city of pain

It’s going to be crazy down in Miami this weekend, with the usual jam-packed stadium rocking for the Marlins going crazy. It’s a scalpers paradise. Tickets are said to be going for $500 a pair. This is what baseball is all about. If the Phils want to get in the playoffs, all they have to do is win 2 of 3 from the Marlins. That would give them six games left against the Braves and the Nationals who they will undoubtedly annihilate. Isn’t it amazing when these guys realize they’re playing must-win games, and the go out and play with urgency? Gee, where was that half of the season? Let’s just be honest here. The Brewers are totally fucked. Yesterday’s four run ninth inning by the Cubs pretty much sealed the deal for them. God, how foolish were we to actually think the Milwaukee Brewers would make the playoffs. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. To make matters worse, Ben Sheets is hurt, Sabathia lost his last start, and Prince Fielder is still a fat bitch. So if the Brewers are done (which they are unless the Mets collapse….which I guess is possible), then it’s just a matter of whether the Fightins be the Wild Card or the NL East Champion. Now, most Phils fans realize that there is a pretty big difference between the two. Since you cannot play your own division in the first round of the playoffs, that guarantees that either the Phils or the Mets will go to Chicago for the first round for which ever team is the Wild Card. If the Phils win the division, then they host the Dodgers. If the Brewers come back and win the Wild Card over the Mets, then the Phils would host the Brewers in the first round while the Cubs would host the Dodgers. So for the Phils it’s pretty simple: win the division, avoid the Cubs for one round.

And while the Phils spend the weekend in Florida, the Mets host Braves at Shea Toilet Aids Biohazard Graveyard Guido Palace. The Phils simply need to stay afloat this weekend, and maintaining their lead over the Mets would be considered a huge step towards another NL East title. Granted, the Marlins have won 8 straight games, but the Phils have won 7 straight and are playing for more at this point.

The reason for keeping afloat this weekend is simple. The Mets have a four game series with the NL leading Cubs starting Monday. With a possible first round match-up against each other, the Cubs won’t lay down. No shot. The Cubs don’t want to be the team that allows the Mets into the playoffs. No team wants to do that. And while Lou Pinella may put his starters on pitch counts, he also realizes that they need the work and will have more than a week to rest before the playoffs. The projected pitching match-ups would be:

Jason Marquis v John Niese

Rich Hardin v Johan Santana

Carlos Zambrano v Oliver Perez

Ryan Dempster v To Be Announced

So on paper, the Phils are in a perfect spot if they take 2 of 3 this weekend. The Mets bullpen is still an absolute disaster and there is no doubt in the universe that it will bury them in the end, especially against good teams. Just watch.

And can anyone explain to me why the Phils never play the Mets in the final two weeks of the season ever? 

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