The strength of the Phillies’ 2008 WFC team was it’s bullpen. Get the starter through 6 innings and hand the ball to the relievers in the 7th and the game was over. Romero, Madson, and Lidge just ended games last year. It was amazing to see.
This year was a different story. The entire bullpen has struggled at one point or another during the season, with some, Brad Lidge for example, just never seeming to get back the touch they had last season.
Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and lately Jimmy Rollins have carried the team on their back to overcome the pitching struggles with their offense the it has worked out. The Phillies won their 3rd consecutive National League East crown and are heading into the last 3 games with a shot at the best record in the National League.
The ‘pen has pitched better as of late, but the injuries are starting to mount. Jamie Moyer is done for the year after injuring his groin the other night. I feel like this may have been a blessing in disguise for the team because to be honest, Moyer wasn’t a lock for the postseason roster. He might not have made it, even though he was pitching great out of the bullpen. This just makes the decisions a little clearer and easier for Charlie Manuel. I think Moyer will be back in Spring Training, fighting to get his rotation spot back.
Chan Ho Park looked like a lock for the postseason, even with his earlier injury, but he walked off the mound in Clearwater yesterday after facing only 5 batters. Nothing else is known, but Park might not be able to go for next week’s NLDS and that could open up a roster spot for Kyle Kendrick.
J.C. Romero is apparently done for the season after aggravating the injury that has limited him in the second half after missing the first part of the season due to suspension. If Romero can’t go, I think that seals the deal for J.A. Happ to be put in the bullpen. They need another lefty out there and Happ has pitched well out of the bullpen all year.
Scott Eyre has been fighting through that “loose body” in his elbow for a while now and it was good to see him get in the game the other night. He has been a valuable part of the bullpen the past two seasons and will be needed again in the playoffs.
Right now, I think the bullpen situation looks like this for the playoffs: Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre, Kyle Kendrick, J.A. Happ, and the last spot. Could it be Chad Durbin? Tyler Walker? Sergio Escalona? That won’t be known until next week, and I’m sure Manuel is going to take into consideration what happens in the next three games.
With a short rotation in the playoffs, hopefully the starters can go deep into games and limit the use of the relievers. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton are all capable of doing that. Hell, even Pedro Martinez went 8 innings a week ago.
The Phillies are going to need to rely on their pitching staff more than once this postseason, so there is a lot riding on the bullpen getting healthy and preparing themselves over the next three games.
If they do, we could be looking at the 2-time WFCs.
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