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…

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…

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!

Phillies 5   Dodgers 2

winning pitcher: Chad Durbin, losing pitcher: Joe Beimel

home run by Pedro Feliz!

In the bottom of the 9th, to tie the game, Feliz had a pinch hit single.  Then in the bottom of the 11th, he hit a 3 run home run to win it outright for the Phillies.  The Dodgers had just changed pitchers to face him and no, that didn’t go over so well.  Even Cole Hamels had pinch hit before him for an out.  But he was definitely the hero of this game!

Hurray for those who had him on their fantasy rosters!  Sweet deal for you.  Now the Phillies are still behind the Mets but only by half a game.  The Mets have lost 2 in a row while the Phils have won 3.  So maybe things are turning around!  Jimmy Rollins still isn’t scoring at all and Utley isn’t doing his usual hitting mania but I have faith he’ll turn it around.  Maybe Rollins is waiting for the off season to heat up?  I sure hope he does something soon!

Phillies 2  Marlins 8

winning pitcher: Josh Johnson, losing pitcher: Jamie Moyer

Home Run by Shane Victorino

Victorino’s controversial home run didn’t help the Phillies win, that’s for sure.  The ball either hit right next to the foul pole or actually the foul pole in left field and went into the bullpen.  It’s hard to tell on the replay without doing a frame-by-frame slow down but it sure didn’t matter for the game!

The Marlins really opened up on Jamie Moyer.  It was bound to happen as he’s defeated them 10 times in his career.  On this most important season, the Marlins are now 1.5 games back and the Mets 2 games back.  This is one tense run to the wire!

Ultimately, Josh Johnson managed to keep the Marlins in the game and the Phillies from getting a rally started.  This is an example of a cold day for the Phillies.  Here’s hoping Kendrick can keep it from being a repeat tonight and they can come back to stay on top.  I think the Phillies need to get something happening–perhaps with the other teams right behind them in the standings, they’ll be able to pull it together and really leap out front.  Every game counts!

The Phillies are half a game ahead of the Mets today and the Mets are playing a game tonight. Ryan Howard definitely needs to get his head around the whole batting average idea in the second half or he won’t be a first round fantasy player next year. Chase Utley and Pat Burrell, who is finally living up to his promise, can’t carry the entire offense. Brad Lidge is the bullpen and a very good one he makes! JC Romero is doing well overall and Cole Hamels is just lights out.

Time for Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz, and the rest of the pitching staff to start living up to their potential and give the Phillies another post season. We, the fans, expect a team like this amazing group to go far. Adding Joe Blanton could help but without the rest of the team making it happen, they will fall aside like the 2007 Mets.

Go Phils!