Philliedelphia

Papelbon deal settled, says "there was no hesitation"

Posted by Danielle Wilson

It's official. Madson's out, Papelbon's in. Jonathan Papelbon, the 30 year old closer from the Boston Red Sox, is without a doubt one of the greatest closers in the game. Those words are music to Ruben Amaro Jr's ears. Papelbon and the Phillies have agreed on a four-year, $50 million contract with a vesting option which would bring his total salary to $63 million. Just this afternoon, the deal was finalized for a grand total of $58,000,058. Uh-huh. The extra $58 was completely necessary.

Here are a few excerpts from his press conference this evening at Citizens Bank Park:

"I knew these guys wanted me, and I made my decision right then and there, there was no hesitation."

"The Phillies showed that they were interested in me and I wanted to make this decision quick and get it over with, and the Phillies showed the utmost loyalty to me."

"There's something in my heart that feels like I was meant to be here and play in front of these fans."

"I don't think for a closer, there's no difference between leagues. I gotta go out there and preserve wins for the team, that's the bottom line. I've had my fair share of ups and downs, those situations make you better, and I definitely feel that the situation in Boston last year will make me a better pitcher. I'm not going to shy away from being a cannibal as a pitcher. I've always gone about my business that way."

He's hungry for a championship, and he's more than happy to have landed a deal here in Philly.

Welcome aboard, Pap.

Jonathan will be wearing number 58 on his back for the next four or five years. I wonder which number Antonio Bastardo will choose now that his is taken!

So, Did Phillies' Ruben Amaro Screw Ryan Madson, or Did Scott Boras Screw Madson?

Posted by Frank Klose

Some thoughts on the Ryan Madson situation as I sit and eat during my lunch break:

Ryan Madson was a career Philadelphia Phillie.  With the possible departure of Jimmy Rollins, only Chase Utley would have been a longer-tenured Phillie had Madson re-signed.

Now, Ryan Madson's Phillies career is over and he is upset.

Going into the offseason, I really felt that the Phillies and Madson would continue their relationship.   Madson seemed to love being a Phillie, conversing with the Phillies fans during batting practice and while in the bullpen, and signing autographs for kids during games.  So, what exactly happened?

ESPN's Jim Bowden, former General Manager of both the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals is under the belief that the Phillies used Ryan Madson in an almost underhanded way to land Jonathan Papelbon.   I tend to disagree with the case, but based on the facts available from both Bowden and Jim Salisbury.  

So, what happened?  The following has been reported:

Scott Boras initially wanted a five-year contract from the Phillies.

As we have heard frequently heard, Ruben Amaro wanted three years.  Eventually, Bowden says, they came to an understanding that it would take four years to agree on a deal.

Ruben Amaro increased his offer from $9 million per year to $11 million per year

In late discussions November 7th, Amaro agreed to move from his target number of $9 million per year.

Ruben Amaro at some point in this discussion may have mentioned he would need to seek ownership approval

Bowden writes, "During my 15 years as a GM...on two occasions I made an offer to a player that I definitively said was pending ownership approval. His response to me both times was that [Boras] wouldn’t even take the offer to the player until ownership approved it first."

So, if indeed coming to the understanding that four years, $11 million per year is what it would take to sign Madson, Boras never would have presented the offer to Madson if following earlier practices.

In my tenure selling appliances it was common that a customer, even though we negotiated a price, would say, "I need to talk this over with my wife."  In some ways that meant, "I understand what it will take to make a deal, but I need to think this over some more, and see what my wife thinks about it."  

Amaro does not make decisions on his own, though he hs plenty of power to make decisions.  At this point he could have talked it over with his baseball people, especially if he had a "I need to talk to my wife" moment where he had to leave the negotiation to talk things through.  Something must not have sat right with Amaro at that time.

Bowden reports that "concurrently" the Phillies were talking to Papelbon and others.  Is it that so much of a stretch to believe that someone said, "If we're going to go this far for Madson, why not just a little bit more for Papelbon?"

Many criticize the Papelbon deal, but applying 90% of those arguments would equally apply to a $44 million Madson deal over four years.

Was a deal struck?  Bowden thinks yes, Amaro says no; did a counter-offer kill it?

Bowden is critical of the Phillies in this situation, stating,

"...simple business etiquette dictates if an offer is extended by the general manager, the organization needs to live up to that offer, otherwise it never should have been made in the first place."

Amaro denies there was ever an agreement, though reports suggested they agreed on four years and $44 million.  

In fact, Jon Heyman of SI.com says that Madson was presented with a four-year, $44 million offer by his agent Scott Boras.   Heyman indicates that Madson accepted, as long as there was a vesting option for a fifth year and $13 million.   Had this been the case, no, that does not constitute an agreement unless Amaro agreed to that vesting option.  It sounds like he did not.

Bowden does say, "Montgomery and Amaro are men of high character and integrity, and this isn’t how they normally do business."   Maybe it is because they did not deceive.

Amaro told Heyman, "I will stand by my history of integrity forever.'' 

Papelbon's deal reportedly would be $60 million with his vesting option, Madson's deal would total $57 million had the Phillies agreed to that vesting option.

Ruben Amaro called Ryan Madson to apologize

What did Amaro apologize for, exactly?  Is it because he did something wrong in the negotations to give Madson false hope?  Or could it be that he is sorry they were not able to work out a deal, since they greatly cared about each other? 

Amaro does not need to apologize for making a baseball move given free agency.   Once Madson hit free agency and the negotiations began, Amaro had to make what he felt was the best baseball move for the team, and put personal feelings aside.  Of course, they could have worked out a deal before Madson was ever a free agent.

Despite what people think of giving a four-year deal, the closer position being overrated, or break down every moment of Papelbon's career, the marketplace is one that demands a four-year contract and these dollars.   I might think $20,000 is too much for a new car, but I'll be hard-pressed to go buy a decent one right now for much less.

Scott Boras gets big-money deals, and likely will with Madson

If Madson's only objective was to re-sign with the Phillies, he may have not picked the right agent.  Many believe there are many teams willing to spend big money on a closer.   It's possible that Madson will do better than four-years, $44 million.   Now that his emotional ties with Philadelphia are gone, he can cash in. 

So, what happened?

I really think this is a case of the Phillies making what they felt was the best baseball decision.  Love the decision or hate the decision, the people getting paid to make the decisions felt that Jonathan Papelbon was going to do more for the Phillies over four years than Ryan Madson could do, and the money was so close that the scale was tipped to Papelbon.

I think the Phillies were comfortable with four years, $44 million, but not with the vesting option that appeared in the counteroffer.  At that point, the Phillies were not comfortable.

I do not think anyone screwed anybody; Madson got caught in the trap that is free agency.   He is upset that he was not able to work out a deal with the only organization he had never known.  Maybe he did not think free agency would end this way and that his agent would just get him the best possible deal with the Phillies.   

Life is full of disappointments. Madson will get over it (probably helped by signing a massive deal), and life will go on.

Phillies' best moves will be subtle, but successful

Posted by Kevin Durso

Jim Thome could be one of the Phillies' more successful minor signings (Yong Kim/Philadelphia Daily News)

Late last night, Jonathan Papelbon arrived in Philadelphia, ready to take his physical, and officially become a member of the Phillies. He is just another superstar name joining a club that's had a knack for landing the biggest names every time moves are made, whether it be as free agents or trade acquisitions.

However, the Phillies' biggest strength will fall on their luck in finding gold in a scrap yard. The signings that don't cost as much, yet still perform like stars are the ones that will help define this team, and not only add to their success, but possibly make them a force to be reckoned with once again.

It's no secret that the Phillies have some interest in Michael Cuddyer. That's exactly the type of player the Phillies need to make a subtle move successful. Cuddyer, should the Phillies get him at the right price, could cost no more than $5 million next season, a bargain compared to the near $10 millions he is said to be asking. Cuddyer has averaged 20 home runs and 85 RBIs in the past three seasons. That kind of production for that price is not only exactly what the Phillies need, it's the only way they will win.

Look at the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Who ever heard of David Freese or Allen Craig before this series? What about the small players like Rafael Furcal, Ryan Theriot and Skip Schumaker? It is the no-name players that sometimes make a championship team. Freese is a prime example of that, entering the Postseason virtually unknown, and coming out a World Champion and MVP.

The Phillies, then, need to take their focus on the top and turn it down a notch. Being able to have the financial status to sign anybody is a great thing, but it is the little things that set a team apart.

Jim Thome's signing is one that strikes me as just that. You don't really have expectations, but you know the leadership, will to win and work ethic you're getting.

The Phillies have been linked to Grady Sizemore and Jason Kubel, and those are exactly the kind of players the Phillies need.

Time will only tell how the Phillies decide to set themselves apart from the rest of the league. The players that become members of the Phillies remains to be seen. But instead of ignoring those minor signings, pay close attention. They could just be the game-changers of 2012.

Laurie's Random Thoughts and Musings on the 2011 Phillies

Posted by Laurie Dougherty

Like everyone else, now that I've had a few days to digest what happened on Friday night, when I and everyone else in Phillies Nation watched the season come to a sickening end, I can look a little more rationally at what happened and what changes the Phillies should consider making as they head into the offseason. They have several players that will become free agents and others on whom they need to decide whether they will pick up options on.  I thought I would touch on some of the issues that the Phillies need to take a hard look at this winter.

No more "Home run or bust"

Now that Ryan Howard's injury has been confirmed as a rupture of his Achilles tendon and will require surgery and significant time out of the lineup, Charlie Manuel has a golden opportunity to retool his offensive philosophy of "home run or bust". He doesn't have as many big bats as he had in 2008, when that approach brought the team its the 2^nd World Series championship. Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth are gone, Chase Utley is not the same hitter he was back in '08 and now Howard could be out for much of the 2012 season. While I acknowledge that Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino and John Mayberry can hit with power at times, that is not their usual MO. Charlie needs to take a page from Tony LaRussa's manager's manual and start utilizing the strengths his players have. Shane and Hunter can run. Charlie needs to start utilizing them in hit-and-run situations, as well as giving them the "green light" to steal bases (Shane supposedly already has that green light; why he doesn't run more is a puzzle to me). The team needs to adopt more of a "small ball" mentality and figure out how to manufacture runs because solely relying on the long ball will not get the job done in 2012. The hitters need more discipline at the plate. Drawing walks is not a bad thing! Making pitchers throw 20-30 pitches in an inning will wear them out more. Other teams do it to us! The top 5 players in baseball in drawing walks all were in the 100s—none of them were Phillies. Ryan Howard led the team in that category with 75.

 Tale of the tape

 As I've read several articles about the Phillies premature end to their season, as well as reader comments, it has been mentioned several times that Ryan Howard does not study tape. What?!?! He's making how much money and he doesn't take the time to learn from his mistakes??? Yikes! One commenter suggested that he needs to spend this winter studying tape and perhaps hire a hitting coach to help him analyze what he can do better. I'm all for that. It befuddles me that with all the role models around him (most notably Chase and Roy Halladay) that Howard would not follow their lead and study video of himself. He's going to be out for quite a while (possibly up to a year, I heard in one report) so in addition to rehabbing his left leg, he needs to rehab his whole approach to hitting. Even I noticed in the last few games of the regular season as well as the playoffs that he had moved back from the plate. Hard to hit the ball on the outside part of the plate when you're standing on the outside perimeter of the batter's box and have to flail at it and hope you hit it!

 "Can you hear me now?"

 Although he's been very successful at managing the egos of the Phillies players, over the past year (maybe two) I have to wonder if they've stopped listening to Charlie Manuel. As many articles have noted, he is in some ways a "player's manager" but he is not a good strategist, which has been painfully brought to the forefront the last 2 postseasons. Granted, Tony LaRussa's frequent pitching changes in game 2 drove us nuts but let's face it, he seems to know how to get the matchups that will benefit his team the most. Charlie does not always do that.  The other issue is the lineup change he put in place at the end of the season, shortly after the Phillies had that horrible 8 game skid right after winning the division. Charlie moved Chase up to the 2^nd spot and Hunter Pence up to the 3^rd spot. So now Pence would be in front of Howard instead of behind him. Charlie stuck with this lineup all through the NLDS, instead of changing it up and moving Pence back to the 5^th spot, particularly for game 5. Would it have made the difference? Hard to say, but what was in place wasn't working. Charlie showed a willingness to move players around and substituted quite a bit during the regular season, but remained stubborn in the postseason, preferring to value loyalty to his veterans over production. Perhaps Ruben Amaro needs to consider whether the Phillies need a new voice to listen to, because I really think they've tuned Charlie out.

 Jimmy Rollins—should he stay or should he go?

While he is the outspoken leader of the team and recently has taken to Twitter to express himself, I have to wonder if Jimmy's "me first" attitude is making him somewhat unpopular in the Phils' clubhouse. Over the years we have seen several instances of him being benched by Charlie for not running out ground balls. On Friday night, in the third inning, I know he thought he hit a foul ball but you have to run it out anyway. It's called fundamental baseball. Can the Phillies afford to move on from Rollins? He has been injury-prone the last 2 seasons. While he's still a force defensively, his bat has been on the decline since he won the NL MVP award in 2007. Granted, he made a great showing in this year's NLDS vs the Cardinals but it wasn't enough because most of his teammates didn't hit. If the Phillies are looking to get younger, perhaps it's time J-Roll moved on.

 Other free agents

Besides Rollins, Ryan Madson is also a free agent. I don't think there's much question that the Phillies should try to sign him, but he is asking for a lot of money, perhaps more than the Phils are willing to spend on a top closer. However, in spite of the fact that Scott Boras is his agent, I think the team needs Madson. Unfortunately, I heard rumblings that he may not want to stay in Philadelphia. I hope that is not true but if so, that puts a different spin on things. Performance-wise, Madson has done everything asked of him this season and will be a hot commodity on the free agent market if the Phillies don't bring him back.

Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge and Raul Ibanez will almost certainly not be retained, although Lidge has expressed an interest in remaining here. If he is willing to take a pay cut, I would not rule out keeping him, not necessarily as a closer but as a 7^th or 8^th inning setup man, which is what he was this year. He has done well enough to merit consideration, as well as being a potential mentor for Antonio Bastardo, Michael Stutes, Michael Schwimer and even Joe Savery and Justin DeFratus (presuming they are invited to come to spring training to compete for a job). My guess is that Ross Gload and Brian Schneider will also not be resigned, although I don't know how much confidence the Phillies have in Dane Sardinha to be Carlos Ruiz's backup. Kyle Kendrick, Ben Francisco and Wilson Valdez are arbitration-eligible and may be non-tendered, leaving them free to seek jobs elsewhere. Even though I think they need to move towards getting younger players, I think they should consider keeping Valdez because he can play multiple positions and is solid in the field. His hitting prowess is not spectacular but I view him as a key person as the Phillies make a transition towards a youth movement, particularly on the infield.

A few additional comments on the first section seem warranted. While Greg Gross seems like a nice guy, he doesn't seem to instill much discipline in the hitters. Chase is one of the few patient hitters on the team. Everyone needs to adopt that attitude. Replacing Gross as the hitting coach would not be a terrible move, particularly if they make a managerial change. While many of us are disappointed at the early end to the Phillies postseason run, we will see more of the same if the team doesn't start to change its approach at the plate. It would be a real shame for us to have all these great pitchers and not win another championship. I don't envy Ruben Amaro for the decisions he has to make this offseason—I wish him luck!

 

BREAKING NEWS: Phillies' Ryan Howard Injured His Achilles Last Week

In this "breaking news" from Philly.com, Peter Mucha, casual weather and lottery jackpot observer finds out the answer to the question, "What would have happened if Howard hit a home run and tore his achilles at the same time?"

I suppose he was "breaking" the tendon in his ankle.

Philliedelphia's Favorite and Least Favorite Moments from the 2011 Season by Kevin Durso

It feels too early to be reflecting on the 2011 season, but after the Phillies were knocked out of the playoffs by the Cardinals, we all need something to smile about. Philliedelphia writers have composed their favorite moments of the season, as well as their least favorite moment.

Kevin Durso

5. Cliff Lee's Stellar June

It's easy to reflect on how the pitching didn't give the Phillies what we all hoped for this October. But while looking back at this season, and how pitching is a lost art in baseball, the Phillies had an ace who turned in a month like no other, and it may never be duplicated, unless by the man himself. What Cliff Lee did in June was simply amazing, and by the time he finished the month with a two-hit shutout against the Red Sox, you weren't sure who the best pitcher on this team really was.

4. June/September Doubleheaders against the Marlins

This might be cheating, because technically, this is two moments. In June, the Phillies played a four-game series against the Marlins, and had won the first game by belting five home runs. The next day was a doubleheader. Game 1 went to the Phillies handily. Game 2 was another story. The Phillies never seemed interested in playing that second game, but oddly, there was a feeling that something good would happen. Being at the ballpark that night, I sensed this game wasn't over until the last out. Shane Victorino singled home a pair of runs with two outs in the ninth to tie. Carlos Ruiz won it in the tenth with an RBI single, and it was just as awesome as if it had been in October.

In September, a similar doubleheader took place. The Phillies held on for a Game 1 win, but again, Game 2 turned out to be the one with the real memory here. Cliff Lee was dazzling that night, working with one run and holding the lead the whole way. One strike away from his seventh shutout of the season, he gave up a game-tying solo shot to Jose Lopez. But Ryan Howard doubled home the winning run in the tenth to give the Phillies the win anyway.

3. Let's Go Eat!

Raul Ibanez had just won a game against the Pirates himself. He drove in four, belted two home runs, and hit the winning double. Hunter Pence was brand new to the lineup, and the look on his face as he crossed home plate as the winning run is all that you need to tell you about this moment. He followed that with one of the better quotes of the year, one that turned into a t-shirt phenomenon. "Let's go eat!" he proclaimed to Sarge after the win. It caught on pretty quickly.

2. Mayberry/Victorino comeback against Rockies

The Phillies won many games they had no right winning this season. But this one tops them all. Down by two with a 1-2 count, John Mayberry Jr. worked the count full, and blasted a game-tying shot to get the game to extras. Shane Victorino went deep to lead off the tenth, and the Phillies went on to win, 4-3.

1. May Marathon

I will never, ever forget this game. Staying up into the night to watch a game that likely had no bearing on the Phillies' schedule is a memory I will carry forever. Everything about that game was just exciting, and it was a game that had you hooked the whole way from Ryan Howard's game-tying shot in the 10th, to David Herndon working out of a bases-loaded jam in the 11th, to Danys Baez' five scoreless innings of relief, to Wilson Valdez taking the mound and retiring the heart of the Reds' order, to Raul Ibanez' walk-off sac fly in the 19th. The marathon game had you hooked, and was just one of many games this year throughout baseball that reminded you why we watch.

Least Favorite Moment: The 8-game losing streak Watching the Phillies throughout that week was so hard. I was in the ballpark the night before the division clincher, and the loss was disappointing. Four days later I was at the nightcap of the doubleheader against the Nationals. The Phillies were working on their fourth-straight loss. I've never had a more horrible time at a baseball game. There was just nothing to get excited about. For the rest of that week, baseball was just hard to watch. There wasn't really a reason to, with the division locked up, but after a season of very few moments to worry and panic, there was certainly a concern with the playoffs right around the corner. In hindsight, it was a huge concern, which I why I will remember the end of season collapse that commenced in the Postseason.

Philliedelphia's Favorite and Least Favorite Moments from the 2011 Season

It feels too early to be reflecting on the 2011 season, but after the Phillies were knocked out of the playoffs by the Cardinals, we all need something to smile about. Philliedelphia writers have composed their favorite moments of the season, as well as their least favorite moment.

Danielle Wilson

#5- Cole Hamels' triple off the wall in right field. 

Did anyone see this coming? Absolutely not. We knew Cole could hit, but we didn't know he could hit and run. This ball was pretty damn close from leaving the park, too.

 

#4- Chase Utley's first at bat of the season.

Despite going 0-5 that night, Chase Utley was back from his knee injury, and the fans couldn't have been more excited. Hearing "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin for the first time all season gave me chills.

 

#3- Wilson Valdez plunking Scott Rolen with a fastball.

Wilson's entire pitching performance was nothing short of amazing. The simple fact that he was pitching blew my mind. He did a fantastic job sending the Reds down- including Joey Votto. The cherry on top to his performance was nailing Scott Rolen, a former Phillie, with a 75 MPH breaking ball. He won the city over with that.

 

#2- Cliff Lee's home runs.

The man can hit. His first home run of the season came on July 9th, and sent Phillies fans on their feet, cheering so loud that the Mets fans could hear them 90 miles north. It was his first career home run. The second came exactly one month later, and was just as exciting. He does it all.

 

#1- National League East Champions.

Come on, you knew it was going to happen from the moment that pitcher's and catcher's reported to spring training in Clearwater. It was such a great night in Philadelphia, and it was great seeing everyone celebrate with champagne showers, especially Hunter Pence, who might have enjoyed himself too much. Five straight years, who could have guessed that back in 2006?

Image courtesy of SI.com

Least favorite moment of the season

Roy Oswalt left the team while they were visiting the Diamondbacks in Arizona, after hearing the news of devestating tornadoes in his home town of Weir, Mississippi. That night, he threw three shaky innings. Understandable, given the mental condition that he was in. After telling reporters that he did not know when he would be back, my heart was feeling a bit sore. I was scared for him, and scared for the Oswalt family. Thankfully, everyone was safe and sound. However, while using heavy machinery to help clean up the neighborhood, Roy had injured his back, which sent him to the disabled list. It took quite a while for him to regain velocity in his fastball, but by the end of the season, Roy was looking like his old self.

 

Phillies Eliminated From Playoffs After 1-0 Loss To Cardinals

Posted by Danielle Wilson

A winner-take-all game, something that I, as a Phillies fan, have never experienced. This Phillies team have never experienced it, either. The last series-deciding game that the Phillies played was back in 1981, an NLDS game against the Montreal Expos. They lost that game, and they lost tonight's game too, in the most upsetting way you could ever think of: a shutout.

They had everything going for them: Roy Halladay on the mound, the same lineup posted all throughout this series, and home field advantage in front of 46,000+ screaming fans.

A 33-pitch first inning was not an ideal start for Roy Halladay. Rafael Furcal took a fast ball to deep right field for a lead off triple. The next batter, Skip Schumaker, doubled to score Furcal, putting the Cardinals up 1-0. Roy Halladay shut down the rest of the order, but it was no help that the Cards fouled off almost half of the pitches that Roy tossed.

Chris Carpenter needed 11 pitches to get through Rollins, Utley, and Pence in the first inning. Not exactly what Phillies fans had in mind considering Carpenter's last start against the Phils.

Halladay seemed to have locked into this game by the second inning, shutting down the Cardinals in order with just nine pitches. That's more like it.  Shane Victorino doubled in the second inning with one out, his first extra base hit in five games. However, no one would be able to send him home.

Doc struck out Albert Pujols to end another scoreless inning. Up to 52 pitches. Following a scoreless third from Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay allowed a single to Yadier Molina, but struck out David Freese to end the inning. 68 pitches.

Chase Utley was hit on the knee to lead of the fourth. He later broke up a potential double play, and Hunter Pence was safe at first. Victorino singled, sending Pence to third. Raul Ibanez then hit a towering fly ball, just inches away from a home run, but it was caught by Lance Berkman.

Halladay tossed a quick fifth inning, getting Chris Carpenter to ground into a double play after Nick Punto singled. The bottom of the fifth consisted of the Phillies 7-8-9 hitters in the lineup. It doesn't matter if Halladay hits or not, he does what he needs to do on the mound. Polanco and Ruiz, however, have been atrocious in this series, going a combined 3-34.

Roy Halladay was dealing, shutting down the Cardinals again in the sixth inning. The Phillies had only managed two hits against Carpenter, and really, really needed to come up big and score a couple of runs. The Cardinals were only leading by one run, and held that through another scoreless inning from Carpenter in the sixth.

At 89 pitches, Roy Halladay went out for the top of the seventh, and retired the side, striking out Molina and Nick Punto. After that, Cliff Lee began warming up in the bullpen.

A quick 1-2-3 inning from Carpenter was both disappointing, and not surprising in the least bit. Cliff Lee would not come into the game,  rather, Roy Halladay would start the eighth inning at 105 pitches. Chris Carpenter slapped a single up the middle to lead off the inning, followed by a fielder's choice, leaving every safe after Furcal made it to first. Halladay intentionally walked Albert Pujols, loading the bases for Berkman, who struck out on pitch number 121. Matt Holliday flew out to Ibanez to end the inning, stranding the bases loaded.

That would be all from Roy Halladay. His line: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB. 7 K. Simply incredible.

The "dark hole" of the lineup was due up in the eighth for the Phillies- Polanco and Ruiz. Again, nothing. Ross Gload came in to pinch hit for Roy Halladay and beat the throw to first after a strikeout. With two outs, Jimmy Rollins lined out in what could have been his last at bat as a Philadelphia Phillie.

Ryan Madson came in for the ninth inning, and shut down the Cardinals in order. One last shot for the Phillies. Here we go.

Zilch. That's what came from Utley's, Pence's, and Howard's bats in the bottom of the ninth. Just like last season, the season ended with Howard as the third out. I can't put into words how painful that is. Even worse, Howard went down while jogging to first after grounding out. Turned his ankle.

This is the end, Phillies fans. There's nothing left after tonight. This postseason was just one big punch in the stomach, to say the least. It's too early in October to be saying this, but, see you next season.

NLDS Game 5 Preview: May the best team win

Posted by Kevin Durso

The Phillies are looking to advance to their fourth straight NLCS with a Game 5 win. (Courtesy of Yahoo.com)

The St. Louis Cardinals are in familiar territory. One game will once again make or break their season. They managed to win that one game before. They are perfectly capable of doing it again.

The Phillies are one win away from a fourth straight trip to the NLCS. But the team that has rarely been tested this season with a must-win situation is facing one now. For the best regular-season team in the Phillies' franchise history, this fifth game of the Postseason is win or go home.

There's no reason to cover the lineups anymore. You know what you're going to see by now. The Cardinals will send Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman and the rest of the Redbirds against Roy Halladay. The Phillies will send Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and the rest of the Fightins' out against Chris Carpenter.

Carpenter and Halladay have a history together, both being teammates with the Toronto Blue Jays way back when. Both have appeared in the playoffs with other teams since leaving Toronto. Carpenter has the one thing that may drive Halladay tonight, a ring. Either way, these two are their teams' respected aces, so this will be a showdown on the mound. There can only be one ace of the diamond, and one team can move on. May the best team win.

Here's a closer look at the pitching matchup and a prediction.

Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA; 1-0, 3.38 ERA)
Halladay pitched the Phillies to a Game 1 win last Saturday. After allowing a three-run home run to Lance Berkman, and three hits and a walk in the game's first seven batters, Halladay retired the last 21 Cardinals he faced, finishing with eight innings pitched and eight strikeouts.

Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45 ERA; 0-0, 12.00 ERA)
Carpenter pitched in Game 2, a game the Cardinals rallied to claim. Carpenter struggled in three innings of work, allowing four runs on five hits, walking three and striking out two. He was making his first start on short rest in his career. He will be on normal rest for this start.

Prediction:
Phillies 2, Cardinals 1

This is going to be one of the finest pitching matchups you will see in quite some time. Both pitchers are perfectly capable of allowing their fair share of runs, but that is usually a rare occurrence. Look for some excellent pitching, and few offensive chances in this one.

Both pitchers have different stories. While Carpenter can be scored off at any time, the time to take advantage would be early in the game. The same goes for Halladay, who seems to lock himself in once he settles into his third inning of work or so. If anything, both pitchers could enter the late innings with plenty left in the tank and no runs on the board. It could even be decided by the bullpens.

If the Phillies or Cardinals are to move on, they will have to do it together. Having your ace on the mound is nice, but somebody has to get an offense going. Chances are the offense that strikes first will be the one celebrating at the end of the night.

These teams are so evenly matched, and both well on their way to success this October. For one of those teams, the journey ends tonight. For the team that moves on, something will be proven. The team that wins should have all the momentum in the world, and all the faith that they can get to the biggest stage in baseball. Whatever happens, this will be a classic game. The Phillies get the edge in my pick, solely for the fact that many wouldn't disagree in calling Roy Halladay the best pitcher in baseball.

Once again, may the best team win.

Phillies' bats still Freese-ing cold as Cardinals force Game 5

Posted by Kevin Durso

The Phillies and Cardinals will now play a decisive Game 5 on Friday. (Courtesy of SI.com)

The Phillies are usually so reliable when having a simple task at hand. Winning in the Postseason is not simple, but when the opportunity presents itself, the Phillies rarely give in to the pressure, and run away from the competition to the next round. Tonight, a hot start was thwarted by the Cardinals, forcing the must gut-wrenching of all games Friday night.

The Phillies jumped out on a hot start. Jimmy Rollins led off with a double. Chase Utley tripled him home. Hunter Pence singled him home. And five pitches into the game, this looked like a runaway.

Not long ago, the Phillies scored three first-inning runs off Chris Carpenter to pull ahead in Game 2. Slowly but surely, that lead disappeared.

The Phillies were out of the first inning it appeared, but a missed play and error by Shane Victorino turned Lance Berkman's routine fly ball into a double and scored a run.

In the fourth, with a threat on, David Freese doubled home a pair to give the Cardinals the lead.

In the sixth, with the Phillies getting closer to forcing the Cardinals' bullpen to hold down a one-run lead, Freese added fireworks to the mix, belting a two-run shot.

The Phillies got one of those runs back on a wild pitch, but everything went the Cardinals' way otherwise.

After those first three hits in the first, the Phillies managed just four the rest of the way, and the Cardinals forced a decisive Game 5 on Friday in Philadelphia with a 5-3 win.

For one, my predicitions are scaring me. I call for a 3-2 Cardinals' win in Game 3, and the Phillies win by that score. I call for a 5-3 Phillies' win tonight, and the roles are reversed. In Games 2 and 4, the Cardinals have found a way to make the Phillies look silly, and frankly, scoring early, which is usually a good thing, might as well be a bad thing.

St. Louis got their chance to be here from the Phillies. Now they're making the Phillies pay for giving them a chance. There will be baseball on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. The best team will truly come out on top. Forget the NLCS opponent. The winner of this game might as well punch their ticket to the World Series. You can guarantee it.

The Phillies' pitching was supposed to get them to the next level. Two pitchers have fired gems. Two have allowed five runs in their game. If Roy Halladay is anything less than his usual self, the Phillies' season might be over. Realistically, the fear here is not that the Phillies could lose. Anything is possible in the Postseason, especially to a team that featured several Postseason vets. What's scary is that the Phillies' season will be on the line on Friday, just five games into the Postseason. The team that was supposed to automatically play until late October could be gone before the first week of October is over. Honestly, that's baseball, but the Phillies will most definitely remember the chances that got away. They will remember how they relied too much on pitching, and when it failed, didn't back it up with hitting. All that's left now is to hold your breath, because two aces are going in Game 5, and whatever happens...happens.

Game 5 will be on Friday at 8:37. Roy Halladay takes the mound against Chris Carpenter for a trip to the NLCS.