I’ve got to admit that I, like most Phillie fans, am skeptical that the Phillies can actually win this thing. I heard a story on NPR this weekend about how Phillie fans are overly pessimistic and think it’ll all go wrong. I honestly don’t know how I’ll react if they pull this off…

They just exploded on the Rays pitching last night and made them look demoralized and almost pathetic. But you can’t count out those Rays! Or those Phillies from somehow not finishing things up… It’s completely the case that how Jimmy Rollins goes, so goes the team. Yes, they’ve managed to win when he’s not batting well but that was due to one or two players stepping up their game. Last night we saw how the TEAM can win together and they crushed the opposition.

So I put it to you, if the Phillies do manage to win this whole thing, where will they be next year?

The Phillies are looking good in this series and even though the big-time hitters (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins) aren’t performing up to their usual stats, the rest of the team is coming through when it counts.  In last night’s game, Brett Myers got 3 hits, for example.  The night before, Pat Burrell hit the game winning home run.  This team is not getting the post season jitters but is simply rising to the challenge as each level steps up the pressure.

It’s just a matter of them keeping that attitude working for them up through another few games.  This is the end of season pressure cooker and it looks like the Phillies have what it takes but the Dodgers do not, so far…

Phillies 3  Brewers 1

What more do you need to know?  Well, Cole Hamels had an outstanding game, Brad Lidge saved the game, Chase Utley was the hitting and fielding hero of the day, and the Phils are off to an excellent start!  CC Sabathia may be on the mound tomorrow for the Brew Crew but the Phils have the new, improved Brett Myers.

If there was ever a telling time for Myers, this would be it.  Has his turn around stuck around?  Have the scores and hits of the last two games he pitched gotten into his head again?  Is the pressure of a playoff game too much?  Will CC Sabathia be too much competition for him?  The questions swirl but now that it’s the post season, I have faith and hope that the Phillies will advance to the next round, no matter what Myers does tomorrow.

Go Phillies!

Jimmy Rollins had an amazing game and they’ve done it!  The Phillies are the NL East champions for the second year in a row.  This feels like a flashback to the early 80s where they were good for a few years.  Let’s hope they can repeat the championship of 1980.  Just gotta wait on the results of today’s games (and any tiebreakers) to find out who they’ll play!  At least it’s not the Cubs…

Phillies 4   Marlins 3

Brett Myers really needed to step up and do a good job last night.  Instead he faltered but he also got very lucky as the Cubs beat the Mets.  So the Phillies lost (10-4) against the Braves but they didn’t lose any ground.  The Brewers and the Mets are now tied for the wild card, however, as the Brewers’ slide didn’t last the whole end of the season.

It’s been more and more difficult to write these blogs because it’s getting more and more nervewracking as the end of the season comes up.  3 more games to play and who knows what will happen!  I can only sit and hope that the other teams play better than the Mets and the Phillies play their hearts out.  There’s an excellent blog on this at http://www.philliesnation.com/ and I couldn’t say it better! I’m not making predictions because though this end of season is fun, it’s nervewracking and nailbiting and I’m just along for the ride!

The Phillies are now 1.5 games ahead of the Mets thanks to another excellent performance by Jamie Moyer.  The old man of the staff has really come through this year!  Brad Lidge closed the door in the 9th with his 40th save of the season and the Phillies just need to win 3 more of their last 5 games to guarantee a spot in the post season.

This is the part of the season that is really fun but also really nervewracking!  I think they can do it but there’s still a part of me that is worried that they’ll turn things around in a bad way…  I just can’t help myself!

The Phillies have finally put it together!  Or Ryan Howard has, take your pick.  He has put the rest of his season behind him and managed to get the hits he needs to help the team out.  And last night it was Pat Burrell’s turn.  He stuck out 5 times in a game against the Brewers and last night, he hit the game winning home run.  The Phillies are managing to outhit the other teams when it counts the most–in September!

They are on a 7 game winning streak so this is bound not to last.  This is their longest streak of the season, I believe.   Next they play the Marlins in Florida, then home for the last games against the Braves and Nationals.  They are ending their season playing against weak teams so I can only hope that this continues the trend!

The Mets are playing Atlanta away then the Cubs and Marlins at Shea Stadium.  We’ll see how that all goes!

The Phillies managed to win two of three from the Mets but once again, Cole Hamels suffered from lack of run support.  For the ace of the team, he sure can’t seem to buy a win in these important games!  So the Phillies aren’t tied for first, they’re 2 games behind the Mets still.  We can only hope that the Mets don’t go on the tear and the Phillies do because the Phils are also 4 games back in the wildcard, behind the Milwaukee Brewers.  They’re up against the Marlins next and every team from now on can play spoilers in this tight race to the finish…

Phillies 3   Mets 0

Brett Myers won this game for the Phillies with an enormous 8-inning outing where he had 10 strikeouts.  Brad Lidge came in for the close and Greg Dobbs had a 2-run home run in the 7th inning to insure the win.  However, it was all about Myers!  He shut down the Mets’ offense and made it obvious that he’s back.  Calm, cool, collected.  He’s baaaack!

Saturday is Jamie Moyer’s turn.  He needs to be at the top of his game.  The Phillies really need to sweep this series, show the Mets that they are the better team.  Mike Schmidt sent an email to the team where he said “The Mets know you’re better than they are.”  Inspiration?  I hope so.  It seems like they can see the light at the end of the tunnel and they’re starting to get that fire to go out and win games.  I’ll be listening and hoping for the best!

The Phillies just lost 2 games of a 3 game series with the Washington Nationals, who are the worst team in baseball.  They’re hot right now but when will the Phillies get hot?  I can’t recall a hot streak this season that lasted more than a couple of days.  It’s difficult to be a Phillies phan this year.  On paper, they look like the team to beat!  In reality, they’re 3 games behind the Mets and falling fast.  They aren’t a terrible team but they just aren’t putting it together.

So what’s the deal?  What’s wrong?  There are players who are putting it together with hot streaks on an off during the season.  Chase Utley was amazing the first half but hasn’t done a lot this second half.  Ryan Howard is doing his best to be the home run king during the second half.  Jayson Werth is on a tear and they’ve added Matt Stairs to help give them some pep.  But it’s just not happening.  Pitching, their supposed weakness, has been the steady hand on the tiller.  Hitting has just been off and on.

I don’t know what they can do but looking up at the Mets from a strange position of 2nd place doesn’t seem to be motivating them.  They can’t seem to get it together as a team–get on the same page with everyone getting hot.  I can only hope that it’s not yet another season of major disappointment but I can feel the pessimistic Phillie phan in me moaning with the destiny card–it was bound to happen.  Great team, no chemistry.  Excuses galore.  But I’m not quite giving up hope yet!  Perhaps there is a way they can come together and have an amazing tear like last year, perhaps not.  Either way, I’ll follow their every game, stomach tied in knots, with every finger crossed!