Phils Headed to World Series!

Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling right now.  The Phillies beat the Dodgers last night to clinch the National League title, four games to one.  Though their opponent is yet to be determined, I’d be shocked if they don’t square off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series.

Last night’s game solidified several things in my mind:

• Cole Hamels has proven himself to be an ace.  He completely shut down the LA Dodgers in game five on his way to being named NLCS MVP.  Hamels finished the series with a 2-0 record and a 1.93 ERA.  He struck out 13 and walked five in 14 innings of work.  Hamels may never become the type of pitcher who demands the ball on short rest, but there is no one I’d rather have pitching for the Phillies in an important game.
• The Phillies’ offense has shown the ability to win games without relying on the long ball.  Sure, they’ve still hit home runs in the postseason, but they’ve also shown the ability to string together hits and capitalize on the other team’s mistakes.  Scoring on only home runs in the playoffs can be a recipe for disaster, so it’s nice to see them doing the little things that help manufacture runs.
• Tim McCarver is one of the worst color analysts around.  He seems to make bold statements/predictions before anything has played out.  Last night, he was all over Hamels for the first few innings because his fastball was “up in the zone.”  He said this was bad news for the Phillies and Hamels, almost rooting for one of the Dodgers hitters to capitalize on these “mistake” pitches to prove his point.  Had McCarver done his homework — as any national analyst should do — he would have known that Hamels throws his fastball up in the zone, and his change down. 
• Ryan Madson has officially become the second most trustworthy member of the Phillies bullpen.  There was a time earlier in the year when I said I felt uneasy whenever Madson entered a game.  I no longer feel that way.  He as a 1.00 ERA in nine innings of postseason work, along with six strikeouts.  He has also seemed to gain some velocity on his fastball.  He has been throwing it in the mid to high 90s, something I don’t remember seeing in the regular season.

I think the Phillies match up pretty well with both the Red Sox and Rays, so I expect a closely contested and exciting World Series.  For now, I’m just going to enjoy the National League title and hope for the best.