“That’s crazy,” shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. “You’d like it to be easier, but it wouldn’t be as fun if was that way. Hopefully, we’re getting started to new territory. A lot of us haven’t been to the top. We’re at zero, and no one wins at zero. We still have work to do. We’ll see.”
Kyle Kendrick should be getting consideration for NL Rookie of the Year. The Phillies would be dead and buried without his contributions. Consider his stats. He is 10-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 121 innings pitched. The best move Pat Gillick has made as Phils GM was to bring him up from AA Reading in June, and that was only due to dire pitching circumstances after a series of injuried to the Phil's staff.
Tonight’s starter vs. the Nationals is Cole Hamels. The rotation has been set up this way to allow Cole to be the starter in game 1 of the NL Division Series, should the team get that far. Phils fans, take a moment to savor the sound of that.
Hamels, who is making his third start after returning from an injury to the elbow on his throwing arm, commented on being on a pitch count tonight.
“I guess they don’t want me to focus on my limitations,” Hamels said. “It’s frustrating when every pitch you’re counting down. You throw six pitches, and it’s like, ‘OK, that’s one less batter I’ll be able to face, or one less inning.’” In his last outing, he went 5 innings and looked great doing it, erasing the last 8 batters he faced.
Let’s hope the rotation planning is not a wasted strategic effort, because, after all, Adam Eaton and his 6.33 ERA, is the starter on Saturday night. I am sure that it is not set up that way so that he could start game 2 in the NLDS. The fact that the Phils are now in a position to control their own destiny is simply amazing. The fact that they will hand the ball to Adam Eatin It on the last weekend of the season, in a series of must win games to decide the division is a buzz kill. That puts my feet firmly back on the ground. Lastly, it is good news that on Sunday, the game is in the hands of Jamie Moyer. He did not throw a good game last time out which means he is due for a strong showing.
The potential tie breaker situations are many, but imagine this scenario: a 5 way tie between the Mets, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Padres and Rockies. It is possible. It would lead to one game playoff to determine the NL East division winner, in Philly. What a game that would be.
In the West, the 3 teams would have to slug it out for the NL West. By virtue of their head to head advantage, the Rockies would get to select between potentially playing 2 home games, or one on the road.