1-0! Chase Utley and, shockingly, Carlos Ruiz provided the all the offense Cole Hamels needed tonight. I was real proud of the way the Phils came out battling tonight, so much for my focus theory. The Rays were the team that seemed off kilter to start the game. It boggles my mind that the Phils keep winning games this way, with most of the runs coming on one hit and then scraping together a few more, then just holding on for dear life. It defies all baseball logic but I love it nonetheless.
So I blew my chance to write a predicition post for the World Series, but please cut me some slack. I'm sorry about that, but some non-Phanhood issues had me distracted for a day or two. In any case, no worries, guys, I'm makin an effort to find some time each day to write. In lieu of a World Series preview, I'll present to you a Rest-of-the-Series prediction post. On to the predictions.
Well, we know what happened in Game 1. Cole was dominant and Chase was clutch. But where do we go from here? One thing is clear, after Cole, the Phils have only one truly good pitching matchup, and even that is up in the air as to whom it will be. The Rays are talented offensively, so you have to figure they will get to two of the three between Myers, Moyer and Blanton. One of those three, based on this postseason's history, is likely to come up with a good game, while the others will yield a few runs, leaving us to depend on our offense. The Rays, on the other hand, have Garza and Shields, both of whom are strong pitchers. Their fourth starter is some dude who, from what I hear, is decent but not a name we really need to worry about. That leaves, in the remaining pitching matchups, a slight advantage for the Rays until Cole takes the hill again. I know, that was really vague and somewhat confusing but bear with me. In my opnion, if the Phils can nurse this series along to a 2-2 tie after four, then we're looking good, as Cole would likely pitch games 5 and 7. Basically, this series comes down to the Phils laying key games on the doorstep of their best pitcher. If game 6 is an elimination game for the Phils, prepare to be worried now. If game 4 is a chance for the Rays to go up 3-1, purchase a ton of Prilosec OTC, it will be a thriller. This series will boil down to whichever team can avoid the big hole, both within a single game and within the series. The Phillies troubles in LA for games 3 and 4 proves that over use of the bullpen is tough to bounce back from. If you recall, the bullpen was called to early duty in game 3. In game 4, it took an offensive explosion to win, and even then, the bullpen held on by a thread. You could argue that we won so why does it matter, but think about it, without those deflating home runs by Victorino and Stairs, and a few really impressive plays in the field, that series could have easily been 2-2 and the bullpen would have been to blame. From that, we can deduce that keeping your bullpen fresh by getting 6 innings at least each night from your starters plays a huge role in how the series falls into place.
Having laid down the brickwork of my prediction, even if it may have been confusing (again, I apologize, I've had long few days), I can honestly say that I believe that we are in for a 7 game series. I can honestly also say that I believe the Phillies will win game 7 in extra innings, that's how closely matched this series is. All the pundits are picking the Rays, and yeah I can see that, but being here in Philly, I'm feeling a positive energy about this team that I've never felt about a Philly team before. Remember the Sixers' run a few years back? We, as a city, were more happy to be there than expecting to win. Even the Eagles' Super Bowl trip was more of a "holy shit we're in the Super Bowl" experience than a "we got this" experience. Being the resident pessimist, I've fought against the optimism for a while, but that LA series turned me into a believer. The city has a "we got this" feel to it and, having played on many sports teams in the past, that feeling is tough to beat down. We may not do it the way its supposed to be done according to baseball afficianados, but we get it done and, in the end, thats all that matters. Phils 4 Rays 3.
Finally, I would like to throw a few random thoughts your way this evening. I watched Chocolate News on Comedy Central tonight and, truth be told, I thought it was really funny. Well written and well prepared, it reminded me of the same level of satyrical humor that only Chappelle really mastered. I hope the next episode doesn't suck, otherwise you'll all question my sanity. However, I also think Frank TV is pretty funny and that hasn't sat well with the rest of you so... who knows. Also, anyone who even remotely knows me is aware of my recent obsession with Li'l Wayne. Wheezy tears up every track he's on and I love his new effort to explore so many genres of music. I can really respect an artist who is willing to do what he wants and see what he can do with all different types of sounds. Well, Wayne has decided to venture into another medium. He has apparently been posting a blog on ESPN.com Check it out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3657276
It's worth the look. There is so much great material in there. He makes me think, laugh out loud, and, above all, amazes me that he knows so much about sports. While his grammar doesn't rival that of Charles Dickens, it's an enjoyable read that has entertained me for some time. Enjoy and thank me later.
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