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Lesson learned: Don't doubt the Phillies
NL champs rise above problems, emerge as playoffs near
By Alden Gonzalez | MLB.com Columnist
MIAMI -- Some knew better. Everybody else should have.
The Phillies -- the back-to-back National League champions -- trailed by as many as seven games in their division as recently as July 22, and were dealing with what seemed like an irrational number of injuries and unfavorable odds. Now look at them. After a 10-5 win over the Marlins on Wednesday, they are three games ahead of the Braves in the NL East, alone in first place for the fourth straight day and owners of the best record in the league.
You should've expected this, though.
You should've figured the Phillies -- packed with big names, veteran presence and a knack for showing up when it counts -- would somehow find a way to bounce back.
You should've noted that they've been, bar none, the best September team in the league since 2007.
And the mere fact they've used the disabled list a staggering 20 times this season shouldn't have deterred you.
Shame on you if it did.
"Look around," third baseman Placido Polanco said before a quick glance around the visitor's clubhouse at Sun Life Stadium. "These guys, they're winners, they're champions. They know how to do it, and they've done it for a while. So, I don't see why this year would be any different."
But could you have blamed them if they had been out of it by now?
All year long, the Braves looked like a team of destiny, while the Phillies were simply a team of injury.
They went into May without Joe Blanton, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Madson and J.A. Happ, later traded to the Astros for Roy Oswalt. They went into July without three of their infield starters -- Polanco, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley. And, according to Elias Sports Bureau, manager Charlie Manuel has written all eight of his everyday players on the same lineup card just 15 times this season.
None of that matters now, though. Here's what does: As the playoffs draw closer, the Phillies are the scariest, most legit team in the NL. Nobody possesses their combination of pitching and punch, and nobody can match their moxie -- which was on full display when the injury bug hit hard.
They have the most wins in the NL since the All-Star break and have won 16 of their past 20 games, including seven straight series against division rivals. And they've come up victorious in 17 of their past 20 road games after losing 12 of their previous 15 away from Philly.
Four everyday players -- Utley, Ruiz, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino -- sport batting averages over .300 this month. And since Aug. 1, four of their five starting pitchers -- all except Kyle Kendrick -- have plus-.500 records and ERAs under 3.30.
"You want to try and play your best baseball in September, be one of the top eight teams," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said, "and having everybody playing more consistently obviously helps."
Wednesday's game, which featured the lopsided matchup of Roy Halladay vs. reliever-turned-emergency-starter Jorge Sosa, was a rather ho-hum win for the Phillies, even though it gave them their largest lead in the East since May 23 and put them a season-high 25 games over .500.
Tuesday's game was much more defining, because the two guys many will point to as the most critical for a deep October run continued to come through.
Cole Hamels dominated the Marlins to move to 4-1 with a 0.76 ERA in his past five starts and further re-establish himself as the brilliant lefty many envisioned before a rough 2009.
Then, Brad Lidge -- who struggled in a not-so-telling mop-up-like session Wednesday -- made his first appearance since Sept. 6 and showed that his bothersome elbow isn't currently an issue while converting his 12th save in 13 chances and moving his ERA to 0.52 since the start of August.
Last season, the Phillies reached the Fall Classic without a dominant Hamels and Lidge. This year, there should be no stopping them if those two keep rolling.
"When those guys are on, and if we can score some runs," Ruiz said, "we can have some good times."
The big hiccup now is the pesky right hamstring of Rollins, who's made just 80 starts this season and whose status is up in the air for the final two-plus weeks of the regular season.
But remember: This is the same team that actually improved its record from seven games over .500 when Utley went on the DL on June 29 to 16 games over by the time he was activated on Aug. 17.
The Phillies will be fine.
Besides, as Amaro noted: "In the past, we've done it with offense. But this year, we've done it with more pitching."
Where the Phillies' strength comes from has changed (that will happen when you add Oswalt to what was already a fearsome twosome at the top of the rotation). But when hasn't.
Since '07, the Phils own the most September wins in the Majors and the best September winning percentage in the NL. So, it should come as little surprise that while the Braves dropped two of three to the Nationals at home, the Phillies swept the Marlins on the road to move to 12-3 in the most crucial month of the regular season.
No matter what occurred earlier.
"There was always the sense that things were going to turn around and we were going to play the way we expected to," Halladay said. "From an outsider coming to a team that is known for being a very good team and winning the last few years, I was impressed with that part of it. There was never a loss of hope, that's for sure."
Even the schedule is working for the Phillies these days.
They'll begin a nine-game homestand after Thursday's off-day. And after a three-game weekend series against the Nationals, they'll host the Braves in a series that could give them a vice grip on a fourth straight division title.
The best Big Three going right now -- Hamels, Halladay and Oswalt -- will be ready to go.
"We're going to beat 'em in that series," Manuel said with a bit of a smirk. "But right now, we gotta keep going."
The Phillies will.
It's what they do this time of year.
And everyone should know that by now.
Alden Gonzalez has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2008 and also writes an MLBlog,
NL champs rise above problems, emerge as playoffs near
By Alden Gonzalez | MLB.com Columnist
MIAMI -- Some knew better. Everybody else should have.
The Phillies -- the back-to-back National League champions -- trailed by as many as seven games in their division as recently as July 22, and were dealing with what seemed like an irrational number of injuries and unfavorable odds. Now look at them. After a 10-5 win over the Marlins on Wednesday, they are three games ahead of the Braves in the NL East, alone in first place for the fourth straight day and owners of the best record in the league.
You should've expected this, though.
You should've figured the Phillies -- packed with big names, veteran presence and a knack for showing up when it counts -- would somehow find a way to bounce back.
You should've noted that they've been, bar none, the best September team in the league since 2007.
And the mere fact they've used the disabled list a staggering 20 times this season shouldn't have deterred you.
Shame on you if it did.
"Look around," third baseman Placido Polanco said before a quick glance around the visitor's clubhouse at Sun Life Stadium. "These guys, they're winners, they're champions. They know how to do it, and they've done it for a while. So, I don't see why this year would be any different."
But could you have blamed them if they had been out of it by now?
All year long, the Braves looked like a team of destiny, while the Phillies were simply a team of injury.
They went into May without Joe Blanton, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Madson and J.A. Happ, later traded to the Astros for Roy Oswalt. They went into July without three of their infield starters -- Polanco, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley. And, according to Elias Sports Bureau, manager Charlie Manuel has written all eight of his everyday players on the same lineup card just 15 times this season.
None of that matters now, though. Here's what does: As the playoffs draw closer, the Phillies are the scariest, most legit team in the NL. Nobody possesses their combination of pitching and punch, and nobody can match their moxie -- which was on full display when the injury bug hit hard.
They have the most wins in the NL since the All-Star break and have won 16 of their past 20 games, including seven straight series against division rivals. And they've come up victorious in 17 of their past 20 road games after losing 12 of their previous 15 away from Philly.
Four everyday players -- Utley, Ruiz, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino -- sport batting averages over .300 this month. And since Aug. 1, four of their five starting pitchers -- all except Kyle Kendrick -- have plus-.500 records and ERAs under 3.30.
"You want to try and play your best baseball in September, be one of the top eight teams," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said, "and having everybody playing more consistently obviously helps."
Wednesday's game, which featured the lopsided matchup of Roy Halladay vs. reliever-turned-emergency-starter Jorge Sosa, was a rather ho-hum win for the Phillies, even though it gave them their largest lead in the East since May 23 and put them a season-high 25 games over .500.
Tuesday's game was much more defining, because the two guys many will point to as the most critical for a deep October run continued to come through.
Cole Hamels dominated the Marlins to move to 4-1 with a 0.76 ERA in his past five starts and further re-establish himself as the brilliant lefty many envisioned before a rough 2009.
Then, Brad Lidge -- who struggled in a not-so-telling mop-up-like session Wednesday -- made his first appearance since Sept. 6 and showed that his bothersome elbow isn't currently an issue while converting his 12th save in 13 chances and moving his ERA to 0.52 since the start of August.
Last season, the Phillies reached the Fall Classic without a dominant Hamels and Lidge. This year, there should be no stopping them if those two keep rolling.
"When those guys are on, and if we can score some runs," Ruiz said, "we can have some good times."
The big hiccup now is the pesky right hamstring of Rollins, who's made just 80 starts this season and whose status is up in the air for the final two-plus weeks of the regular season.
But remember: This is the same team that actually improved its record from seven games over .500 when Utley went on the DL on June 29 to 16 games over by the time he was activated on Aug. 17.
The Phillies will be fine.
Besides, as Amaro noted: "In the past, we've done it with offense. But this year, we've done it with more pitching."
Where the Phillies' strength comes from has changed (that will happen when you add Oswalt to what was already a fearsome twosome at the top of the rotation). But when hasn't.
Since '07, the Phils own the most September wins in the Majors and the best September winning percentage in the NL. So, it should come as little surprise that while the Braves dropped two of three to the Nationals at home, the Phillies swept the Marlins on the road to move to 12-3 in the most crucial month of the regular season.
No matter what occurred earlier.
"There was always the sense that things were going to turn around and we were going to play the way we expected to," Halladay said. "From an outsider coming to a team that is known for being a very good team and winning the last few years, I was impressed with that part of it. There was never a loss of hope, that's for sure."
Even the schedule is working for the Phillies these days.
They'll begin a nine-game homestand after Thursday's off-day. And after a three-game weekend series against the Nationals, they'll host the Braves in a series that could give them a vice grip on a fourth straight division title.
The best Big Three going right now -- Hamels, Halladay and Oswalt -- will be ready to go.
"We're going to beat 'em in that series," Manuel said with a bit of a smirk. "But right now, we gotta keep going."
The Phillies will.
It's what they do this time of year.
And everyone should know that by now.
Alden Gonzalez has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2008 and also writes an MLBlog,
C
Cr122
Guest
C
Cr122
Guest
Looks like the Yanks are going to beat the Rays again.
Peaking at the right time as always, and Pettitte is back.
Peaking at the right time as always, and Pettitte is back.
C
Cr122
Guest
I believe it's your turn to win again though, seriously.
Your team is getting it together at the right time as well.
C
Cr122
Guest
The Yanks and Rays are a final 8-3.
I believe we are 2 and a half games up on the Rays as of right now.
I believe we are 2 and a half games up on the Rays as of right now.
C
Cr122
Guest
This might sound crazy, but the Reds seem to be your biggest threat.
I think you'll handle any other team. Who would you play if the playoffs started tomorrow?
I think you'll handle any other team. Who would you play if the playoffs started tomorrow?
C
Cr122
Guest
The one thing that sucks as a Yankees fan is we play either the Rangers or the Twins in the first round of the playoffs.
We fair better against the Twins rather than the Rangers.
We fair better against the Twins rather than the Rangers.
C
Cr122
Guest
Yeah, you'll take out any of those teams. I'd be surprised to not see you guys in the World Series.
C
Cr122
Guest
Not to mention it's been a while since the Reds were in the pennant chase, nice to see the them in again.
When was the last time, against the A's in the late 80's early 90s?
C
Cr122
Guest
That's who I am pulling for if the Yanks are out. That's if they get past you guys.
C
Cr122
Guest
Damn, rain delay.
Yanks and Rays. ~yawns~
Yanks and Rays. ~yawns~