You have to say the Phillies have been very impressive so far, especially after their playoff debacle of last year.
They're this year's version of the Rockies, going hot down the stretch and riding a couple of hot pitchers.
They've made short work of the Brewers, beating up on ace C.C. Sabathia.
The Phillies seem to have all the ingredients to go a long, long way. Two very good starters, Cole Hamels and Brett Meyers. A great stopper, Brad Lidge. And a formidable lineup that's filled with long-ball threats.
You need depth to win a lot of games during the year. The formula's quite different during the postseason. You need dominant players -- in particular, three great pitchers, two starters and a closer. That's especially true if your starters pitch late into the game. Hamels pitched eight innings in the 3-1 win in the first game.
The Phillies' bullpen has also been solid. Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero have had good seasons.
But it's been tough to shut down the Phillies. They have homerun threats throughout the lineup -- Ryan Howard had 48 homers, Pat Burrell 33, Chase Utley 33, Jayson Werth 24. Jimmie Rollins and Shane Victorino are solid hitters -- Victorino hit a grand slam in Thursday's victory.
You could say the Brewers were not a formidable opponent. They barely made the playoffs and have a weak bullpen. C.C. Sabathia pitched too many innings on too little rest at the end of the season. With Ben Sheets hurt, the Brewers started Yovani Gallardo in the first game of the series.
I like the Phillies' chances, especially if the Cubs-Dodgers series is short. I like the fact that they made it last year and had a taste of the postseason. I think they're a hungry team.
