Phillies eliminated as offense fails

That was certainly a disgusting way to end the season.  Once again, Ryan Howard made the final out to end the Phillies season, this time grounding out and injuring himself as he ran up the line.  The offense failed to do anything against Chris Carpenter, picking up just three hits as they looked completely over-matched.  Roy Halladay did everything he could but his one "bad" inning just couldn't be overcome by the Phillies pathetic offense.

I have plenty of other thoughts on the game and this team but I don't have the energy to write them out tonight.  The pitching will still be there for the next few years but something has to be done to shore up the bats.  With several veterans already locked in and Jimmy Rollins possibly leaving via free agency, its hard to see how things get better.  Add in that Ryan Madson is probably gone and its even more depressing.  In Ruben we trust, I suppose.

With the Eagles in disarray the city now turns their hopes to the revamped Flyers.  It's going to be a long offseason, Phillies fans.

Phillies falter, face must-win Game 5

The other Roy just wasn't good enough to get it done.  Roy Oswalt took the mound for the Phillies in Game 4 but didn't have his best stuff as he gave up 5 runs and the Phillies lost, 5-3, and now must play a do-or-die Game 5.  Here are a few quick thoughts on the game:

-Despite Oswalt not having his best stuff, he was still the right choice to start Game 4.  Vance Worley has been great this year but Oswalt is a veteran who has proven himself time and again in the playoffs.  No reason to second guess the starting pitching choice.

-The Phillies blew an early lead for the second time in this series.  The offense seems on point at the start of these games but has been basically absent in the middle innings.  Edwin Jackson is no great starter but the Phillies just couldn't crack him after the first inning.

-That Shane Victorino stumble and bad toss in the outfield was something else.  Can't say I've ever seen that before.  First Ronnie Brown and now this.  Yikes.

-I'm sure Oswalt, an avid hunter, can figure out a way to get rid of that squirrel.

-Jimmy Rollins has been ridiculously locked in, hitting 9 for 16 with 4 doubles and 6 runs scored.   Think he is gunning for a big contract this offseason?

-Brad Lidge faced his demons and won, getting Albert Pujols out in the 8th inning.  I'm not sure Lidge will ever live down the moon shot he gave up to Pujols a few years back but this was at least a positive step one.

Being forced into an elimination game is never a good thing for a team but the Phillies will send Roy Halladay to the mound and have Cliff Lee available out of the bullpen.  If the Cardinals are able to best the Phillies top two aces, they really are the better team.  In Roy and Cliff we trust!

Ben Francisco the unlikely hero in Game 3

To win a World Series you need to get big hits from some unlikely sources.  Ben Francisco was that unlikely source for the Phillies tonight, driving in all 3 of the Phillies runs with one swing of the bat.  Here are my thoughts on the Phils huge Game 3 win:

-Is there any more improbable of a hero than Ben Francisco?  After a pretty terrible regular season, Francisco instantly made himself a Philly legend with his 3-run homer in the 7th inning.  It was just his second hit in his postseason career and his first home run since late May but Francisco now joins the likes of Matt Stairs in the Phillies postseason pinch hit Hall of Fame.

-Although the Cardinals really made him work, Cole Hamels certainly pitched like an ace tonight.  It would have been nice if he could have gone more than 6 innings before having to turn it over to the bullpen but you can't argue with 8 strikeouts and no earned runs.

-The Phillies bullpen is still something to worry about.  When the starting pitchers are forced to throw a lot of pitches early on the bullpen is going to be a factor and Ryan Madson is the only reliever that can be counted on at the moment.  Madson can't pitch multiple innings every night, though, so someone is going to have step up sooner or later.

-Man that double play in the 8th inning was huge.  It also saved Madson from having to throw too many pitches and allowed him to stay fresh for the 9th.

-Jaime Garcia was everything we feared he would be.  The Phillies just can't hit strike-throwing, soft-tossing lefties.  The Phils failed to work deep counts on Garcia as he cruised through the first 6 innings.  We all know what happened in the 7th, of course.  Wonder if Garcia regrets walking Carlos Ruiz to get to Francisco...

-How annoying is Ryan Theriot?  He is just a mediocre journeyman middle infielder but there he is, going 4 for 5 in Game 3 and raising his batting average to .667 in the postseason.  Thank goodness he didn't get a hit in that final at bat.  I would call him the 2011 Cody Ross but Theriot has zero power and his team isn't winning.

With the two Roy's pitching the next two games and Cliff Lee possibly available out of the pen, the Phillies are exactly where they want to be.  All the pressure is on the Cardinals to beat two of the Phllies aces in a row.  Good luck with that.

Bloody Sunday: Phillies blow 4 run lead in Game 2

That was a rough day to be a Philly sports fan.  After jumping out to a 4 run lead, the Phillies couldn't put the Cardinals away and lost 5-4.  The Cardinals bullpen deserves a ton of credit for completely shutting the Phillies down for the final 6 innings.  Here are my thoughts on Game 2:

-The Phillies offense looked locked in right off the bat, working the count and getting solid hits off of Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter.  Carpenter was fortunate to get out of the first without allowing too much damage when he got Polanco to ground into a double play.  Think the Cards will ever use him on short rest again?

-After the second inning, the Phillies offense went into a coma and never woke up.  Tony La Russa trotted out pitcher after pitcher and the Phillies couldn't muster any kind of offense.  Only Jimmy Rollins managed a hit and he was promptly picked off trying to steal second.

-The Phillies looked especially clueless against Jason Motte.  I hope they don't need a key run against him in an elimination situation.

-That wasn't quite the Cliff Lee we've all come to expect.  Though he gave up a few hits early, he looked good through the first three innings.  The Cardinals starting tagging him after that, though, picking up a string of cheap hits to get themselves back into the game.  He wasn't helped by the wildly inconsistent strike zone but Lee is going to have to pitch better than that next time around.

-The Phillies bullpen was tremendous, allowing just one hit in three innings.  That was one big positive to come out of the game.

-Ryan Howard continued his great postseason with 2 big RBI's in the first inning.  He is putting that nightmare of a 2010 postseason behind him though it would have been nice if he came through in the 8th inning.

-That Jon Jay hit on Carlos Ruiz at the plate was the biggest hit of the day in Philadelphia.  Yeah, I'm looking at you, Eagles.

The Phillies still have another ace to turn to so there is no reason to panic.  What a horrible Sunday to be a Philly fan, though.

Phillies-Cardinals NLDS Game 1 Thoughts

One down, 10 more wins to go.  After a sluggish start for both Roy Halladay and the offense, the Phillies woke up in time to pound the Cardinals, 11-6, and start off the 2011 playoffs with a win.  Here are some of my thoughts on the game:

-Who else had a sinking feeling in their stomach after Halladay gave up the 3-run homer in the first inning and when the Phillies offense looked impatient and inept against Kyle Lohse in the early innings?  You had to figure that Halladay would settle in and he certainly did, retiring 21 straight and looking dominant from the 2nd inning on.  Take out that one swing by Lance Berkman and we'd be talking about another amazing Halladay playoff outing.

-With one swing, Ryan Howard already has more homers and RBI than he did in the entire 2010 playoffs.  We've all seen Howard come up small with runners on in close games before but he stayed patient and waited for Lohse to make a mistake.  If that's the Howard we get for the next few weeks, another title is just a formality.

-The rumors of Raul Ibanez's demise have been greatly exaggerated.  These could be his last few games with the Phillies and Ibanez has already made a huge impact.

-The bullpen still might be something to worry about.  The fact that they had to turn to Ryan Madson just to put the Cardinals away was disheartening.  Although the starters can be expected to go deep in nearly every game, someone besides Madson has to step up and get batters out.

-Albert Pujols is good and all but how about they don't basically intentionally walk him in the first inning?  Berkman and Matt Holliday (when he's healthy enough to start) can really rake so there is no reason to give them extra runners to drive in.

-Hunter Pence looked comfortable in the playoffs, picking up a big hit before Howard's homer as well as the single that put the game out of reach in the 8th inning.  He continues to be exactly what the Phillies needed to add to the lineup.

With Cliff Lee going against Chris Carpenter tomorrow, Game 2 should be a great matchup.  Expect the first team to get to 2 runs to win.

Phillies vs. Cardinals: NLDS Schedule

Updated: now with the latest pitching matchups and game times.

Here is the schedule, with probable pitchers, for the NLDS series between the Phillies and the Cardinals:

Game 1: Sat., 10/1: Cardinals (Lohse) @ Phillies (Halladay), 5:07 pm
Game 2: Sun., 10/2: Cardinals (Carpenter) @ Phillies (Lee), 8:37 pm
Game 3: Tues., 10/4: Phillies (Hamels) @ Cardinals (Garcia), TBD
Game 4: Wed., 10/5: Phillies (Oswalt) @ Cardinals (Jackson), TBD
Game 5: Fri., 10/7: Cardinals @ Phillies, TBD

The starters for the first two games have already been announced and I took my best guess for Games 3 and 4.  The Phillies will be fortunate if they can avoid Garcia, who is a tough lefty, until Game 4.  My prediction is Phillies in 4.  The starting pitching is too good to be denied by a Cardinals team with a lot of flaws.

Phillies to face Cardinals in the first round!

What a night of baseball!  The Phillies completed their season-ending sweep of the Braves, knocking them out of the playoffs and setting up a first round matchup against the Cardinals, who beat the Astros to clinch the Wild Card.  The win was also the Phillies 102nd win on the season, a franchise record.  While the Cardinals will be a tough matchup, the Phillies have to be happy to not have to worry about facing a Braves team that could have been a tricky opponent due to their (usually) solid bullpen.

Check back soon for the NLDS schedule.  The series will start on Saturday but the time is TBA.

The Phillies are NL East champs for the 5th straight year!

For the 5th year in a row, the Phillies are NL East Champions!  A great start by Roy Oswalt and an offensive explosion in the bottom of the 8th sealed the deal as the Phillies beat the Cardinals, 9-2, and clinched the division faster than they ever have in their history.  It is also the 11th NL East division title, tying them with the Braves for the most titles since the NL East was formed in 1969.

All that is left now for the Phillies is to clinch the best record in the NL and that will give them a homefield advantage in every series because the National League won the All-Star Game.  While their goal will certainly be to have the best record in baseball, and the most wins in team history, expect the regulars to have plenty of rest down the stretch as the Phillies gear up for another postseason.  With the big three pitchers and an offense that has awoken in the second half of the season, everything seems lined up for an exciting October.  What a time to be a Phillies fan!

The Phillies are back in the playoffs!

After (finally) beating the Astros, 1-0, the Phillies became the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot.  We've known for months that they would get there but it's still nothing to take lightly.

At this point, the Phillies have only clinched at least the NL Wild Card.  Their magic number for the NL East is down to four.

We truly are in the golden era of Phillies baseball.  Looking forward to another fun October.

Phillies bounced as bats fall silent

Somehow, this one hurts a little more than the loss to the Yankees last year. In a dramatic, gut-wrenchingly close game, the Phillies lost Game 6 to the Giants, 3-2, and have been eliminated. From start to finish in this game, as in seemingly every game in the series, the Phillies and the Giants went back and forth, trading big strikeouts and tough outs from their relief pitchers until Ryan Howard was struck out looking on a pitch he had no business not swinging at.

Say what you will about the Giants but they were the perfect foil for the Phillies, with their tremendous bullpen and their ability to come up with clutch hit after clutch hit. While on paper, their offense seems like nothing, they had a knack for having a nameless player step up with a huge hit, like Juan Uribe in Game 6. Of course, while the Giants deserve plenty of crediting for beating the Phillies, that doesn't mean I'm going to root for them in the World Series. Go Rangers!

So ends another Phillies season in disappointing fashion. While it hurts right now, it's important to look at the big picture and remember that this team is set up nicely for next year, as everyone besides Jayson Werth is coming back. At any rate, we'll always have 2008.
(AP PHOTO)

Still alive: Phillies escape San Francisco with win

We're coming back to Philly! After a tight Game 5 that saw the Phillies edge the Giants, 4-2, to stave off elimination, it appears that we have a series again. Apparently there is a reason we call them the Fightin' Phils.

Roy Halladay didn't have his best stuff but he still put forth a good effort, giving the Phillies 6 innings while allowing just 2 runs. While he uncharacteristically worked himself into several 3 ball counts and even walked two batters, Halladay never backed down, battling through a few tough jams to stave off any big Giant rallies. Even more impressive in the game was the Phillies bullpen, as Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge pitched the final 3 innings and gave up only 1 hit, walked none and struck out 5. Madson gave the Phillies the best inning of the night in the 8th, when he struck out the three most dangerous Giants hitters in Buster Posey, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross.

Offensively, the Phillies were opportunistic in the third inning when they used a single, a hit by pitch, a strange looking sacrifice bunt, an error and another single to plate three runs against Tim Lincecum. Jayson Werth also added an opposite field homer in the top of the 9th for insurance.

With the series now shifting back to Philadelphia for Games 6 and 7, things are about to get real interesting. As we've said all along, the Phillies rotation is set up perfectly with Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels ready to take the mound. While there might be some concern over Oswalt after he was used in Game 4, he's a gamer and he'll get his arm where it needs to be. This series is far from over, Phillies fans.
(AP PHOTO)

Phillies pushed to the brink after Game 4 loss

These pesky Giants just won't let up. Entering the NLCS, all of the talk about the Giants centered around how they sure can pitch but they really can't hit. Well, 4 games into the NLCS, the Giants have proven they have some great pitching and they sure have a knack for getting clutch hits.

With the Phillies now facing elimination after losing Game 4 in the bottom of the 9th, it's hard to muster up too many positive things to say about them. With the bats really not doing much, the only hope left to hang our hats on is the fact that the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels pitching in Game 5, 6 and 7. While the Giants will be countering with some strong pitchers of their own, you can't ask for a better trio of starting pitchers than what the Phillies are putting out there.

Of course, it doesn't matter who the Phillies have on the mound if the offense isn't producing, so hopefully the spark of offense we saw in Game 4 will carry over. Things may seem grim, Phillies fans, but this series isn't over, as anyone who followed the Flyers last season know. Keep the faith!

Phillies offense flops as Giants take 2-1 series lead

Baseball is a simple game: no matter how good your pitching is, you can't win if you don't score runs. Such was the case for the Phillies today, who got a quality start from Cole Hamels but failed to do anything with the bats in a 3-0 Game 3 loss to the Giants.

For the first time since the 1983 World Series, the Phillies were shutout in the playoffs. Matt Cain was dominant for the Giants, allowing just 2 hits and walking 3 across 7 innings of work. The Phillies had their chances, like in the 2nd and 7th innings when they had two runners on base, but they just couldn't come up with the key hit. Really, save for a Jimmy Rollins single in the 9th inning, the Phillies just didn't make good contact at all.

Hamels actually put together a decent start, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings while striking out 8 batters. He had good stuff throughout the game but he got burned by a few grounders that found holes and a bad defensive play by Chase Utley. Phillie-killer Cody Ross of course made his presence felt again, singling in the first run of the game in the 4th.

The Giants now lead the series, 2-1, but it's hardly time to panic. While we haven't seen him in a while, Joe Blanton is a competent pitcher and the Phillies should be able to get some runs off of rookie Madison Bumgarner. Should the Phillies find get a win in Game 4, I like their chances with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Hamels taking the mound for Games 5, 6 and 7. Of course, entering the series, I would have never guessed that the Phillies would have lost Games 1 and 3 with Halladay and Hamels on the mound, but there is reason to expect them to be better the second time they face the Giants.

Sure, the Phillies are in the unfamiliar position of trailing in a series after 3 games. Sure, their offense looked terrible today. From what we have seen this team do the last few years, however, you have to keep faith that they will turn things around. Despite what you have seen the last 3 games, the Phillies are still the better team in this series. I still believe!
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Oswalt dominates as Phillies even series

That's more like it. Behind a strong pitching performance by Roy Oswalt, the Phillies cruised past the Giants in Game 2, winning 6-1 and evening up the NLCS at one game apiece. While it wasn't a must-win game, the win certainly put the Phillies right back on track after dropping Game 1.

Oswalt was on point all game long, going 8 innings, striking out 9 while allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks with his only blemish coming when Cody Ross inexplicably hit his third homer of the series. While he did hit a few rough patches here and there, Oswalt stuck to throwing strikes (71 of his 111 pitches) and letting the defense do the work when he wasn't getting swings and misses. Oswalt didn't just contribute on the mound, though, as he had a key single and hustled home to score an insurance run in the 7th inning. This Roy certainly proved that the Phillies have the best trio of starting pitchers in baseball.

Despite being stymied by Jonathan Sanchez for most of the night, the Phillies offense awoke just in time to widen the lead in a 7th inning rally where they picked up 4 runs. The big hit for the night came off the bat of Jimmy Rollins, who broke out of his postseason funk with a bases loaded double that plated 3 runs. While the Phillies are still struggling to string together hits against the tough Giants pitching, it was nice to see them finally break through with some key hits when they needed insurance runs in the late innings.

With the series now shifting to San Francisco, the Phillies have washed away the bad feelings left from the Game 1 loss. With the dominant Cole Hamels set to take the mound in Game 3, the Phillies are in an excellent position to jump out to a lead in the series. While the Giants are a tough team to piece together runs against, a few more dominating pitching performances like tonight and the Phils will be preparing for their third straight World Series appearance. 7 more wins to go!
(Photo by Matt Slocum/Pool/Getty Images)

Lincecum outduels Halladay as Giants win Game 1

As Phillies fans, we're used to seeing the Phillies, who had won 7 straight Game 1's heading into the series, taking an early lead in every playoff series. It didn't happen in Game 1 of the NLCS this year, however, as the Giants edged the Phillies, 4-3.

The game was hyped as a showdown between the two best pitchers in the game but it didn't quite live up to that billing. While both Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay went deep into the game, each pitching 7 innings, neither was particularly sharp, with Lincecum finding himself in several early jams and Halladay uncharacteristically giving up a pair of homers to a very average player. In the end, Lincecum was just slightly more effective than Halladay, as he gave up fewer hits (6 to 8), struck out more batters (8 to 7) and ultimately gave up fewer runs.

Halladay started the game right where he left off in the first round, mowing down the first 7 Giants batters he faced. He quickly lost his no-hitter and even his shutout from there, however, as Cody Ross drilled a ball over the left field wall. Halladay did manage to settle down nicely, at least until Ross shockingly took him deep again in the 5th inning. How a journeyman like Ross, a former Marlin castoff, managed to hit two blasts off of Halladay is perplexing to say the least.

The Phillies offense all came from the longball tonight as Carlos Ruiz hit a solo homer in the 3rd and Jayson Werth hit a 2-run shot in the 6th. As they have been for more of the postseason, the Phillies bats were mostly quiet, as Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez all went a combined 0 for 12 with 6 strikeouts. I wondered if we should be worried about the Phillies offense after their anemic showing the first round and nothing that happened tonight makes me feel more confident about how the team is swinging the bats.

While it's an unfamiliar position for the Phillies to trail in a series after Game 1, it's important to remember that it's just one game. Sure, Lincecum didn't pitch like an ace, but when he gets any kind of run support at all he doesn't lose. The Phillies are postseason veterans who will regroup and will put this loss behind them. They know that a win in Game 2 against Jonathan Sanchez erases the sour taste from Game 1.

Still 8 more wins to go for the Phillies and I still believe.
(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Phillies vs. Giants: NLCS breakdown

With the NLCS finally set to start tomorrow, it's time to take a closer look at how the Giants stack up against the Phillies. We all know about the Giants pitching but do they have enough bats to keep up with the Phillies? Here is my breakdown of the two teams, position-by-position:

Starting Pitching:
Phillies: Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton
Giants: Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner

The strength of both teams lie in their starting rotations. Against any other team in the league, each of these teams would have a huge advantage over the opposition but when compared to one another, it's pretty much a wash. Right off the bat, the first game figures to be an epic showdown that features the 2009 NL Cy Young winner against the presumptive 2010 Cy Young winner. Trying to discern who is better between Halladay and Lincecum is a pointless exercise; they are both ridiculously good and will be mowing everyone down in Game 1. As for Game 2, a case can be made that Sanchez, a lefty who has stymied the Phillies in the past, is actually better than Oswalt, who struggled against the Giants this year. With the way Hamels has been pitching lately, I don't think many can ague that he's better than Cain, though the gap isn't really that wide. That leaves things even heading into Game 4, where Blanton and Bumgarner are the starters for now, although that could change depending on where the series stands at that point. While Bumgarner will probably be the better pitcher in the long run, right now, it's hard to say he's better than Blanton, who has come up big in the postseason in the past. It's almost impossible to definitively say one team has better starting pitching than the other. Edge: Even

Bullpen:
Phillies: Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin
Giants: Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez

The Phillies bullpen basically got to nap through the first round but you can bet they will be put to the test in this longer series. This is still the Phillies biggest weakness, given that there are still plenty of questions as to whether Lidge will be able to hold things down in the 9th. Just about the only bullpen piece that no one questions is Madson, who is dependable night in and night out. As for the Giants, they have an incredibly deep pen that did struggle at times against the Braves in the NLDS but they came through in the series clincher. Although Wilson doesn't exactly scare anyone, the Giants do have plenty of hard throwers and lefty options like Lopez and Jeremy Affedlt that should give Ryan Howard and the Phillies lefty bats fits. Edge: Giants

Catcher:
Phillies: Carlos Ruiz
Giants: Buster Posey

Posey is quickly establishing himself as one of the best hitting catchers in the league while Ruiz continues to be the best number 8 hitter I can think of and is still very reliable behind the plate. While Posey is certainly the more talented player, Ruiz makes things even with his defense and his penchant for coming up with big hits in the playoffs. Edge: Even

Infield:
Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco
Giants: Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, Juan Uribe, Pablo Sandoval

As a whole, both infields are solid defensively but when you start looking at the bats, the Phillies clearly have the edge. At first base, Howard didn't have his best year this year but he's still a more dangerous hitter than Huff, who may be the Giants best hitter. At second base, there is no one better than Utley when he is healthy and Sanchez is no exception. If Sanchez still produced like he did back in 2006 and 2007 when he was with the Pirates, there would be more of an argument to be made. As for the shortstops, while Uribe does have some pop in his bat, even in his best year he's still not much better than a hobbled Rollins, who jumps way ahead of him when you take into account his defense. Finally, at third, the Giants will probably use both Sandoval and Mike Fontenot, which tells you a lot about how far the Kung Fu Panda has fallen after his breakthrough season last year. Polanco is much better with the bat than either option. The Phillies big advantage over the Giants in the infield could be their key to winning the series. Edge: Phillies

Outfield:
Phillies: Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth
Giants: Pat Burrell, Andres Torres, Cody Ross

None of the names in the Giants outfield scare anyone, from cast-offs like Burrell and Ross to Torres, who had a great season but isn't exactly someone you are afraid of when he steps to the plate. At best, Burrell is just about as good as Ibanez and Torres and Victorino are a wash, but no matter how you look at the right field situation, the Phillies come out way ahead with Werth. Factor in defense, where Burrell and Ross don't cover much ground in the corners, and the Phillies have another pretty solid advantage. Edge: Phillies

Bench:
Phillies: Ross Gload, Ben Francisco, Wilson Valdez
Giants: Mike Fontenot, Edgar Renteria, Aaron Rowand, Travis Ishikawa

Neither team has much to brag about on the bench, though the Giants will actually start some of these guys in a game or two. While some Phillies fans might be excited to see our old friend Aaron Rowand in the series, keep in mind he's just a shell of his former self and he won't be running into walls any time soon. Don't expect anything more than a few pinch hit at-bats from the Phillies bench. Edge: Giants

Manager:
Phillies: Charlie Manuel
Giants: Bruce Bochy

Bochy has done a fine job to get a very one-dimensional team this far into the playoffs but he might not have enough weapons at his disposal to manage his way past the Phillies. As for Manuel, he seems to step his game up in the playoffs and has yet to make a bad decision, though he really hasn't had to do much yet. As always, the edge has to go to the guy with the ring. Edge: Phillies

My prediction:

On paper, the Phillies have the advantage in this series at the plate, where they have a lineup that goes eight deep and can put up runs against any pitcher. While the Giants may have a slight advantage in the pitching department, when you look at their lineup, it's hard to fathom how they are going to get any run production against the Phillies three aces. Since 3 runs might be all you need to win a game in this series, I have to go with the Phillies in 6, since their offense is capable of exploding at any time. As for how the series plays out, I like the Phillies to win Game 1, lose Game 2, win Game 3, lose Game 4 and then win Game 5 before wrapping up the series at home in Game 6.

We are just four wins away from a third straight trip to the World Series for the Phillies. In the modern era, it's extremely difficult for a team to get to the World Series in two straight years, so the fact that the Phillies have put themselves in a position for a third trip speaks to the dynasty that they might be building. It's safe to say that there has never been a better time to be a Phillies fan.

Phillies vs. Giants: NLCS Schedule

The schedule is set for the Phillies third straight NLCS appearance. The pitchers for each game have also yet to be announced, but it's a safe bet that we'll see Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay in an epic Game 1.

Game 1: Saturday, October 16th: Giants (Lincecum) @ Phillies (Halladay), 7:57 pm

Game 2: Sunday, October 17th: Giants @ Phillies, 8:19 pm

Game 3: Tuesday, October 19th: Phillies @ Giants, 4:19 pm

Game 4: Wednesday, October 20th: Phillies @ Giants, 7:57 pm

Game 5: Thursday, October 21st: Phillies @ Giants, 7:57 pm

Game 6: Saturday, October 23rd: Giants @ Phillies, 3:57 pm

Game 7: Sunday, October 24th: Giants @ Phillies, 7:57 pm

Bring on the Giants! The Phillies have their NLCS opponent

With their defeat of the Braves on Monday night, the Giants have moved on to the NLCS and will now take on the Phillies. Given their penchant for strong starting pitching, expect a few low-scoring games. Also, expect Pat Burrell to get booed this time around.

The series starts on Saturday with Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum the likely starters. I'll have a series preview up in a few days.

Sweep! Hamels dominates as Phillies move on to NLCS

Another game, another dominating performance by a Phillies pitcher. Another year, another NLCS appearance for the Phillies.

Cole Hamels, doing his best Roy Halladay impersonation, dominated the Reds, going the distance in a 5-hit complete game shutout as the Phillies defeated the Reds, 2-0, and completed their first postseason sweep in team history. Hamels was brilliant all night, striking out 9 Reds on 119 pitches and walking none. It was about as smooth a performance as you can ask for as Hamels never had to work his way out of any tricky jams, although he did force the NL MVP Joey Votto to ground into a double play in the 9th inning.

As for the Phillies offense, there wasn't much to speak of. They got their first run in the first inning when Reds shortstop Orlando Cabrera made an errant throw to first base that allowed Placido Polanco to score and the second run came on a Chase Utley solo shot. The Phils did manage 8 hits on the night, though, and they also had a lot of hard hit balls that just didn't fall in, so there shouldn't be a sense of panic about the hitters.

The Phillies now move on to their third straight NLCS appearance and will face either the Giants or the Braves, with the Giants currently holding a 2-1 series lead. While neither team is particularly scary, the Giants do have a formidable pitching staff that could shut down the Phillies bats. Of course, the Phillies also have some pretty darn good pitchers themselves, with the big three aces ready to take the mound for Games 1, 2 and 3 in the NLCS. With the way they are pitching, it's hard to imagine anyone stopping the Phillies this postseason. 8 more wins to go!
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Phillies take advantage of Reds blunders, take 2-0 series lead

In a game they really had no business winning, the Phillies took advantage of four Reds errors to overcome a 4-0 deficit in the later innings, winning 7-4 to give them a 2-0 NLDS series lead. While it wasn't a pretty win for the Phillies, in the playoffs, getting the win is all that matters.

Game 2 starting pitcher Roy Oswalt failed to pick up where Roy Halladay left off, giving up a leadoff home run to Brandon Phillips and going on to pitch 5 shaky innings. Oswalt simply didn't have his best stuff tonight as the Reds tagged him for 4 runs on 5 hits and a walk. Poor fielding by the Phillies early on didn't help, either, as Chase Utley had a pair of errors in the second inning that directly led to the Reds scoring a run.

After being shut down by Reds starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo for the first 4 innings, the Phillies finally got to him in the 5th, picking up a pair of runs on an Utley single. After adding another run in the 6th, things really got interesting as the Reds trotted out flame-throwing lefty Aroldis Chapman, the man who was supposedly going to shut down the Phillies lefty bats. Things didn't quite work out for Chapman, despite his 100 mile an hour fastball, as a phantom hit-by-pitch, a missed call, two singles and a couple of errors led to the Phillies tacking on 3 unearned runs. Once they took the lead, the Phillies bullpen held on and they never looked back.

While ace pitcher Roy Oswalt wasn't quite as good as advertised this time around, the Phillies still found a way to win and have now put the Reds on the ropes. With their third ace, Cole Hamels, set to take the mound in Game 3 in Cincinnati and Halladay ready to go in Game 4 should it be needed, it's tough to see any scenario where the Reds get back into the series.

You have to wonder which loss was more demoralizing for the Reds, the no-hitter by Halladay or this one that they gave away. Oh well, the Phillies will take them both. 9 more wins to go!
(AP PHOTO)