Philadelphia Phillies – MLB Postseason Guide
After dominating the National League in 2011, the Philadelphia Phillies have rightly made their way to the post-season as NL East Division Champions. Although they faced a serious dip in form just on the verge of the post-season, manager Charlie Manuel was
quick to revert to a regular playing side and thus finish the season on a four-game winning streak.
Phillies ended the season on a high and in the process, became the first team in the history of Major League Baseball to win 102 games in a single season. They needed a win in their last game against Atlanta Braves to get the record and a dramatic comeback
was a perfect way to go the extra mile and circumvent the Braves from making their second consecutive post-season appearance.
Out of the 162 games played in the regular season, the Phillies came out victorious in 102 and lost just 60 which, from any perspective, is a commendable winning percentage.
Phillies have been tipped as favourites to become World Champions this year by all rigorous baseball pundits. Their performance coupled by their track record explains their elevated probability to lift the title.
In the first round, the NL East Champions are scheduled to face last-minute Wild Card entrants St. Louis Cardinals. Phillies’ performance against the Cardinals in the regular season was not exemplary, to say the least. A win-loss record of 3-6 suggests that
St. Louis will not be an easy opponent in the Divisional Series.
Phillies have the best rotation in the Majors this season but their offence has not complimented as much as it should have. However, this does not mean that they do not have the ability to do so. Home-runs have not come in abundance for the Phillies, but
with the likes of Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Jimmy Rollins, the odds of a backlash cannot be undermined.
Hunter Pence was acquired by the Phillies in the mid-season trade deadline by the lowly-ranked Houston Astros, giving him a second life to rekindle his career and a lifetime opportunity to feature in the post-season with a team likely to win the World Series.
Not many players get such opportunities and Pence has made sure to make the most of it. In the 54 games that he has played for the Phillies, he has adjusted himself as the backbone of the line-up, driving in 35 runs and smashing 11 home-runs at a stupendous
batting percentage of .324.
Their pitching remains their strength. Philadelphia’s All-Star trio of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee constitute a rotation that can wipe-out any line-up single handed. Halladay is a prime candidate of bagging his second-consecutive NL Cy Young
Awards this year with 19 wins in the regular season. Lee, on the other hand, has dropped just two games in his post-season career compared to the seven wins which he has bagged. With an earned-run average of 2.13, Lee will be central to Philadelphia’s success.
Hamels was crowned the NLCS and World Series MVP for the Phillies in 2008 and will now be positive for a replica of that performance, if not more.
I believe the Phillies have the ability and the depth to prevail in their test against the Cardinals. However, batting is one area where the team will have to perform well as a unit. Even if the pitching strength restricts the opponents to a low total, a
decent pitching opposition will make things hard for Philadelphia. Nonetheless, Philadelphia’s odds of making it to the Championship Series are high.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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