Phillies to open playoffs Wednesday; day-after lineup
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Phillies to open playoffs Wednesday; day-after lineup
David Murphy
UPDATE: By virtue of having the best record, the Phillies can select whether to begin the Division Series on Wednesday or Thursday next week.
The Phillies, as expected, have selected Wednesday, manager Charlie Manuel said.
Wednesday was the better option for the Phillies because it means they don't need a fourth starter and can bring back expected Game 1 starter Roy Hallday for Game 4.
The series would begin Wednesday and Friday in Philadelphia, travel day Saturday, Game 3 on the road Sunday, Game 4 on the road Monday, if necessary. Game 5 would be back in Philadelphia on Wedneday, if necessary.
The other NLDS begins Thursday and Friday with an off day Saturday, Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Monday. Game 5 would be Wednesday.
With the best record, they'll have the opportunity to send either Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels or Roy Oswalt to the mound for 17 of their 19 potential playoff games.
Manager Charlie Manuel said that he had decided on a Game 1 starter but that he was not ready to announce it. But he and pitching coach Rich Dubee all but said it would be Halladay.
Here's a projected playoff rotation, although the Phillies could very well decide to make Oswalt the Game 2 starter.
NLDS
Oct. 6 - Game 1 - Halladay
Oct. 7 - Off
Oct. 8 - Game 2 - Hamels
Oct. 9 - Off
Oct. 10 - Game 3 - Oswalt
Oct. 11 - Game 4 - Halladay (Normal Rest)
Oct. 12 - Off
Oct. 13 - Game 5 - Hamels (Normal Rest)
NLCS
Oct. 16 - Game 1 - Halladay
Oct. 17 - Game 2 - Hamels
Oct. 18 - Off
Oct. 19 - Game 3 - Oswalt
Oct. 20 - Game 4 - Blanton
Oct. 21 - Game 5 - Halladay
Oct. 22 - Off
Oct. 23 - Game 6 - Hamels
Oct. 24 - Game 7 - Oswalt
World Series
Oct. 27 - Game 1 - Halladay
Oct. 28 - Game 2 - Hamels
Oct. 29 - Off
Oct. 30 - Game 3 - Oswalt
Oct. 31 - Game 4 - Blanton
Nov. 1 - Game 5 - Halladay
Nov. 2 - Off
Nov. 3 - Game 6 - Hamels
Nov. 4 - Game 7 - Oswalt
**
Pitching coach Rich Dubee said there is a "real good chance" that Roy Halladay has pitched for the last time in the regular season.
Halladay earned his 21st win of the season last night in the NL East clincher and has logged 250.2 innings, the most he has thrown since 266 innings in 2003.
**
Having clinched the NL East title and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Phillies essentially have five games to get themselves ready for the postseason. That should mean carefully monitored work for the pitching staff, and plenty of at-bats for players who have not seen much action during the stretch run.
Tonight, Jimmy Rollins is back in the lineup for the first time since straining his hamstring on Sept. 8. He's leading off tonight (Shane Victorino has the day off).
Ben Francisco gets the start in right field, his first start since Sept. 5. Brian Schneider, who has played in just five of the last 28 games, is behind the plate.
Domonic Brown is in the starting line-up for the first time since Sept. 6. The rookie outfielder has had just one at-bat since his last start.
The complete line-up:
- Jimmy Rollins SS
- Raul Ibanez LF
- Chase Utley 2B
- Ryan Howard 1B
- Ben Francisco CF
- Domonic Brown RF
- Greg Dobbs 3B
- Brian Schneider C
- Roy Oswalt RHP
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Some of those guys are probably soooo hungover.- How can there be 2 left fielders— pizzacheeks
- Rollins, better not lead-off in the playoffs.— lgdoran
- that's how good Oswalt is...we don't need a CF!— lycralaz
- According to Todd Zolecki, Francisco is in CF and Brown is in RF.— buttermilk67
- RF for Ibanez - do you watch the games cheeks?— jgmckin
- @pizzacheeks: two left-fielders...hmm...I guess we're expecting a whole lotta right-handed pull hitting and figure we can leave CF open... ;-)— Aloofbob
- no one playing center tonight?— G-Man
- I thought Oswalt was going to play leftfield.— frankenslade
- As of today, Charlie Manuel can do no wrong in my book. Let all those second place teams use a center-fielder; suckers!— smel4727
- Keep him on the bench.— lostInPhilly
- you guys are brutal.— rfa2009
You need a CF there. I'm guessing it isn't Ibanez. So can we suppose Dom Brown is in RF, putting Francisco in CF?— Doctor D
Comment removed.- what are we playing beer league softball now? why are there so many outfielders— amann08
- Sweeney and Valdez should be in the line-up...and rest Howard and Utley.— Bill20
- I really expected to see Bocock, Gload, Sweeney, Mayberry, and Hoover tonight.— Jeffrey
- "that's how good Oswalt is...we don't need a CF!"
haha - the outfielders oughtta just sit out there in lawn chairs and drink beer.— phillygreen - No reason at all for Ryan Howard or Chase Utley to be starting tonight. Valdez can play second and Sweeney or Gload at first.— jpgulli
- I would like to see Sweeney get in the line up. I guess they want Howard to hit out of his funk.— dcapnova
- Why not have Sweeney start at 1B?— crkreg
- BULLETIN: Bocock miffed over non start...fired his agent.— mick314
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- We need to get Altanta a couple easy wins against Phils to get them in the playoffs. Much rather see them than the Giants (hoping Padres can beat the Giants)— HTown
- I think Murph is gonna leave the 2 LFs in there out of spite at this point. And we can all relax. Utley and howard will get 2 ABs tops the next game or 2 or 3. We'll be getting a steady diet of Sweeney, Gload, et al the rest of the way— figgypop
- Comment removed.
- Give Rollins some reps now, but he'd better be riding pine when the playoffs start. Bench player, at best.— n62
- i wonder if the parade will be a different route...................for next year, just curious.— eagles2010
- We cannot face Atlanta in the first series regardless. I would prefer the Reds or the Padres but I think we beat anybody we play.— matty177
- Howard needs the ABs— DPL
Now I know when to book off work. Wednesday. Hopefully it is a night game. Beast of the East for 3 straight years, we deserve this.
- Cholly should throw Roy2 in the 2nd game....he's undefeated at the Bank and Cole would be great on the road.— jimyd0315
- Is it just me who feels uneasy (threw up a little in mouth) when this rag is telling us the probable starters through the world series???— podunko
- Looks like a solid lineup. J Roll needs to start playing plain and simple. The Phillies need him this post season and Utley and Howard need the ABs.— Frankie Knuckles
- surprised sweeney didn't get the start— Ed3
- I don't mind letting Jimmy bat lead off for the rest of the regular season just so he can get as many swings as he can, get his timing back, and hopefully come back strong. But I think Vic has given the team enough proof at this point that the offense needs his spark at the top of the lineup.— Bleue
- If the NLDS goes five games, why not flip-flop Hamels and Oswalt for the NCLCS so Hamels doesn't have to start Game 2 on three days' rest?— Muckrakers
- Hamels would be pitching on the 4th day, which is the normal period for pitchers.— Philalawyer
- There is a potential that Game 3 will go up against the Sunday Night Eagles game at San Francisco. Charlie should have forgotten about the pitching rotation and looked at the Eagles schedule to make sure that there were no conflicts. He is as dumb as George W. Bush, which I never thought could be possible.— eldiablodelsol2009
- Comment removed.
- We should face whatever team has to scratch & claw up to the end of the season, so they are spent, and can't set up their pitching rotation. This eliminates Cincinnati.— jman
- Why would you want a day off between games one and two? If you win game one, you lose your momentum by having a day off. Why would you pitch Hamels in game two and not Oswalt? Hamels got rocked in his last start, while Oswalt has pitched better than Halladay down the stretch. The Phillies have now lost three out of their last four games - and they aren't hitting - not good signs headed into the playoffs versus the red-hot Giants and Braves.— Gnip Gnop
- pretty obvious he left howard in there for stats reasons, bonus's?? i mean why would you not start sweeney last night, almost a slap in the face.— deatheater
- Why would you want a day off between games 1 and 2? So you can go to a 3 man rotation and have all of your starters pitching on regular rest. Phillies will be in the best position heading into the playoffs of all NL Teams. Giants and Padres will be slugging it out into the weekend so they probably won't have their best pitcher available for NLDS game 1. Phils have won 20 games in September, clinched the best record in the NL and you're complaining Ping Pong?— the4kns
- GO BRAVES - BOBBY COX WANTS TO GO OUT A WINNER!— BIG5HOOPS
- you are a little irresponsible showing anything past the NLDS. One win at a time. I know we have the pitching but its one game at a time.— Jack Hammer
- you are a little irresponsible showing anything past the NLDS. One win at a time. I know we have the pitching but its one game at a time.— Jack Hammer
- Um, Charlie doesn't have control over the entire playoff schedule - just game 1 of the divisional series. Why does it matter what pitcher is pitching if there's an Eagles game?— rounddollar
- Disappointed in Philadelphia local bloggers. The phillies are entering a 3 game series with Atlanta that has enormous playoff implications and our reporters are sleeping in. Thanks for nothing.— jtj06
- He is still not 100%. His first game back he looked tentative at bat and in the field. I see Valdez getting alot of playing time in these playoffs. I would bat him 8th so he doesn't clutter the lineup. After he contributed nothing to the big September push. Victorino is the leadoff guy.— garcia7
