Game 1, tonight, 7:05pm EST:FLA: Volstad (2-6, 5.51 ERA)
@PHI: Hamels (8-2, 2.58 ERA)
The pitching match-up and respective stats sort of says it all. 1 team poised for glory, the other... not so much. It's difficult to recall, now, why the May 9th-11th series between the Phils and Marlins in Florida felt so relevant at the time. Perhaps it was because the then 20-13 Marlins were only 2 games behind the 22-11 Phils. The 2 teams would even their records at 29-19 the last week of May, but then definitively part ways.
The Marlins have lost 3-straight and 11 of their last 12 games. They are now a towering 7 1/2 games out of 1st place, after knotting the Phils just a couple weeks ago. That's gotta hurt. It's a long way up after a free-fall, especially when you're looking at Phils' starting pitching for 4 straight days.
Working to their advantage (although any advantage for the Marlins in this series is a stretch) is the improbable and unflattering fact that they are 17-11 on the road, the best in all of baseball, while a shocking 15-22 at home. Consequently, Florida's infamous lack of attendance and fan support (the diametric opposite of the Phils' record streak of sellout crowds) can literally be blamed for the team's downfall.
To make matters worse, Florida ace Anibal Sanchez (6-1, 3.06 ERA) is 1-5 in his career at Citizens Bank Park with an ERA of 7.85.
Forfeit, anyone?
Game 2, Wednesday, 1:05 PM EST, 1st game of Double-Header:
The pitching match-up and respective stats sort of says it all. 1 team poised for glory, the other... not so much. It's difficult to recall, now, why the May 9th-11th series between the Phils and Marlins in Florida felt so relevant at the time. Perhaps it was because the then 20-13 Marlins were only 2 games behind the 22-11 Phils. The 2 teams would even their records at 29-19 the last week of May, but then definitively part ways.
The Marlins have lost 3-straight and 11 of their last 12 games. They are now a towering 7 1/2 games out of 1st place, after knotting the Phils just a couple weeks ago. That's gotta hurt. It's a long way up after a free-fall, especially when you're looking at Phils' starting pitching for 4 straight days.
Working to their advantage (although any advantage for the Marlins in this series is a stretch) is the improbable and unflattering fact that they are 17-11 on the road, the best in all of baseball, while a shocking 15-22 at home. Consequently, Florida's infamous lack of attendance and fan support (the diametric opposite of the Phils' record streak of sellout crowds) can literally be blamed for the team's downfall.
To make matters worse, Florida ace Anibal Sanchez (6-1, 3.06 ERA) is 1-5 in his career at Citizens Bank Park with an ERA of 7.85.
Forfeit, anyone?
Game 2, Wednesday, 1:05 PM EST, 1st game of Double-Header:
FLA: ?
@PHI: Kendrick (3-4, 3.47 ERA)
The Marlins don't have a pitcher listed yet for tomorrow's afternoon game. Who can blame them?
Game 3, Wednesday, 7:05 PM EST, 2nd game of Double-Header:
The Marlins don't have a pitcher listed yet for tomorrow's afternoon game. Who can blame them?
Game 3, Wednesday, 7:05 PM EST, 2nd game of Double-Header:
FLA: Sanchez (6-1, 3.06 ERA, but 1-5, 7.85 ERA in Philly)
@PHI: Halladay (9-3, 2.39 ERA)
Game 4, Thursday, 1:05 PM EST:
Game 4, Thursday, 1:05 PM EST:
FLA: Vazquez (3-6, 7.09 ERA)
@PHI: Lee (6-5, 3.41 ERA)
So, in a day and a half span, from Tuesday night until Thursday afternoon, the Phils and Marlins will wrestle over 4 contests. It's definitely not what the doctor ordered for the Marlins, who've dropped 13-of-15, including 7 games by only 1 run. OUCH!
The Phils come in at 40-26 (24-12 at home), baseball's best record. It has been a quiet best MLB record, though, without the fanfare of, say, Boston, who are riding a 9-game winning streak and topped both ESPN and John Kruk's Rankings yesterday. If it is to be a Phillies-Red Sox World Series, as was predicted by nearly all experts during the 2011 preseason, it would seem to be a battle of great hitting against great pitching. However, a closer look reveals a slightly different picture.
The Phils presently boast baseball's 3rd best ERA (3.15) and WHIP (1.22), while they're only 17th in runs scored (4.04 per game; a recent, big improvement, actually), 21st in Ave. (.247) and 23rd in SLG % (.371).
Meanwhile, Boston, who mauled their opponents 41-11 in 3 recent contests and 30-5 in their last 2, is a wrecking crew reminiscent of the younger, more powerful Phils, circa 2007-2008, who regularly scored in double digits.
The Red Sox's offensive numbers are staggering. They lead baseball in every major category: Runs (5.38 per game), Ave. (.276), On Base % (.349) and SLG % (.450).
Furthermore, while Sox starters (33 Quality Starts) haven't been as reliable as the Phils' (MLB best 44), the Sox's pitchers actually have a better Batting Ave. Against than the Phils': .242 (5th) vs. .248 (11th).
Since their 2-10 start, the Red Sox have gone a remarkable 37-16 for baseball's best .698 winning %. The Phils won 5-straight games back in April, but haven't put together anything like this sustained run the Red Sox are enjoying, which merely seems playing to their potential and the experts' expectations entering the season.
If the Phils and Sox played in the World Series tonight (and maybe the Marlins wish they were), the pitching match-ups might look like this:
Game 1: Roy Halladay (9-3, 2.39 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (5-2, 2.06 ERA)
Game 2: Cliff Lee (6-5, 3.41 ERA) vs. Clay Buchholz (5-3, 3.59 ERA)
Game 3: Cole Hamels (8-2, 2.58 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (9-2, 3.73 ERA)
Sure, the Phillies starters are better and have more Cy Young Awards, but are they more capable of winning games than the Red Sox's when you consider the astronomical differences in the respective teams' offenses?
The Phillies and Red Sox will play 3 games in exactly 2 weeks, Tuesday-Thursday, June 28th-30th in Philadelphia. That mid-week series will be a monumental showdown. This mid-week stack of games with the Marlins? Not so much.
So, in a day and a half span, from Tuesday night until Thursday afternoon, the Phils and Marlins will wrestle over 4 contests. It's definitely not what the doctor ordered for the Marlins, who've dropped 13-of-15, including 7 games by only 1 run. OUCH!
The Phils come in at 40-26 (24-12 at home), baseball's best record. It has been a quiet best MLB record, though, without the fanfare of, say, Boston, who are riding a 9-game winning streak and topped both ESPN and John Kruk's Rankings yesterday. If it is to be a Phillies-Red Sox World Series, as was predicted by nearly all experts during the 2011 preseason, it would seem to be a battle of great hitting against great pitching. However, a closer look reveals a slightly different picture.The Phils presently boast baseball's 3rd best ERA (3.15) and WHIP (1.22), while they're only 17th in runs scored (4.04 per game; a recent, big improvement, actually), 21st in Ave. (.247) and 23rd in SLG % (.371).
Meanwhile, Boston, who mauled their opponents 41-11 in 3 recent contests and 30-5 in their last 2, is a wrecking crew reminiscent of the younger, more powerful Phils, circa 2007-2008, who regularly scored in double digits.
The Red Sox's offensive numbers are staggering. They lead baseball in every major category: Runs (5.38 per game), Ave. (.276), On Base % (.349) and SLG % (.450).
Furthermore, while Sox starters (33 Quality Starts) haven't been as reliable as the Phils' (MLB best 44), the Sox's pitchers actually have a better Batting Ave. Against than the Phils': .242 (5th) vs. .248 (11th).
Since their 2-10 start, the Red Sox have gone a remarkable 37-16 for baseball's best .698 winning %. The Phils won 5-straight games back in April, but haven't put together anything like this sustained run the Red Sox are enjoying, which merely seems playing to their potential and the experts' expectations entering the season.If the Phils and Sox played in the World Series tonight (and maybe the Marlins wish they were), the pitching match-ups might look like this:
Game 1: Roy Halladay (9-3, 2.39 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (5-2, 2.06 ERA)
Game 2: Cliff Lee (6-5, 3.41 ERA) vs. Clay Buchholz (5-3, 3.59 ERA)
Game 3: Cole Hamels (8-2, 2.58 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (9-2, 3.73 ERA)
Sure, the Phillies starters are better and have more Cy Young Awards, but are they more capable of winning games than the Red Sox's when you consider the astronomical differences in the respective teams' offenses?
The Phillies and Red Sox will play 3 games in exactly 2 weeks, Tuesday-Thursday, June 28th-30th in Philadelphia. That mid-week series will be a monumental showdown. This mid-week stack of games with the Marlins? Not so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment