Several weeks ago, the Phillies seemed to be lost in another offensive slump. During that time, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were automatic outs. They had just returned from their respective injuries, and both players appeared to be missing their timing.
Since the start of September, both Utley and Howard have come around, and so has the Phillies offense. Utley has 16 RBIs so far in September. His average has risen from .260 up to .276. Utley’s power has also returned, with three homeruns so far in the month. If Utley continues to make strides, the time off he had in the middle of the season may make him a fresher and more effective player for the post season.
Howard looks like he is back to where he was before his ankle injury. After several weeks filled with nothing but strikeouts, Howard has been playing like he normally does in September. Howard has hit five homeruns, and driven in 13 runs in his last ten games.
Having the heart of the order hitting has been the difference in the Phillies offensive fortunes. With Utley and Howard hitting, the Phillies lineup is dangerous again. When the two stars were struggling, the Phillies had a pair of black holes in the middle of the lineup. That made things easier on opposing pitchers, and tougher on the players surrounding them in the lineup. The rest of the lineup was pressing to get anything done, and the results were a chain of low scoring games.
But now that the Phillies have their big bats healthy and hitting, it has had the opposite effect on the rest of the lineup, and the run production shows it. The Phillies offense is finally achieving a consistency it has not had since the start of the season. The long awaited return of the bats combined with the Phillies superb starting pitching, and a now-steady back-end of the bullpen, makes the team as ready for the post season as they have ever been.
2 Big keys are H20 (Halladay,Hamels and Oswalt) and the Team MVP Carlos Ruiz.
It really helps that Victorino, since his return, has been getting on base and making things happen
which is what a lead-off man needs to do..It’s amazing that good things happen when guys get on base…
Still think that the Braves are gonna win the division and he Phils are finish only 6 games over .500 Paulman?
No Bugsy,
The Phils have been on Fire since August and I will eat crow if they win the Division,they have proven me wrong but I think the Braves still will make it in so the NL East will get 2 teams, the Reds and
probably the SF Giants as the PLyoff teams.. I still don’t like the Phils Bullpen, though they have pitched very well since Madson returned, Contreras and Lidge are pitching well too, until Lidge’s recent injury..Can these 3 lead them thru 3 rounds of the Playoffs to Win another World Series…
I hope so but don’t believe they can. They will need solid,consistent contributions from the others, Durbin,Romero,Baes who have been inconsistent all season.