Almost a month ago the Philadelphia Phillies was the team leading the wild card and now that the month of September has came around the Phillies are the best team in baseball. On July 21th, the Phillies were 7 games out of the division to the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Two months later the Phillies lead the division 7 games over the Braves at the right time. With the Phillies beating the New York Mets on Friday night by a score of 3-2 that made their magic number 3 games to client their 4th straight division title but a lost from the Brave would push that number down to 2 games. The Braves indeed lost to the Nationals 8-3 and that means one more Phillies win and one more Braves lose the Phillies will have won their 4th division title and who better to do it in front of the New York "Mess".
In the month of September the Phils really turned it on big time with a record of 19-3 the best in baseball and have won 11 straight games the most in Phillies history since 1991. I mean to think that this team looked like they wouldn't even make the postseason due to all the injuries and not playing great baseball, they really turned on a light. You can never count this team out! Right now the Phillies have the best record in baseball (93-61) over the Twins (92-62) and the 2009 defending World Series Champs the New York Yankees (92-61). This just has to be one of the greatest seasons in Phillies history, 2 months ago everyone was talking about how the Braves this and the Braves that and now the talk is will the Braves even make the postseason? After getting swapped by the Phillies that really just put them in a hole and how things look for the Braves now, looks like they just lost all life, their pitching, their hitting, their bull pen everything.
Now the Phillies have probably the best pitching staff in baseball with Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt. We all know that the Phillies know what their getting out of those three big time pitchers, but where does Joe Blanton fall into place on this team. Last night against the Mets he went 7 strong innings with 6 strikeouts and thrown 74 pitches. Do you use Blanton in a 7 games series as you're 4th starter or do you use him out of the bull pen or both? That's that biggest question of all? Blanton who has pitched in both the 2008 and the 2009 World Series does know what it feels like to pitch in a big spot light. Should Blanton start at least 1 game in the NLCS or WS if they make both, only time will tell what happens.
So the Phillies tonight will have a chance to win their 4th straight division title only if the Braves lose this afternoon and the Phils would have to win. Pitching for Braves today will be Derek Lowe with an ERA of 4.18, 14 wins, and 12 losses. Pitching for the Nats will be Yunesky Maya with 6.32 ERA, no wins, and 2 losses. That game will start at 1:05 p.m. Then at 7:05 the Phils will send out Kyle Kendrick to help them win the NL East if the Braves loss this afternoon. Kendrick comes in with an ERA of 4.78, 10 wins, and 9 losses. Pitching for the Mets will be Dillion Gee who has an ERA of 1.80, 1 win, and 1 loss. The Team to beat in the NL East still stands!!
BEYOND BASEBALL - Where you live, read, and die baseball.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Twins Win the AL Central!
The Minnesota Twin won their second division title last night on a White Sox loss to the A's 7-2. The Twins are the first team to win their division and will head to the postseason right now with the second best record in baseball behind the Yankees (91-60). So my pick in the start of the 2010 season is right as I did pick the Twins to win the Central and this team could make a good 5 game series either against the New York Yankees or the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Twin head into the postseason with a good 1 - 2 punch in their pitching staff and pretty good third starter as well. In a 5 game series in the ALDS their number one starter has to be Carl Pavano who has really turned it up in 2010 with an ERA of 3.60, 17 wins, 11 losses, and 112 strikeouts so far. Their number two start is probably going to be Francisco Liriano who at one point of this year was the ace of this pitching staff and has done really well for the Twins with an ERA of 3.44, 14 wins, 8 losses and 191 strikeouts. Now their number three starter is up for grabs between Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker. Now Slowey has done a very good job and has been one of their best pitchers on this team. His numbers don't show it but he at least gives you 6 innings in almost every outing with an ERA of 4.18, 13 wins, 6 losses and 115 strikeouts. Now Baker on the other hand just came off the DL and I'm pretty sure he will be used in the bull pen along with Nick Blackburn. I just think you have to go with those three pitchers in a 5 game series and if they make it to the ALCS then maybe you can use Baker if you have to.
The Twins bull pen this year has been pretty good with Brain Fuentes, Jesse Crain, and their new closer Matt Capps who came over in a trade with the Nationals this year. Fuentes this year has been pretty good and has 24 saves under his belt with an ERA 3.16 and has got the job done. Jesse Crain has been their step up man for Capps and pitched very well with an ERA of 2.49 and 21 HLD. Then their Capps who is one the best closers in the American League with 41 saves with an ERA of 2.52 and it's going to be interesting to see how well he handles himself in the postseason because he has never save a game in a big moment.
The Twins line-up is by far one of the best in the AL. They have speed, power, and power. We all know the leader of the ball club is catcher Joe Mauer who won the 2009 MVP Award and this year he has been off and on the DL but he's still batting .331, with 9 HR, and 74 RBI's. Then they have a really good outfielder in Delmon Young who had really turned it up this year hitting .297, 18 HR and driving in 104 RBI's. WOW! Then you have who I think should win comeback player of the year in the AL and that's big Jim Thome, man what a year he is having as the Twins DH this year. Thome is batting .280, 25 HR, and 59 RBI's. Talk about a guy who wants to win. Now over to Michael Cuddyer who has done pretty well over at first base filling in for Justin Morneau who was put on the DL this year due to a head injury. Cuddyer has hit .272, with 14 HR, and 77 RBI's, not bad at all. Then their Right Fielder Jason Kubel who has been doing pretty good and has hit for power this year batting ,253, with 19 HR, and driving in 85 RBI's.
Now last year the Twins were done in 3 games against the Yankees in the ALDS and I think this year they might be a different team winning the division with a 12 game lead over the White Sox. Where as to last year they had to have a one game playoff against the Tigers to decide the division and make the playoffs. Last year I think that didn't give them time to set up their pitching staff and what not, where to this year they will have more than enough time to get ready for the postseason. Now I'm not sure how good their pitching will be and how far it will take them but watch out for the Twins because their a new ball team and I wish them the best luck in the postseason.
The Twin head into the postseason with a good 1 - 2 punch in their pitching staff and pretty good third starter as well. In a 5 game series in the ALDS their number one starter has to be Carl Pavano who has really turned it up in 2010 with an ERA of 3.60, 17 wins, 11 losses, and 112 strikeouts so far. Their number two start is probably going to be Francisco Liriano who at one point of this year was the ace of this pitching staff and has done really well for the Twins with an ERA of 3.44, 14 wins, 8 losses and 191 strikeouts. Now their number three starter is up for grabs between Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker. Now Slowey has done a very good job and has been one of their best pitchers on this team. His numbers don't show it but he at least gives you 6 innings in almost every outing with an ERA of 4.18, 13 wins, 6 losses and 115 strikeouts. Now Baker on the other hand just came off the DL and I'm pretty sure he will be used in the bull pen along with Nick Blackburn. I just think you have to go with those three pitchers in a 5 game series and if they make it to the ALCS then maybe you can use Baker if you have to.
The Twins bull pen this year has been pretty good with Brain Fuentes, Jesse Crain, and their new closer Matt Capps who came over in a trade with the Nationals this year. Fuentes this year has been pretty good and has 24 saves under his belt with an ERA 3.16 and has got the job done. Jesse Crain has been their step up man for Capps and pitched very well with an ERA of 2.49 and 21 HLD. Then their Capps who is one the best closers in the American League with 41 saves with an ERA of 2.52 and it's going to be interesting to see how well he handles himself in the postseason because he has never save a game in a big moment.
The Twins line-up is by far one of the best in the AL. They have speed, power, and power. We all know the leader of the ball club is catcher Joe Mauer who won the 2009 MVP Award and this year he has been off and on the DL but he's still batting .331, with 9 HR, and 74 RBI's. Then they have a really good outfielder in Delmon Young who had really turned it up this year hitting .297, 18 HR and driving in 104 RBI's. WOW! Then you have who I think should win comeback player of the year in the AL and that's big Jim Thome, man what a year he is having as the Twins DH this year. Thome is batting .280, 25 HR, and 59 RBI's. Talk about a guy who wants to win. Now over to Michael Cuddyer who has done pretty well over at first base filling in for Justin Morneau who was put on the DL this year due to a head injury. Cuddyer has hit .272, with 14 HR, and 77 RBI's, not bad at all. Then their Right Fielder Jason Kubel who has been doing pretty good and has hit for power this year batting ,253, with 19 HR, and driving in 85 RBI's.
Now last year the Twins were done in 3 games against the Yankees in the ALDS and I think this year they might be a different team winning the division with a 12 game lead over the White Sox. Where as to last year they had to have a one game playoff against the Tigers to decide the division and make the playoffs. Last year I think that didn't give them time to set up their pitching staff and what not, where to this year they will have more than enough time to get ready for the postseason. Now I'm not sure how good their pitching will be and how far it will take them but watch out for the Twins because their a new ball team and I wish them the best luck in the postseason.
Third Best Team in Baseball.
The way the Philadelphia Phillies started off this year everyone knew they were going to be the best team in baseball, but along that way they hit a lot of speed bumps and at one point this Phillies team looked dead in the water. On July 21st they were 6 or 7 games out of first place in their division and it seemed as if this season might have been a loss for words. With that being said the Phillies had over 17 players put on the disable list and for the most part the Phillies didn't even play with infield they had opening day. During the trade dead-line the Phillies traded for Roy Oswalt, the Astors number one pitcher, adding another great pitcher to this already great pitching staff between Halladay and Hamels. Even with this big trade happening things were still not going the Phillies way. It had seemed every time the Braves would lose the Phillies would lose and the Phils couldn't gene any ground on the division. After being swept by the Astors at home it seemed the Phillies would have a rough September. Everyone knows that this Phillies team is a September team and every player on this Phillies team knows what it’s like to play under the gun. The Phillies finally caught the Braves and took over first place in the NL East and have become the third best team in baseball and the first team to reach 90 wins. It’s amazing how at one point your picked to not even finish in first and make the playoffs and then be the best team in baseball.
The 3 headed monsters have had a lot to do with the Phillies success in September with Halladay leading the way with an ERA of 2.46, 19 going for his 20th win tonight against the Braves, 10 losses, and 210 strikeouts. Halladay is on the vote for NL CY Young winner. Then you have a very good and better Cole Hamels this year who everyone said need to have a bounce back year and that is what he has done this year. Hamels could easily have 17 to 18 wins this year but he had 4 no decisions and lost back to back starts by a score of 1-0 against the New York Mets. Other than that Hamels is 5-0 in his last 5 starts with an ERA of 0.49, 37 strikeouts, and 7 walks. He has been very good, and overall he has an ERA of 2.93, 12 wins, 10 losses, and 207 strikeouts a career high for Hamels. Now you have the other "ROY" in Roy Oswalt who came over from Houston who the Phillies got in a trade and Oawalt is a guy who has pitched in the postseason and has been the best pitcher in the month of September and he has had some bad luck with the team he was with before that didn't score him a lot of runs and for some of Oswalt's starts with the Phillies it seemed like that was the case too but Oswalt overcame that and is 6-1 with the Phillies this year. Overall Oswalt's ERA is a 2.90, 13 wins, 13 losses, 181 strikeouts. So the 3 headed monsters has worked out great for the Phillies and I think they have the best one, two, three punch in baseball and watch out for them in the playoffs.
Now the Phillies line-up has been their strong part of their success having Howard, Utley, Werth, and Rollins. This year it has been a different story a lot of their key players being on the DL other players have stepped up and I'm talking about guys like Carlos Ruiz who in 2008 batted .218 and is now batting .299, with 8 HR, and 50 RBIs and has been the guy who has carried this team a lot this year. As of right now he has to be the Phillies MVP. Then there’s Placido Polanco who has spent some time on the DL but has come back and has hit very well for the Phillies. A guy who doesn't strikeout a lot and plays great over at the hot corner, Polly is batting .296, with 6 HR, and 51 RBIs and that's with being on the DL. He is also playing hurt. Then there's the big man Ryan Howard who has carried this team every year in the month of September and after being on the DL, for the 5th straight year he has hit 30 or more home runs and has gone over the 100 RBI mark with 104. Yes he does strikeout a lot but face it without this guy the Phillies would have no shot to make the playoffs. Howard is batting .281 this year and will get some votes for MVP. Chances say he gets it, I don't know. On top of those 3 players you have to add Rollins who spent time on the DL, Utley who has spent time on the DL, Werth, Raul, and Victorino who has spent time on the DL and still are the best team in baseball. They have all at one point have carried this team.
The bull pen might be the only thing I worry about on this team. The bull pen in 2008 was one of the best in baseball but in the last 2 years it hasn't been that good. Last year Brad Lidge was playing through injuries and Ryan Madson's focus just wasn't there. This year the Phillies added Danys Baez, who has been on the DL but really hasn’t filled that role and has been off in his game, they also added Jose Contreras who done pretty well for the Phillies when he is need. The big issues is they dont have a good lefty in the pen. J.C. Romero has had a really bad year and the Phillies just don't know what he bring to the table. Between Lidge and Madson this year they have been pretty good. Lidge's ERA is a 3.32 with 24 saves, a lot better number then last years and Madson has been pretty good after coming off the DL with an ERA of 2.42 and 13 HLD. So the bull pen is weak but I think they still have enough weapons to get the job done.
So the Phillies in postseason look like they may have home field avenged throughout the whole 2010 postseason and after the NL won their first All-Star game since 1993 they will have games 1,2,6, and 7 at home if they make the World Series which could be huge since the Phillies play really good at home. The Phillies have really turned it on and are playing like a team that wants to win the 2nd World Series title in 3 years. Also they would be the first NL team to go back to the World Series 3 straight years since the St. Louis Cardinals did so back in 1942, 1943, and 1944. The Phillies right now are the best team in baseball even though the record doesn't show it but their pitching, hitting, and coaching has showed it.
The 3 headed monsters have had a lot to do with the Phillies success in September with Halladay leading the way with an ERA of 2.46, 19 going for his 20th win tonight against the Braves, 10 losses, and 210 strikeouts. Halladay is on the vote for NL CY Young winner. Then you have a very good and better Cole Hamels this year who everyone said need to have a bounce back year and that is what he has done this year. Hamels could easily have 17 to 18 wins this year but he had 4 no decisions and lost back to back starts by a score of 1-0 against the New York Mets. Other than that Hamels is 5-0 in his last 5 starts with an ERA of 0.49, 37 strikeouts, and 7 walks. He has been very good, and overall he has an ERA of 2.93, 12 wins, 10 losses, and 207 strikeouts a career high for Hamels. Now you have the other "ROY" in Roy Oswalt who came over from Houston who the Phillies got in a trade and Oawalt is a guy who has pitched in the postseason and has been the best pitcher in the month of September and he has had some bad luck with the team he was with before that didn't score him a lot of runs and for some of Oswalt's starts with the Phillies it seemed like that was the case too but Oswalt overcame that and is 6-1 with the Phillies this year. Overall Oswalt's ERA is a 2.90, 13 wins, 13 losses, 181 strikeouts. So the 3 headed monsters has worked out great for the Phillies and I think they have the best one, two, three punch in baseball and watch out for them in the playoffs.
Now the Phillies line-up has been their strong part of their success having Howard, Utley, Werth, and Rollins. This year it has been a different story a lot of their key players being on the DL other players have stepped up and I'm talking about guys like Carlos Ruiz who in 2008 batted .218 and is now batting .299, with 8 HR, and 50 RBIs and has been the guy who has carried this team a lot this year. As of right now he has to be the Phillies MVP. Then there’s Placido Polanco who has spent some time on the DL but has come back and has hit very well for the Phillies. A guy who doesn't strikeout a lot and plays great over at the hot corner, Polly is batting .296, with 6 HR, and 51 RBIs and that's with being on the DL. He is also playing hurt. Then there's the big man Ryan Howard who has carried this team every year in the month of September and after being on the DL, for the 5th straight year he has hit 30 or more home runs and has gone over the 100 RBI mark with 104. Yes he does strikeout a lot but face it without this guy the Phillies would have no shot to make the playoffs. Howard is batting .281 this year and will get some votes for MVP. Chances say he gets it, I don't know. On top of those 3 players you have to add Rollins who spent time on the DL, Utley who has spent time on the DL, Werth, Raul, and Victorino who has spent time on the DL and still are the best team in baseball. They have all at one point have carried this team.
The bull pen might be the only thing I worry about on this team. The bull pen in 2008 was one of the best in baseball but in the last 2 years it hasn't been that good. Last year Brad Lidge was playing through injuries and Ryan Madson's focus just wasn't there. This year the Phillies added Danys Baez, who has been on the DL but really hasn’t filled that role and has been off in his game, they also added Jose Contreras who done pretty well for the Phillies when he is need. The big issues is they dont have a good lefty in the pen. J.C. Romero has had a really bad year and the Phillies just don't know what he bring to the table. Between Lidge and Madson this year they have been pretty good. Lidge's ERA is a 3.32 with 24 saves, a lot better number then last years and Madson has been pretty good after coming off the DL with an ERA of 2.42 and 13 HLD. So the bull pen is weak but I think they still have enough weapons to get the job done.
So the Phillies in postseason look like they may have home field avenged throughout the whole 2010 postseason and after the NL won their first All-Star game since 1993 they will have games 1,2,6, and 7 at home if they make the World Series which could be huge since the Phillies play really good at home. The Phillies have really turned it on and are playing like a team that wants to win the 2nd World Series title in 3 years. Also they would be the first NL team to go back to the World Series 3 straight years since the St. Louis Cardinals did so back in 1942, 1943, and 1944. The Phillies right now are the best team in baseball even though the record doesn't show it but their pitching, hitting, and coaching has showed it.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Roy Halladay for CY Young or Triple Crown?
If you were to ask me who I would pick as the 2010 NL CY Young award winner I would have to say "The Doc" Roy Halladay! But in baseball noting comes easy and there's always a price to pay. Halladay could easily have 20 or more wins on the 2010 season but in this game sometimes things don't always go your way. The goal right now for the most part is to stay in first place in the NL East and win the Phillies 4th straight division title and head into the postseason. Halladay was brought over here last winter to help this ball club get back the World Series for 3rd straight time and be first team in the NL to back to World Series 3 times in a row since the 1940 St. Louis Cardinals did so. Right now Halladay has 17 wins under his belt and with 3 or 4 more starts he could reach 20 wins on the season. In Halladay's career he has only reached 20 or more wins twice in 2003 when he won his first ever CY Young award with the Blue Jays winning 22 games, had an ERA of 3.25, threw 204 strikeouts, and had 266.0 IP (innings pitched). The other time was back in 2008 also with the Blue Jays when he won 20 games, had an ERA of 2.78, threw 206 strikeouts, and had 246.0 IP, CY Young type numbers? Well he came up short to a former Phillie in Cliff Lee who won 22 games, had an ERA of 2.54, threw 170 strikeouts, and had 223.1 IP in 2008 for the Cleveland Indians. Needless to say Halladay has been everything the Phillies could ask for in 2010 and filling in the ace role. Halladay is also 1 of 5 pitchers to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game this year along with Ubaldo Jimenez, Dallas Braden who threw the first perfect game, Edwin Jackson, and Matt Garza. With the month of September almost coming to a close and the postseason right around the corner it will be Halladay's first ever trip to the postseason with guys like Cole Hamels and new comer Roy Oawalt added to this already great pitching rotation who have had successes before in the playoffs, Halladay should have no problem. He's a big time pitcher in a big time satiation.
As for the triple crown in pitching well it’s probably one the hardest things to do. You have to be 1st in everything, ERA, Wins, and Strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 3rd in ERA, 3rd in wins, and 3rd in strikeouts. Tim Lincecum right now is the leader in strikeouts with 199 K's, Mat Latos is the leader in ERA with a 2.21, and Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez are both tied for wins with 18. So if Halladay wants to try to win the Triple Crown in pitching he will have to overcome all 4 of those pitchers. The last Phillies pitcher to win the Triple Crown was "Lefty" Steve Carlton back in 1972. Lefty won 27 games, had an ERA of 1.97, and had 310 strikeouts. The last National League pitcher to win the Triple Crown was Jake Peavy for the San Diego Padres back in 2007. He won 19 games, had an ERA of 2.54, and had 240 strikeouts. If I'm Halladay I think my main focus is getting into the postseason and try to get to the World Series. I mean really that should be ever pitchers focus at this point. Yeah rewards are nice, but championships priceless.
Top 5 NL CY Young cannonades
1. St. Louis Cardinals
Adam Wainwright - ERA 2.38 (4th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 191 strikeouts (4th in the NL), and 208.1 IP (2nd in the NL).
2. Colorado Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez - ERA 2.79 (7th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 178 strikeouts (7th in the NL), and 190.1 IP (9th in the NL).
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Roy Halladay - ERA 2.36 (3rd in the NL), 17 wins (3rd in the NL), 196 strikeouts (3rd in the NL), and 221.0 IP (1st in the NL).
4. San Diego Padres
Mat Latos - ERA 2.21 (1st in the NL), 14 wins (6th in the NL), 170 strikeouts (11th in the NL), and 162.2 IP.
5. Atlanta Braves
Tim Hudson - ERA 2.41 (5th in the NL), 15 wins (4th in the NL), 117 strikeouts, and 198.0 IP (5th in the NL).
You be the judge on who should win the 2010 NL CY Young Award.
As for the triple crown in pitching well it’s probably one the hardest things to do. You have to be 1st in everything, ERA, Wins, and Strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 3rd in ERA, 3rd in wins, and 3rd in strikeouts. Tim Lincecum right now is the leader in strikeouts with 199 K's, Mat Latos is the leader in ERA with a 2.21, and Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez are both tied for wins with 18. So if Halladay wants to try to win the Triple Crown in pitching he will have to overcome all 4 of those pitchers. The last Phillies pitcher to win the Triple Crown was "Lefty" Steve Carlton back in 1972. Lefty won 27 games, had an ERA of 1.97, and had 310 strikeouts. The last National League pitcher to win the Triple Crown was Jake Peavy for the San Diego Padres back in 2007. He won 19 games, had an ERA of 2.54, and had 240 strikeouts. If I'm Halladay I think my main focus is getting into the postseason and try to get to the World Series. I mean really that should be ever pitchers focus at this point. Yeah rewards are nice, but championships priceless.
Top 5 NL CY Young cannonades
1. St. Louis Cardinals
Adam Wainwright - ERA 2.38 (4th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 191 strikeouts (4th in the NL), and 208.1 IP (2nd in the NL).
2. Colorado Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez - ERA 2.79 (7th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 178 strikeouts (7th in the NL), and 190.1 IP (9th in the NL).
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Roy Halladay - ERA 2.36 (3rd in the NL), 17 wins (3rd in the NL), 196 strikeouts (3rd in the NL), and 221.0 IP (1st in the NL).
4. San Diego Padres
Mat Latos - ERA 2.21 (1st in the NL), 14 wins (6th in the NL), 170 strikeouts (11th in the NL), and 162.2 IP.
5. Atlanta Braves
Tim Hudson - ERA 2.41 (5th in the NL), 15 wins (4th in the NL), 117 strikeouts, and 198.0 IP (5th in the NL).
You be the judge on who should win the 2010 NL CY Young Award.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Phirst Place Phils!!!
After the Phillies had put 16-17 players on the disable list they finally say goodbye wild card and hello to first place in the NL East! What a night it was in Philadelphia as the Phils are finally back to where they belong. The Phillies played the Marlins in a game, well that wasn't all that great but the Phillies got the job done. After trailing 3-1 in the 4th inning Raul Ibanez hit a solo home run (13) to make it a 3-2 Marlins lead. Later in the 5th Victorino hit his (17) home run to tie the ball game at 3. Two batters later the big man Ryan Howard hit a solo shot (27) to but the Phillies up 4-3, then Ibanez would drive in an RBI single to put the Phils up 5-3. We go to the top of 8th inning and this is where this game really gets out of hand. The Phillies are up 7-4 at this point and up comes Mike Stanton who has been on fire in this series hits a solo shot to now make it a 7-5 Phils lead. Then Emilio Bonifacio gets a singles and a runner would score on a throwing error by right fielder Jayson Werth, Bonifacio would move up to second and the score is now 7-6. Then the Phils make a picking change and bring in J.C. Romero, he would then balk and move the runner from second to third. After one batter Romero's night would be done and then they would bring in Ryan Madson. Madson would then throw a wild pitch and Bonifacio would come in to score and tie the ball game at 7-7. So what started with a 3 run lead is now a tied game. In the bottom half of the 8th Victorino would get a bloop single and then steal second to set up a RBI single for Placido Planco to take a 8-7 lead. Heading into the 9th inning the score board watching was a big deal because the Brave had just lost to the Pirates 5-0 which meant just 3 more outs and the Phillies would be back in first in the National League East for the first time since May 20th. Madson would come back in to pitch the 9th inning and he would closed the door and yes for the first time the Phillies were back on top of the NL East and won the ball game 8-7!
So on Tuesday night the Phillies finally got back what was there's since 2007, the National League East Division. Now a lot of sports writers and broadcaster have counted this team out and one of our faithful former Phillies players John Kruk even said about 3 weeks ago on baseball tonight "that the Phillies are done and the Braves will win the division". I'm not sure what he's talking about. For the past 3 year the Phillies have been the kings of east and why would you ever doubt this team is beyond me? Yes the Phillies at one point did look dead in the water and had to overcome a lot of injures, but hey they did and this team knows how to play September baseball. The Phillies still have 22 games left and out of those 22 games they will have to see the Braves twice for 6 games. The last 3 games are at Atlanta and that could be an important series, but if the Phillies could maybe beat up the Braves a little bit when they come to Philadelphia for a 3 game series maybe it will help the Phils have some breathing room. The Phillies only have a half game lead over the Braves and they are the first NL team to reach 80 wins on the season. Who would have thought that this team would have reach 80 wins before the Padres, Red, and Braves? With all these injures this team has had it is almost hard to believe they have 80 wins and are now the best team in the National League. It feels good to be back in Phirst at last!
The end of this four game series will continue tonight as the Phillies send out their left hander Cole Hamels to try to pick up his 10th win of the year with an ERA of 3.18 and 183 strikeouts. On the other side the Marlins will send out their lefty Andrew Miller 1-0, ERA of 3.60. Phillies - Marlins tonight at 7:05 p.m.
So on Tuesday night the Phillies finally got back what was there's since 2007, the National League East Division. Now a lot of sports writers and broadcaster have counted this team out and one of our faithful former Phillies players John Kruk even said about 3 weeks ago on baseball tonight "that the Phillies are done and the Braves will win the division". I'm not sure what he's talking about. For the past 3 year the Phillies have been the kings of east and why would you ever doubt this team is beyond me? Yes the Phillies at one point did look dead in the water and had to overcome a lot of injures, but hey they did and this team knows how to play September baseball. The Phillies still have 22 games left and out of those 22 games they will have to see the Braves twice for 6 games. The last 3 games are at Atlanta and that could be an important series, but if the Phillies could maybe beat up the Braves a little bit when they come to Philadelphia for a 3 game series maybe it will help the Phils have some breathing room. The Phillies only have a half game lead over the Braves and they are the first NL team to reach 80 wins on the season. Who would have thought that this team would have reach 80 wins before the Padres, Red, and Braves? With all these injures this team has had it is almost hard to believe they have 80 wins and are now the best team in the National League. It feels good to be back in Phirst at last!
The end of this four game series will continue tonight as the Phillies send out their left hander Cole Hamels to try to pick up his 10th win of the year with an ERA of 3.18 and 183 strikeouts. On the other side the Marlins will send out their lefty Andrew Miller 1-0, ERA of 3.60. Phillies - Marlins tonight at 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Best Teams In the AL and NL. Postseason Theorys.
As the month of September has kicked in it is time to break down what teams in the American and National League will be contenders and what teams from both divisions will go far in the playoffs. We start off with the American League.
The New York Yankees: The deafening 2009 World Series winners are yet again in first place in their division and have the best record in the American League and in all of baseball. Their record stands at 86-50 and a PCT of .632, their 6th overall in batting average - .270, 3rd overall in home runs with 171, 1st overall in runs batted in with 702, 7th overall in hits with 1,246, and pitching ERA 9th overall with 3.85. The Yankees best hitter on this team is second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano is batting .318, 26 homeruns and 91 RBI's. He is also ranked 6th in (BA), 10th in the AL in (RBI's), 7th in the AL in (HR), and is ranked 8th in the AL in (SLG) (.549). MVP for the New York Yankees? I think so. The Yankees best pitcher we all know is the big man C.C. Sabathia with a 3.02 ERA, 19 wins, 5 losses, and has 165 strikeouts. Sabathia is ranked 1st in the AL in (W), 6th in the AL in (ERA), and 1st in the AL in (W%) (.792). For the most part he is the best pitcher on this Yankees team and is the best pitcher in the American League and in baseball at this point. He will most likely win the 2010 AL CY Young award and if he has 5 more starts in the month of September and he could easily win 23-24 games this year.
Minnesota Twins: The defending 2009 AL Central Division Champs have been pretty good considering they started off the year with a few injuring problems. The Twins record in the AL Central stands at 79-57 and a PCT of .581. The Twins are 1st overall in batting average - .278, 5th overall in runs batted in with 620, 1st overall in hits with 1,293, and 10th overall ERA with a 3.85. The main reason why the Twins have such good hitting is because the 2009 MVP winner Joe Mauer has been their best hitter yet again. Batting .325, 8 homeruns, and driving in 70 RBI's and that's pretty good considering he's been off and on the DL list this year. Mauer is ranked 3rd in the AL in (BA). The best pitcher for the Twins this year has been Carl Pavano who has an ERA of the 3.52, 15 wins, 10 losses, and 107 strikeouts. Pavano is ranked 4th in the AL in (W), 3rd in the AL in (IP) (189.0), and 2nd in the AL in (CG) (6). He's not the best pitcher but he does get the job done and helps his team win ball games.
Texas Rangers: The surprise team of the American League and the only team with the biggest lead in the American League with an 8 game lead over the Oakland A's. The Rangers record stands at 75-60 with a PCT of .556. The team is 2nd overall in batting average - .275, 9th overall in home runs with 136, 8th overall in runs batted in with 612, 2nd overall in hits with 1,273, 12th overall in ERA with a 3.89, 11th overall in strikeouts with 975, and 4th overall in saves with 40. The Rangers best player on the team is their left fielder Josh Hamilton who is having a great year batting .362, 31 homeruns, and 97 RBI's. Hamilton ranks 1st in the AL in (BA), 6th in the AL in (RBI's), 4th in the AL in (HR), and 1st in the AL in (SLG) (.638). Right now he is the best hitter in baseball and has a very good chance of winning the 2010 MVP award and maybe a shot of winning the Triple Crown award that no one has won since 1969. But Hamilton will need to step up in home runs if he wants to win that award. The Rangers best pitcher on this team has been C.J. Wilson all year long having an ERA of 2.88, 14 wins, 5 losses, and 140 strikeouts. Wilson has been a surprise pitcher for the Rangers this year ranked 7th in the AL in (W), 4th in the AL in (ERA), and ranked 3rd in the AL in (W%) (.737). Wilson is the best pitcher the Rangers has next the Cliff Lee.
The American League Wild Card Team the Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays only find themselves 2 games out off first in the American League East division behind the Yankees. They also have the second best record in baseball standing at 83-51 and PCT at .619. The Rays are 4th overall in runs batting in with 637, 5th over in ERA with a 3.66, 9th overall in strikeouts with 989, 1st overall in saves with 47, and 2nd over in WHIP with a 1.23. The Rays best hitter on this team is their All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria who is hitting .296, 9 homeruns, and has 90 RBI's. Longoria is ranked 11th in the AL in (RBI's) and is probably the best hitting third baseman in the American League along with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The Rays best pitcher on this team in the man himself David Price. Price a pitcher at one time didn't know how good he would be as a starting pitcher but he has fit well in the role having an ERA of 2.92, 16 wins, 6 losses and 161 strikeouts. Price ranks 2nd in the Al in (W), 4th in the AL in (W%) (.727), and is ranked 5th in the AL in (ERA). He is also second on the list for CY Young award winner.
Now here’s what I think will happen in the American League come postseason, I think it will be a battled in the East for the American League pennant between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. I don't see the Minnesota Twins beating the Rays. I think Rays will take 4 out 5 in the ALDS from the Twins and I don't see the Rangers beating the Yankees even though the Rangers have a great hitting team and a good pitching staff I just think the Yankees are a stronger team. I think the series will go to 5 games in the ALDS and the Yankees will come out on top. Now in the ALCS between the Yankees and Rays well I don't know who will win this series. If the Yankees win they will win in 6 and if the Rays win they will in 7 and one of those teams will go to the 2010 World Series, if it the Yankees they will go back to back years to the World Series to defend their title and if the Rays win they will have made a trip to the World Series 2 out 3 times to try to win their first ever World Series title. It’s going to be "The Battle of the East" this year in the ALCS.
National League we will start off in the East.
Atlanta Braves: Now it’s not a shock that the Braves are good, but it’s a shock that there in first place in the NL East over the 3 time division champ Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knew that the Braves were going to be good but not this good. The Braves record stands at 79-57 and has a PCT of .581 and is 8th overall in runs batted in with 606, 3rd over in ERA with a 3.54, and 7th overall in strikeouts with 998. The Braves best hitter is a surprise hitter in second baseman Martin Prado who is batting .317, 16 homeruns, and has 61 RBI's. Prado is ranked 4th in the NL in (BA). He came out for nowhere and has been the Braves best hitter on the team. He’s a big reason why the Braves are doing really well. Now the Braves best pitcher on the team has been Tim Hudson who has an ERA of 2.30, 15 wins, 6 losses, and 113 strikeouts. Hudson is ranked 4th in the NL in (W), 4th in the NL in (ERA), 5th in the NL in (W%) (.714), and is ranked 5th in the NL in (IP) (191.2). He’s a big reason why the Braves pitching have been so good this year. Hudson is also in the running to win the 2010 NL CY Young award.
Cincinnati Reds: Well the Reds are a surprise team because no one really picked them to be this good and have the biggest lead in the National Lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds have a 8 games lead in the NL Central and are the best team in the National League with a record of 79-56 and a PCT of .585 and they are 4th overall in batting average - .272, 4th overall in home runs with 156, 3rd overall in runs batted in with 647, 5th overall in hits with 1,256, and 5th overall in saves with 38. Now the best hitter on this team and in the National League right now is indeed first baseman Joey Votto. Votto is batting .323, 32 homeruns, and has 97 RBI's. He ranked 1st in the NL in (RBI's), 3rd in the NL in (BB) with (77), 2nd in the NL in (SGL) (.599), 3rd in the NL in (HR), 3rd in (R's) with (91), 1st in the NL in (OBP) (.423), and is ranked 1st in the NL in (OPS) (1.021). This guy is just a beast and is the main reason why the Reds are a good team this year. He brings a lot of power and leadership to this team. I think he will most likely win the 2010 NL MVP Award. Now the Reds don't have the best pitching but their best pitcher is Bronson Arryo who has an ERA of 3.84, 14 wins, 9 losses, and 97 strikeouts. He is ranked 5th in the NL in (W) and ranked 6th in the NL in (CG) (2). I don't know how well the Reds will do in the postseason with not having great pitching.
San Diego Padres: Now the Padres are the surprise team this year in the National League. No one saw this team being that good but somehow they are still in first place in their division with a record of 76-58 and a PCT of .567. The Padres are 1st over in ERA with a 3.36, 2nd overall in strikeouts with 1,074, 5th overall in save with 38 and 1st overall in WHIP with a 1.23. The best hitter on the team is no surprise in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who batting .303, 27 home runs, and 87 RBI's. He ranked 8th in the NL in (BA), 7th in the NL in (RBI's), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (OBP) (.393). He is the biggest weapon this team has. Now as for their pitching the reason they are ranked number one in ERA is because of Mat Latos. This kid is really good with an ERA of 2.25, 13 wins, 5 losses, and 160 strikeouts. Latos is ranked 1st in the NL in (WHIP) (0.98), 1st in the NL in (ERA), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (W%) (.722). Latos is in the running to win the CY Young Award. But as of the late the Padres have lost 9 straight games and still have a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
National League Wild Card team the Philadelphia Phillies: Well the 3 time NL East division champs find themselves leading the wild card but also find themselves 1 game back of winning their 4th straight division title over the Braves. The Phils are the 3rd best team in the National League with a record of 78-58 and a PCT of .574. The Phillies are 11th overall in home runs with 133, 8th overall in ERA with a 3.75, and 3rd overall in WHIP with 1.25. Now the Phillies have a lot of great hitters but in the month of September nobody shines better than first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard who spent some time on the DL is batting .279, 26 homeruns, and has 88 RBI's. Howard is ranked 9th in the NL in (HR) and ranked 7th in the NL in (RBI's). The Phillies know if they want to win their 4th straight division title their going need some help from Ryan Howard who has been on fire as of lately. Now coming into the 2010 season the Phillies knew that their best pitcher would be the guy they traded for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been everything you could have asked for and is by far the best pitcher in the National League with ERA of 2.36, 17 wins, 10 losses, and 196 strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 1st in the NL in (W), 1st in the NL in (IP) (221.0), 1st in the NL in (SO), 1st in the NL in (CG) (8), and ranks 6th in (ERA). Halladay has a chance to maybe win the 2010 CY Young Award and maybe win the Triple Crown in pitching with leading in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. Halladay will have maybe 4 or more starts and a chance to win 20 or 21 games this year with the Phillies to try to win his first division title and the Phillies 4th straight.
Now what I think in the National League postseason will be just like the American League, "The Battle of the East". I think there will be no way the Reds will beat the Braves or the Phillies in the NLDS. Either way who ever they play it will go to a 5 game series. The Braves or Phillies will take it 5. The Reds pitching isn't really that good and going against Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, or Hudson, Lowe, or Hanson is going to pretty tough to beat. Now for the Padres I think if they play either the Phillies or Braves they will loss in 3 straight. Yes their pitching is good but their hitting isn't and they way they look I don't see them beating the Braves or Phillies in the NLDS. Now for the NLCS the battle between the Braves and Phillies I think it will go to a 7 game series and the Phillies will be the division leaders in the end, I see the Phillies beating the Braves in 7 games and if the Braves win they will beat the Phillies in 7 games and the Phillies or Braves will see the Yankees or Rays in the 2010 World Series. Either way it will be a great NLCS series.
Now for the World Series if the Phillies pay to the Rays I think it will go to a 6 games series and the Phillies will win in 6. Now if they play the Yankees I have a feeling it will go to a 7 game series and this time the Phillies will beat the Yankees in 7 games. Now if the Braves were to make it to the World Series well I think the Rays would beat the Braves in a tough 7 game series. Now if they were play the Yankees I think the Yankees would win in 5 games against the Braves and repeat as World Series Champions.
The New York Yankees: The deafening 2009 World Series winners are yet again in first place in their division and have the best record in the American League and in all of baseball. Their record stands at 86-50 and a PCT of .632, their 6th overall in batting average - .270, 3rd overall in home runs with 171, 1st overall in runs batted in with 702, 7th overall in hits with 1,246, and pitching ERA 9th overall with 3.85. The Yankees best hitter on this team is second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano is batting .318, 26 homeruns and 91 RBI's. He is also ranked 6th in (BA), 10th in the AL in (RBI's), 7th in the AL in (HR), and is ranked 8th in the AL in (SLG) (.549). MVP for the New York Yankees? I think so. The Yankees best pitcher we all know is the big man C.C. Sabathia with a 3.02 ERA, 19 wins, 5 losses, and has 165 strikeouts. Sabathia is ranked 1st in the AL in (W), 6th in the AL in (ERA), and 1st in the AL in (W%) (.792). For the most part he is the best pitcher on this Yankees team and is the best pitcher in the American League and in baseball at this point. He will most likely win the 2010 AL CY Young award and if he has 5 more starts in the month of September and he could easily win 23-24 games this year.
Minnesota Twins: The defending 2009 AL Central Division Champs have been pretty good considering they started off the year with a few injuring problems. The Twins record in the AL Central stands at 79-57 and a PCT of .581. The Twins are 1st overall in batting average - .278, 5th overall in runs batted in with 620, 1st overall in hits with 1,293, and 10th overall ERA with a 3.85. The main reason why the Twins have such good hitting is because the 2009 MVP winner Joe Mauer has been their best hitter yet again. Batting .325, 8 homeruns, and driving in 70 RBI's and that's pretty good considering he's been off and on the DL list this year. Mauer is ranked 3rd in the AL in (BA). The best pitcher for the Twins this year has been Carl Pavano who has an ERA of the 3.52, 15 wins, 10 losses, and 107 strikeouts. Pavano is ranked 4th in the AL in (W), 3rd in the AL in (IP) (189.0), and 2nd in the AL in (CG) (6). He's not the best pitcher but he does get the job done and helps his team win ball games.
Texas Rangers: The surprise team of the American League and the only team with the biggest lead in the American League with an 8 game lead over the Oakland A's. The Rangers record stands at 75-60 with a PCT of .556. The team is 2nd overall in batting average - .275, 9th overall in home runs with 136, 8th overall in runs batted in with 612, 2nd overall in hits with 1,273, 12th overall in ERA with a 3.89, 11th overall in strikeouts with 975, and 4th overall in saves with 40. The Rangers best player on the team is their left fielder Josh Hamilton who is having a great year batting .362, 31 homeruns, and 97 RBI's. Hamilton ranks 1st in the AL in (BA), 6th in the AL in (RBI's), 4th in the AL in (HR), and 1st in the AL in (SLG) (.638). Right now he is the best hitter in baseball and has a very good chance of winning the 2010 MVP award and maybe a shot of winning the Triple Crown award that no one has won since 1969. But Hamilton will need to step up in home runs if he wants to win that award. The Rangers best pitcher on this team has been C.J. Wilson all year long having an ERA of 2.88, 14 wins, 5 losses, and 140 strikeouts. Wilson has been a surprise pitcher for the Rangers this year ranked 7th in the AL in (W), 4th in the AL in (ERA), and ranked 3rd in the AL in (W%) (.737). Wilson is the best pitcher the Rangers has next the Cliff Lee.
The American League Wild Card Team the Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays only find themselves 2 games out off first in the American League East division behind the Yankees. They also have the second best record in baseball standing at 83-51 and PCT at .619. The Rays are 4th overall in runs batting in with 637, 5th over in ERA with a 3.66, 9th overall in strikeouts with 989, 1st overall in saves with 47, and 2nd over in WHIP with a 1.23. The Rays best hitter on this team is their All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria who is hitting .296, 9 homeruns, and has 90 RBI's. Longoria is ranked 11th in the AL in (RBI's) and is probably the best hitting third baseman in the American League along with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The Rays best pitcher on this team in the man himself David Price. Price a pitcher at one time didn't know how good he would be as a starting pitcher but he has fit well in the role having an ERA of 2.92, 16 wins, 6 losses and 161 strikeouts. Price ranks 2nd in the Al in (W), 4th in the AL in (W%) (.727), and is ranked 5th in the AL in (ERA). He is also second on the list for CY Young award winner.
Now here’s what I think will happen in the American League come postseason, I think it will be a battled in the East for the American League pennant between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. I don't see the Minnesota Twins beating the Rays. I think Rays will take 4 out 5 in the ALDS from the Twins and I don't see the Rangers beating the Yankees even though the Rangers have a great hitting team and a good pitching staff I just think the Yankees are a stronger team. I think the series will go to 5 games in the ALDS and the Yankees will come out on top. Now in the ALCS between the Yankees and Rays well I don't know who will win this series. If the Yankees win they will win in 6 and if the Rays win they will in 7 and one of those teams will go to the 2010 World Series, if it the Yankees they will go back to back years to the World Series to defend their title and if the Rays win they will have made a trip to the World Series 2 out 3 times to try to win their first ever World Series title. It’s going to be "The Battle of the East" this year in the ALCS.
National League we will start off in the East.
Atlanta Braves: Now it’s not a shock that the Braves are good, but it’s a shock that there in first place in the NL East over the 3 time division champ Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knew that the Braves were going to be good but not this good. The Braves record stands at 79-57 and has a PCT of .581 and is 8th overall in runs batted in with 606, 3rd over in ERA with a 3.54, and 7th overall in strikeouts with 998. The Braves best hitter is a surprise hitter in second baseman Martin Prado who is batting .317, 16 homeruns, and has 61 RBI's. Prado is ranked 4th in the NL in (BA). He came out for nowhere and has been the Braves best hitter on the team. He’s a big reason why the Braves are doing really well. Now the Braves best pitcher on the team has been Tim Hudson who has an ERA of 2.30, 15 wins, 6 losses, and 113 strikeouts. Hudson is ranked 4th in the NL in (W), 4th in the NL in (ERA), 5th in the NL in (W%) (.714), and is ranked 5th in the NL in (IP) (191.2). He’s a big reason why the Braves pitching have been so good this year. Hudson is also in the running to win the 2010 NL CY Young award.
Cincinnati Reds: Well the Reds are a surprise team because no one really picked them to be this good and have the biggest lead in the National Lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds have a 8 games lead in the NL Central and are the best team in the National League with a record of 79-56 and a PCT of .585 and they are 4th overall in batting average - .272, 4th overall in home runs with 156, 3rd overall in runs batted in with 647, 5th overall in hits with 1,256, and 5th overall in saves with 38. Now the best hitter on this team and in the National League right now is indeed first baseman Joey Votto. Votto is batting .323, 32 homeruns, and has 97 RBI's. He ranked 1st in the NL in (RBI's), 3rd in the NL in (BB) with (77), 2nd in the NL in (SGL) (.599), 3rd in the NL in (HR), 3rd in (R's) with (91), 1st in the NL in (OBP) (.423), and is ranked 1st in the NL in (OPS) (1.021). This guy is just a beast and is the main reason why the Reds are a good team this year. He brings a lot of power and leadership to this team. I think he will most likely win the 2010 NL MVP Award. Now the Reds don't have the best pitching but their best pitcher is Bronson Arryo who has an ERA of 3.84, 14 wins, 9 losses, and 97 strikeouts. He is ranked 5th in the NL in (W) and ranked 6th in the NL in (CG) (2). I don't know how well the Reds will do in the postseason with not having great pitching.
San Diego Padres: Now the Padres are the surprise team this year in the National League. No one saw this team being that good but somehow they are still in first place in their division with a record of 76-58 and a PCT of .567. The Padres are 1st over in ERA with a 3.36, 2nd overall in strikeouts with 1,074, 5th overall in save with 38 and 1st overall in WHIP with a 1.23. The best hitter on the team is no surprise in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who batting .303, 27 home runs, and 87 RBI's. He ranked 8th in the NL in (BA), 7th in the NL in (RBI's), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (OBP) (.393). He is the biggest weapon this team has. Now as for their pitching the reason they are ranked number one in ERA is because of Mat Latos. This kid is really good with an ERA of 2.25, 13 wins, 5 losses, and 160 strikeouts. Latos is ranked 1st in the NL in (WHIP) (0.98), 1st in the NL in (ERA), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (W%) (.722). Latos is in the running to win the CY Young Award. But as of the late the Padres have lost 9 straight games and still have a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
National League Wild Card team the Philadelphia Phillies: Well the 3 time NL East division champs find themselves leading the wild card but also find themselves 1 game back of winning their 4th straight division title over the Braves. The Phils are the 3rd best team in the National League with a record of 78-58 and a PCT of .574. The Phillies are 11th overall in home runs with 133, 8th overall in ERA with a 3.75, and 3rd overall in WHIP with 1.25. Now the Phillies have a lot of great hitters but in the month of September nobody shines better than first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard who spent some time on the DL is batting .279, 26 homeruns, and has 88 RBI's. Howard is ranked 9th in the NL in (HR) and ranked 7th in the NL in (RBI's). The Phillies know if they want to win their 4th straight division title their going need some help from Ryan Howard who has been on fire as of lately. Now coming into the 2010 season the Phillies knew that their best pitcher would be the guy they traded for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been everything you could have asked for and is by far the best pitcher in the National League with ERA of 2.36, 17 wins, 10 losses, and 196 strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 1st in the NL in (W), 1st in the NL in (IP) (221.0), 1st in the NL in (SO), 1st in the NL in (CG) (8), and ranks 6th in (ERA). Halladay has a chance to maybe win the 2010 CY Young Award and maybe win the Triple Crown in pitching with leading in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. Halladay will have maybe 4 or more starts and a chance to win 20 or 21 games this year with the Phillies to try to win his first division title and the Phillies 4th straight.
Now what I think in the National League postseason will be just like the American League, "The Battle of the East". I think there will be no way the Reds will beat the Braves or the Phillies in the NLDS. Either way who ever they play it will go to a 5 game series. The Braves or Phillies will take it 5. The Reds pitching isn't really that good and going against Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, or Hudson, Lowe, or Hanson is going to pretty tough to beat. Now for the Padres I think if they play either the Phillies or Braves they will loss in 3 straight. Yes their pitching is good but their hitting isn't and they way they look I don't see them beating the Braves or Phillies in the NLDS. Now for the NLCS the battle between the Braves and Phillies I think it will go to a 7 game series and the Phillies will be the division leaders in the end, I see the Phillies beating the Braves in 7 games and if the Braves win they will beat the Phillies in 7 games and the Phillies or Braves will see the Yankees or Rays in the 2010 World Series. Either way it will be a great NLCS series.
Now for the World Series if the Phillies pay to the Rays I think it will go to a 6 games series and the Phillies will win in 6. Now if they play the Yankees I have a feeling it will go to a 7 game series and this time the Phillies will beat the Yankees in 7 games. Now if the Braves were to make it to the World Series well I think the Rays would beat the Braves in a tough 7 game series. Now if they were play the Yankees I think the Yankees would win in 5 games against the Braves and repeat as World Series Champions.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
New Team Takes Over The NL Wild Card.
If I was to tell you or ask you at this point of the 2010 baseball season what team would you have picked to lead the NL wild card you would probably say the Braves, the Giants, or the Cardinals. Well how about the Phillies? The who.... the back to back National League Champs? Yes the Philadelphia Phillies lead the National League wild card by 2 games game over the Giants and Cardinals Even though the Phils lead the wild card they are still only 2 1/2 game back from the division leaders the Atlanta Braves the team that just seems like they won't loss.
The Phillies this year have been hit with the injury bug after losing Jimmy Rollins for most of the year, then losing Ryan Madson, then Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz missed a few games, Jamie Moyer is done for the season, Shane Victorino was out for 15 games or so, and losing Ryan Howard it almost seemed as if the Phillies would be out of the race heading into the all-star break. Something happened though to this team heading into the second half of the season. It seemed as if this team was recharged and starting winning ball games and sweeping teams and winning series’. As the "Dog days of August" rolled through, the Phillies right now are one of the hottest teams in baseball. 20-5 since July 22nd this team only finds themselves 2 1/2 games out of first and they can smell the division as the Phillies have been in this spot before in 2007 and 2008 after being the chaser they became the winners of the National League East. This week the Phillies got star second baseman Chase Utley back in the line-up, but besides that the Phillies two hottest hitters have been Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz is batting .400 with runners in scoring position and for your catcher to be doing that in the 8 hole is just amazing. Not only that but they have been winning ball games without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the lineup. Also Jimmy Rollins has been swinging the bat better and has been getting on base and stealing bags. It’s always nice to see your leadoff man and the leader of this team doing that and get the wheels rolling.
The Phillies this year have had 31 come from behind wins and I'm almost sure that's the most in the league. But another reason why this team is winning well their pitching has been lights out. 25 games starters have gone 6 innings or more in 20 or more games. Also the Phillies added right hander Roy Oswalt to this great pitching staff along with Halladay and Hamels. So that has been a big key for the Phillies and if they want to win the NL East for the fourth straight year their going to have do everything right. Roy Halladay this year has been everything you have asked him to be and is 3rd on list to win the NL CY Young Award; he’s also 1st in strikeouts with (175), 3rd in wins with (15), and 3rd in ERA (2.24). Now Cole Hamels this year has had some bad luck with getting run support. In his last 2 outings he has lost both games but losing both games 1-0 and going 7 or more innings and at least having 8 or more strikeouts. Just seems like the Phillies can never support him with runs. Other than that he has pitched great. Now with adding Roy Oswalt the Phillies also seemed like they couldn't get him runs. In his first game as a Phillie he didn't pitch all that well. But in his last 2 outings he has won back to back starts and has helped the Phillies win ball games, taking them deep into ball games and everything you can ask from him. Now with Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton both of these guys have done pretty well and have giving this team innings. But with Kendrick you don't know whether you’re going to see the good Kendrick or the bad Kendrick. With Blanton he seems to have problems giving up runs in the 1st inning and after that he's fine until the 6th or 7th inning he starts to wear down. So if the Phillies can try to work something out with those two they should be fine.
The Phillies expect to have their big power man Ryan Howard back by Monday which means rookie outfielder Domonic Brown who has been doing pretty well for the Phillies batting .244, 2 home runs, and 12 RBI's will be sent back down. The only reason they would send him down is to get him more at bats, and keep him active. It’s the time where if Howard comes back we need to start playing playoff type baseball and I'm sure Brown will be called back up come September when rosters expand. It's good to see the Phillies winning ball games with their 2 stars coming back from the DL and most of the guys are thinking division not wild card, but it is definitely nice to have that wild card spot in your back pocket. In the end I still think when it comes down to crunch time and everything is said and done the Phillies will yet again come from behind and win their fourth straight division title.
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert
The Phillies this year have been hit with the injury bug after losing Jimmy Rollins for most of the year, then losing Ryan Madson, then Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz missed a few games, Jamie Moyer is done for the season, Shane Victorino was out for 15 games or so, and losing Ryan Howard it almost seemed as if the Phillies would be out of the race heading into the all-star break. Something happened though to this team heading into the second half of the season. It seemed as if this team was recharged and starting winning ball games and sweeping teams and winning series’. As the "Dog days of August" rolled through, the Phillies right now are one of the hottest teams in baseball. 20-5 since July 22nd this team only finds themselves 2 1/2 games out of first and they can smell the division as the Phillies have been in this spot before in 2007 and 2008 after being the chaser they became the winners of the National League East. This week the Phillies got star second baseman Chase Utley back in the line-up, but besides that the Phillies two hottest hitters have been Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz is batting .400 with runners in scoring position and for your catcher to be doing that in the 8 hole is just amazing. Not only that but they have been winning ball games without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the lineup. Also Jimmy Rollins has been swinging the bat better and has been getting on base and stealing bags. It’s always nice to see your leadoff man and the leader of this team doing that and get the wheels rolling.
The Phillies this year have had 31 come from behind wins and I'm almost sure that's the most in the league. But another reason why this team is winning well their pitching has been lights out. 25 games starters have gone 6 innings or more in 20 or more games. Also the Phillies added right hander Roy Oswalt to this great pitching staff along with Halladay and Hamels. So that has been a big key for the Phillies and if they want to win the NL East for the fourth straight year their going to have do everything right. Roy Halladay this year has been everything you have asked him to be and is 3rd on list to win the NL CY Young Award; he’s also 1st in strikeouts with (175), 3rd in wins with (15), and 3rd in ERA (2.24). Now Cole Hamels this year has had some bad luck with getting run support. In his last 2 outings he has lost both games but losing both games 1-0 and going 7 or more innings and at least having 8 or more strikeouts. Just seems like the Phillies can never support him with runs. Other than that he has pitched great. Now with adding Roy Oswalt the Phillies also seemed like they couldn't get him runs. In his first game as a Phillie he didn't pitch all that well. But in his last 2 outings he has won back to back starts and has helped the Phillies win ball games, taking them deep into ball games and everything you can ask from him. Now with Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton both of these guys have done pretty well and have giving this team innings. But with Kendrick you don't know whether you’re going to see the good Kendrick or the bad Kendrick. With Blanton he seems to have problems giving up runs in the 1st inning and after that he's fine until the 6th or 7th inning he starts to wear down. So if the Phillies can try to work something out with those two they should be fine.
The Phillies expect to have their big power man Ryan Howard back by Monday which means rookie outfielder Domonic Brown who has been doing pretty well for the Phillies batting .244, 2 home runs, and 12 RBI's will be sent back down. The only reason they would send him down is to get him more at bats, and keep him active. It’s the time where if Howard comes back we need to start playing playoff type baseball and I'm sure Brown will be called back up come September when rosters expand. It's good to see the Phillies winning ball games with their 2 stars coming back from the DL and most of the guys are thinking division not wild card, but it is definitely nice to have that wild card spot in your back pocket. In the end I still think when it comes down to crunch time and everything is said and done the Phillies will yet again come from behind and win their fourth straight division title.
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert
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