Phillies Score
Clint Hurdle has done a fantastic job with that Rockies team, but what exactly was he thinking bringing Jorge Julio into a tie game of that magnitude? This was an elimination game and he trusts Jorge Julio rather than one of his starters? Hurdle was lucky that Trevor Hoffman blew the game for the Padres, but it could have been an avoidable disaster. Julio cannot be trusted in a game like that. And what was with Matt Holliday sliding head first into home plate? Is he out of his mind? That is far worse than the absurd practice of sliding head first into first base because at least the first baseman isn’t blocking the base wearing reinforced plastic. He’s lucky he didn’t break his neck. Regardless, the Rockies saved their best baseball for the stretch run and are now in the playoffs. Here’s the analysis of Rockies-Phillies.
The Phillies pitching staff, which was decimated by injury and outright horrible for the first part of the season, became a reliable and courageous group that held their team in games for that potent offense to be able to score enough runs to beat their opponents into the ground. Overwork may be a problem for the Phillies in a series against a high-powered Rockies offense that is definitely going to get into the second layer—-Antonio Alfonseca, Jose Mesa—-of the Phillies bullpen. The Rockies predominately right-handed hitting lineup will not be intimidated by the Phillies game one starter, Cole Hamels, who is a hothead and may be overly emotional in such an adrenaline infused start. Jeff Francis is a junkballer who is exactly what the Phillies bashers might have trouble with.
The Phillies lineup depends on the sublime Jimmy Rollins to get on base in front of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. Given Burrell’s history, I see him as a guy who’s going to have a lot of trouble in the post-season. The Phillies are going to score their runs, but the problem is that their pitching staff is facing a lineup with similar firepower to theirs and the Rockies bullpen has been performing excellently. LaTroy Hawkins sometimes has trouble in high-pressure games, even though he pitched well in the one-game playoff against the Padres. Young Ubaldo Jimenez throws so hard, that even the Phillies might have trouble with him if he is able to throw strikes and keep calm in such a situation as the playoffs.
With the ballparks as a factor, and the porousness of the pitching staffs on both sides, this promises to be a high-scoring series. I think the Rockies have been playing so well and the Phillies may relax a little bit after their frenzied rush to the playoffs, that the Rockies will jump out early. Burrell is going to hurt the Phillies with strikeouts in clutch situations. Charlie Manuel, as well-liked as he is in the Phillies clubhouse, tends to do strange things strategically. Even with all of the offense that both teams can throw out on the field, this is going to come down to which team’s bullpen can get the big outs. As well as the Phillies acquitted themselves down the stretch, their bullpen is due for a meltdown or two. There’s something going on with the Rockies and they’re going to take out the Phillies.
ROCKIES IN FOUR.