Phillies Look Unstoppable!

The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling through September. Fresh off the heels of a 7 inning, 1 hit performance by the newest ace added to the Philly starting rotation Roy Oswalt, the Phils have expanded their lead to 6 games in the NL East over the Atlanta Braves.

And it looks as though the Phillies are getting stronger with every tick of the calendar.

On July 31st, the Phillies (92-61) were just 8 games over .500. Since then, the Phillies have played at a torrid pace, closing the gap and taking the lead in the NL East and looking like the most dominant team in baseball just before October. Usually, that's a pretty good time to play good baseball.

In my opinion, the Phillies are a lock to make it back to the World Series for the 3rd year in a row and likely bring home their second World Series Trophy in 3 years.

Here is why....

Aces in the Hole

The pitching in Philadelphia has been unreal over the past month plus. No, its not just Roy Oswalt who is leading the charge, although he hasn't been too bad. Oswalt, since joining the Phillies after several seasons with the Houston Astros, is 7-1 in 11 starts with a 1.76 ERA. Not bad for Oswalt in his new home, who has provided a boost to the club.

Not that the starting rotation really needed it, as it was already bolstered by Roy Halladay (20-10, 2.53 ERA) and Cole Hamels ( 12-10, 2.93 ERA). Much of the success not only can be attributed to the acquisition of Oswalt, but how Hamels has turned it around during that time too. Since July 31st, Hamels has managed to lower his ERA from 3.56 to 2.93, certainly an excellent recipe for winning.

Return of the Lefties

Both Chase Utley (leg) and Ryan Howard (ankle) missed significant time throughout the season with serious injuries. Missing your 3 and 4 hitters in the lineup can be too much for any team to handle during a 162 game schedule. Since both have returned from the DL, the Philly offense has been rolling once again and Utley and Howard have been in the middle of it.

In September, Utley is hitting .333 with 4 HR's and 17 RBI's while Howard is hitting .300 with 6 HR's and 19 RBI's. Pretty impressive performances, as usual for these two. But what their return to the lineup has done for the other guys around them such as Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino is unmeasurable.

At full force, as it is is now, the Philly line-up is as intimidating as any and their reliance on left handed bats actually tends to cause match-up issues, contrary to what many believe. Look for Utley and Howard to stay hot as the temperature cools going into October.

Holding Down the Fort

Brad Lidge is streaky. You don't here very much about streaky pitchers. You hear how hitters can go on tears and rip the cover off the ball for a few weeks at a time.

Well, Brad Lidge is HOT!

Since August first, Brad Lidge has appeared in 22 games, converting all 15 save opportunities while allowing only 9 hits and 2 earned runs. That is amazing and is as good a stretch from any closer in recent history.

While Lidge can be shaky for extended periods of time, like in 2009, I don't think he'll revert to that form. His fastball is sharp and his slider is back to being one of the most devastating offerings in the game. Look for Lidge to continue to be the 2008 Brad Lidge who didn't blow a single save during the regular or post-season.

With a rotation led by Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels, the return of Utley and Howard to bolster an explosive line-up, and Brad Lidge closing the door with confidence, I am predicting that the Phillies walk back to yet another World Series appearance.