There are pitching questions to be answered in this NLCS
by John Kincade
Late Saturday afternoon the Phillies eliminated the Atlanta Braves to advance to the NLCS. They have defeated the NL Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals and the former World Champion Braves. Just 2 weeks earlier, the Phillies had lost the first game of a doubleheader to the Washington Nationals 13-4. After that game there isn’t any fan of this team that could have made an argument to expect this kind of post season run. It’s been efficient, exciting and amazing. Much like the Eagles in their 6-0 start, the Phillies have found different ways to win. They scored 6 runs in the 9th to win their playoff opener and have played small ball more effectively than they ever did during the regular season. It’s going to be an exciting series vs the Padres. Here are a few notes;
If the Phillies want to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2009 they need to take advantage of the games when their staff ace is in the mound. They failed to produce any runs in support of Zach Wheeler in his first start at St. Louis or his last one in Atlanta. Giving him a little breathing room might allow him to pitch a bit more aggressively. A small ball approach to scratch out a run or two might be enough. When a staff ace goes 5+ innings of scoreless ball and receives no run support it’s a bad sign when trying to win a longer series.
Aaron Nola has been getting all the praise for his post season performance, but he has also received run support. The early Harper home run in St. Louis wasn’t exactly a deluge, but the runs on Friday afternoon gave him the ability to attack. Nola has done such a great job of raising his game in this post season if you could grab an early win behind Wheeler you can go for the jugular in the Nola start.
Can the Phillies get a better start this time around from Ranger Suarez? The Padres starting pitching is deeper. The Padres lineup can cause starters to burn out earlier in their pitch count and tax the bullpen. There is only one scheduled day off in this series and no weather in the forecast that would cause any delays. Making sure that the arms are rested may be the difference.
Who starts Game 4 if you are up 2-1 in the series? Does Rob Thomson go back to Noah Syndegaard? Why was Bailey Falter not given an opportunity to contribute? Does the manager not trust him on this big stage? If the Phillies are down 2-1 in the series do you go back to Wheeler on 3 days rest? The pitching decisions in a 7 game series are a serious chess match.
Bob Melvin and Rob Thomson are both baseball lifers. They create a casual, fun atmosphere around their clubhouses. Teams with high payrolls have high expectations and both of these men pushed the right buttons to get the most out of their clubs in October. I don’t see either team having an edge in October in the Skipper department.
As long as the series comes back to Philly at least 1-1, I love the Phillies chances to advance! Enjoy the series!
