Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Momentum’s hourglass

The fortunes of the Philadelphia Phillies have shifted for them and Cliff Lee to name one. Who would you pick to highlight their sudden emergence into a race for another October opportunity?

TAL’S HANDY CAPS

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Check out: Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Cholley in postseason mode

CAP-SIZE HINDSIGHT: 12-6 Blowout

TYPE	PLAYER	REASON
The Crystal Champagne Toast	Kyle Kendrick	Four-Star Performance
The Penthouse	Darin Ruf Kyle Kendrick John Mayberry Jr. Jeremy Horst	Smoked A 2-RBI Triple To Open A 2-0 Lead In The 2nd During His 1 For 2 Night With An IBB Nursing A 2-Run Advantage, Punched Out Werth With A Runner At 3rd To End The 5th, & Escaped A Harper-At-3rd One-Out Jam In The 6th Fired 7 Scoreless, 4-Hit Innings Made A Superb Catch Of A Blooper In A Critical Spot During The 8th Ended The 8th-Inning Threat With A Called K On The 4-Hole Stick
House Call	Jimmy Rollins	Has A Calf Issue

Above Asterisks ( *) = Corresponding Plays And/Or Events

MASKED SEPTEMBER NUMBERS:

GB 2nd WC: 3
2ND WC Pos: 4 (Tied)
Elimination No: 15

Chooch Scores In The 5th To End His Adventure On The Base Paths

NITECAP INSIGHT

Multiple Choice:

There are 5 other franchises in the picture: St. Louis, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Arizona. They are competing with the hometown 9 for 1 final berth that leads to a 1-game playoff in Atlanta. The winner will advance to the NLDS against the club with the best NL record in their park. That stated, the red pinstripes won’t be victorious in every battle, but the important thing is to notice each shortcoming. Tyler Cloyd and Jake Diekman won’t be on the postseason roster. And Phillippe Aumont will not have worked 5 of 6 games.

Chase Squeezes In Another Run In The 8th

The other selections include the Cards, who caught lightning in a bottle last year. By contrast, the 2008 Phils reached the big dance the following season, and the 2009 Yankees went to the ALCS the next autumn. The 2010 Giants failed to play serious October baseball in ’11. The Red Birds have more holes than the 3 prior champions, and they are 5-8 this month. The Dodgers are a handful of stars aligned on the diamond, and their recent 5-7 mark is not a surprise. The Pirates are almost invisible in September, the Pads are running out of steam, and the Brewers will probably start to cool off.

There are many variables but math is the go-to thinking. That is not the case for me in a complex equation that reveals other elements. When the Rox captured the wild card in 2007, the numbers said that was almost impossible. However, they were powered by that invincible feeling to the Fall Classic. What happens when you add top-tier talent to that fuel? Then, there is the experience of having achieved the title and knowing what it takes. Plus, there is the added last-hurrah factor.

Series 2:

TEAM	W - L	GMS	VERSUS
Cardinals	2 - 2	4	@ Dodgers
Dodgers	2 - 2	4	Cardinals
Pirates	1 - 2	4	@ Cubs
Brewers	2 - 1	3	Mets
D-Backs	1 - 2	3	Giants
Padres	2 - 1	3	Rox

Dom Brown Launches A 2nd-Deck Rocket In The 7th

There are clichés to address momentum, like the next day’s pitcher: Doc Halladay, Lee and Cole Hamels. This spark is different because of the time consideration. Ergo, every marginal player with an important role–under optimum conditions–lowers the amount of sand in the hourglass. The locals are comprised of 3 aces, a top-shelf closer, 2 table setters and a solid 3-4-5 with Chooch Ruiz back. With a split between St. Louis and Los Angeles, Cholley’s boys can take 2 to be within 2 games by Monday–that’s before the final 15 on the schedule.

2nd Wild-Card Teams:

TEAM	W-L (8/31)	W - L	GB	W-L (SEPT)
Cardinals	71 - 61	84 - 72	-----	13 - 11
Dodgers	70 - 63	81 - 75	3.0	11 - 12
Brewers	63 - 68	80 - 76	4.0	17 - 08
Phillies	63 - 69	78 - 78	6.0	15 - 09
D-Backs	66 - 67	78 - 78	6.0	12 - 11

Kyle Kendrick Dials Up A Cutter During 7 Two-Hit Innings At The Bank On September 10 Against The Fish

PRECAP PITCH

Kyle Kendrick:

He is 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA since mid-August. During those 6 performances, his line is: 42.1 innings, 27 hits, 7 all-earned runs, 7 walked and 33 fanned. He has worked 6.1 frames plus in 10 of 21 appearances with 4 debacles.

	STARTER	RECORD	TM	STARTER	RECORD	DAY & TIME
3	LHP Cliff Lee	06-08, 3.12 ERA	@ Nats	RHP Edwin Jackson	09-11, 4.13 ERA	Wednesday, Day

Dallas Keuchel Loads Up A 4-Seam Fastball At Home On September 10 Against The Cubs

Dallas Keuchel:

He is 1-3 with a 3.51 home ERA, which is 5.90 lower than on the road. He has lasted 6.2 innings or more in 2 of 13 attempts with 6 clunkers.

DELIVERY = PITCHER’S 2012	DEFINITION OF SEASON
Over The Top	Excellent
3-Quarter Sidearm	Good
Sidearm	Above Average
Short Arm	Approximately Average
Submarine	Below Average

Starters’ photos, not described otherwise, are in the 1st inning.

Quality number of the pitcher: 1 – 5

Slot on his club: 1 – 5

Ranking is 1 to 5 & 15 for the less adventurous.

*** = Approximately equal to after plus-and-minus computation

HURLER	Kyle Kendrick	John Lannan
NUMBER	A Five	A Five
CLUB SLOT	Four	Five
FOR 2012	Sidearm	Short Arm
'12 RANKING	3rd of 5 Categories	4th of 5 Categories
LAST START	Eephus Pitch	Slurve ***
LAST HIGH OR LOW	13th of 15 Categories	9th of 15 Categories

DISPLAY NOTE: Non-listed results can go up or down by

1 or 2 categories (This note will only appear when it’s relevant.)

* 1 Tick UP

	PITCH	INN	ER - R- H		PITCH	INN	ER
1	Gyroball	9 (CG)	0 - 0 - 3	10	Screwball	6	4
2	Fastball	9 (CG)	0 - 0	11	Knuckleball	5	3
3	Cutter	9 (CG)	3	12	Forkball	0 - 4.2	Monstrosity
4	Split Finger	7	2	13	Eephus Pitch	0 - 2.2	Disaster
5	Curveball	7	3	14	*Palm Ball	Ejected
6	Sinker	6.1	3	15	*Spit Ball	**Ejected+
7	Slider	6	2		*Breaking Ball	Injured
8	Changeup	6	3		*Fosh	Rain Interrupted
9	Slurve	5	2		*Knuckle Curve	Pitch Count
	** = Suspended				* = A 2nd Pitch Also

STATS APOCALYPTIC HORSEMEN COLE HAMELS
COLE'S LINE: 7 INN, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K & 99 DARTS

ACE	W - L	ERA	INN+	CONV	CG - SO	BAD	INN	ER	BB - IBB	SO
Total	34 - 23	3.48	6.1	59 of 86	2 - 2	12	582.2	225	114 -2	557
Hamels	17 - 06	3.05	6.2	21 of 31	2 - 2	03	215.1	073	050 - 2	218
Lee	06 - 09	3.16	6.1	23 of 30	0 - 0	02	211.0	074	028 - 0	207
Halladay	11 - 08	4.49	7.0	15 of 25	0 - 0	07	156.1	078	036- 0	132

19TH RIDE OF THE HORSEMEN:


ACE	W - L	ERA	INN+	CONV	CG	SO	BAD	INN	H	R	ER	BB	IBB	SO
Total	2 - 0	2.84	6.1+	2 of 3	0	0	1	19.0	14	6	6	4	0	20
Halladay	1 - 0	7.20	6.1+	0 of 1	0	0	1	05.0	06	4	4	3	0	07
Lee	0 - 0	1.29	7.0+	1 of 1	0	0	0	07.0	03	1	1	0	0	05
Hamels	1 - 0	1.29	7.0+	1 of 1	0	0	0	07.0	05	1	1	1	0	08

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