Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels have carried the Philadelphia Phillies to their 5Th consecutive NL East division title, when healthy Roy Oswalt has helped to. Manager Charlie Manuel has seen is team lose 7 straight games, after dropping game one of a doubleheader at the New York Mets. Starting pitching isn't the issue, it's been offense all season, consistent offense that is. Philadelphia didn't lose to San Francisco last season due to starting pitching, the Giants won the series and eventually World Series due to timely hitting. Most fans and media in Philadelphia, believe the Phillies can just turn it on, once the playoffs begin next weekend. Winning the NLDS or NLCS isn't the goal, becoming World Series champions is the goal. Rollins and Victorino will need to set the table and get on base to start games. Utley, Howard, Pence and Ibanez will be responsible for driving in runs. If that formula doesn't happen, even with excellent starting pitching, the Phillies won't win the World Series. Offense isn't something a team can just turn on and off. My number for the Phillies entering the postseason is 4, meaning the team has a great chance of winning if they average 4 runs per game in the postseason. In order to do that, they'll need to score with runners in scoring position, especially with less then two outs, while getting some timely two out hits. If they are unable to produce, the pressure will mount on the starting staff. Meaningless in the standings, nevertheless it will mean something to play well in the final five regular season games, from a mental standpoint. Seven days and counting stuck on 98 wins. Seven days and counting the postseason begins.
No comments:
Post a Comment