Major League Baseball Postseason Predictions: National League – Part 2
Philadelphia Phillies’ batting, on the contrary, has not been as impressive as it should have been. They have scored just 499 runs this season (13th most in MLB) but their pitchers have halted the opposing sides from scoring runs and this is where
they have edged past other teams.
Shane Victorino has been Phillies’ most prominent batter and his statistics justify his influence on the batting line-up. Victorino has played only 87 games in the season which has been marred by injuries for the out-fielder. Shane was elected to the National
League All-Star roster this season but was scratched from the game due to an injury. However, he made a strong statement after his return to the side and is currently bating at an average of .306.
Victorino has amassed 67 runs for the season so far and has connected 103 times from the plate. He has not been among home-runs this season with only 11 thus far but he has yielded 40 RBIs which have been of immense help to the Phillies. His form and fitness
will be vital for the Phillies as they prepare for the playoffs with the aim of reaching the World Series.
Placido Polanco has been a useful contributor in the Phillies’ batting line-up but he has also been out with injuries. The Phillies face yet another challenge as Polanco is diagnosed with a sports hernia and may miss the rest of the season. His replacement
needs to be solid because the Phillies might not get a better chance than this to grab the Championship.
Although the Phillies have dominated the regular season in every aspect, postseason will be a different ballgame altogether. All teams, including Phillies, need to be on top of their game because each game will be more important than the preceding game and
losses can end the campaign without any further chances.
The Phillies, needless to say, have had an outstanding second half of the season in addition to the exemplary first half. In 23 games post All-Star break, the Phillies have lost just six games and have prevailed in 17. Except for one occasion against the
San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia has not lost two consecutive games which is an achievement in itself. Their 17 wins include a stretch of five-consecutive wins and a nine-game winning streak which was ended by the Giants on Sunday, August 7. By then, however,
the Phillies had already registered three wins against San Francisco in the four-game series.
Fortuitously the Phillies do not have a tough series to challenge their mettle until their last series of the season against the Atlanta Braves. This can be advantageous as well as catastrophic for the Phillies who have been emphatic this season. Philadelphia
might not get the required rehearsal for the playoffs and complacency might get the better of them. However, this might also act as a confidence booster but it depends on how they go about it.
The Braves are the second-best performing team in the National League with a win-loss record of 67-49 but unluckily, they are drawn in the same division as the Phillies and are thus second in the division with a deficit of eight games. They deserve to qualify
for the playoffs after an exemplary season but they will be forced to take the Wild Card route as eradicating the deficit seems to be a distant possibility.
Continued in Part 3
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