed.

"That club over there," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said on that team's final visit to Philadelphia, "they can beat you in a lot of different ways. Everybody talks about their rotation and the bashers they've got in the middle of their lineup, but what gets overlooked a lot is that they can run and they can catch the ball as good as anyone."

It's no secret that the strong-armed trio at the top of their rotation, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, may be the best in baseball. In September, they combined for a 13-1 record and a 2.13 ERA as the Phils went 20-6 and ran away with the division.

Even when, in a mysterious midseason meltdown, their offense virtually disappeared, the Phillies' pitching kept the team from sinking too far down in the standings. Characterized in the past by homer-laden 10-2 and 7-1 victories, this team learned how to win, 2-1, 3-2, even, 1-0.

"We were having trouble scoring runs," Manuel said last week in Washington. "That's the first time since I've been here that it's happened. . . . But our consistent pitching in the second half pushed us over the hump."

And in getting the Phils up that hill, that pitching was aided in no small part by a resurgence in stolen bases and the remarkable defense this team played in the final few months.

With Jimmy Rollins out for extended periods and Shane Victorino slumping, their running game languished. At one point well into the 2010 schedule, they were last in the league in steals.

But after the All-Star Game, the Phillies found their legs. No team stole more bases after mid-July. The Phils ended up with 138, a total surpassed in all of baseball by only the Mets, Angels, and Orioles.

That helped them manufacture runs and grab leads, which often was all the advantage their defense and improved starting pitching required.

"Our defense has been a big part of our success," Manuel said. "Our defense is also what makes our pitching so good. When you're quick enough and athletic enough to turn double plays and make tremendous plays, it gets the pitcher out of trouble and gets quick outs."

Perhaps no single statistic explains so well how Manuel's club managed to turn a seven-game July deficit to Atlanta into a six-game advantage by season's end than defense.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Phillies committed the fewest errors in baseball after the all-star break (30), while the Braves made the most (65).

In fact, more so than batting average and ERA, fielding percentage is the most common thread running through this year's playoff field.

Of the seven best defensive teams in 2010, six reached the postseason. (The seventh, San Diego, was eliminated only on the final day.) Only the Texas Rangers (18th) and the Braves (28th) managed to overcome subpar fielding.

This Phillies team has always caught the ball well. In fact, defense has been its most reliable asset since it won its first of four consecutive titles in 2007. The Phils finished among the top 10 fielding clubs in each of those years.

While their run total has slipped from a high of 892 in '07 to 772 this season, their ERA and error total has improved over that same span - dropping from 4.73 to 3.64 and from 89 miscues to 83.

Those things, much more than an offense which was, for the most part, scattershot, allowed these Phils to withstand the run of injuries that began when Rollins injured his leg before the start of the home opener and endured through Game 162 Sunday, when Carlos Ruiz and J.C. Romero had to be removed.

Overall, Rollins missed 71 games. Chase Utley was out seven weeks. Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, and Ruiz all spent time on the DL. Placido Polanco, who had four cortisone shots, was bothered all year by the elbow he hurt in April. Jamie Moyer was lost for the season. Key relievers Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge were unavailable at various times.

"The injuries hurt us, no question," said Manuel. "But at the same time when you hit at the right times and pitch at the right times and catch the ball at the right times, that's the mark of a good team. That's the mark of a team that can sit there in tough situations and do what they have to do to win the game."

And that's why this team, despite its ongoing offensive inconsistency, won so many close games. They were 29-17 in games decided by one run, their best such record in Manuel's tenure.

When told about that statistic, outfielder Jayson Werth said he wasn't surprised. "With our pitching and our defense," he said, "we're tough to beat no matter what the score is."

Manuel agreed. "If you look at our record, we had inconsistent offense," he said, "and the pitching kept us in the game and our defense kept us close enough. That gave us a chance to win. . . . People say, 'Aw, they're built for offense.' But our offense has not been as good this year as it has been."

Manuel said he was confident - or at least hopeful - that the Phillies' offense, in particular Utley and Howard, would come to life when the national spotlight fell upon them this month.

"I know we can do it," said Manuel. "I've seen our offense in the past. I know what they're capable of. They'll be fine."

And if, to the potion of pitching, defense, and speed that they've employed so effectively this season, the Phillies can add a dash of reawakened offense, they just might live happily ever after.