NLDS Game 3 in St. Louis

By Amy McCormick

This evening will be Game 3 of the NLDS in St. Louis.  Although I’d consider any postseason game to be “must win,” this one is especially important.  The series is tied at one win apiece, it’s just a five game series, and the Phils will be playing as visitors.  No pressure, Cole.

I have confidence in this team and this game is winnable. We need to see a couple things.

Jaime Garcia, the starting pitcher for St. Louis, finished the regular season 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA.  He has been successful against the Phillies in the past; in general, Philadelphia’s offense is better when facing a right handed pitcher (Garcia is a lefty).  He did pitch two complete games this past season, but he has no postseason experience.  Our offense needs to take advantage and get him rattled early.  I want Rollins and Utley to look at a lot of pitches.  I want aggressive base stealing.  I want momentum from the first inning, and I want the Phils to sustain it through the ninth.  Garcia pitches well at home; the Phils need to tire him out, rack up the pitch count, and work him.

Busch Stadium is a “hitter’s park,” but that might be due to the Cardinals’ offense.  Theriot, Jay and Furcal are no joke.  Pujols is limping around and still went 2 for 5 on Sunday.  We need to take these batters seriously.  Cliff Lee, my second favorite lefty, got a little bit roughed up by St. Louis on Sunday.  I want to see Hamels use his changeup effectively.  His offspeed pitches will keep batters swinging at what they think is a fastball.  You may recall Cole going 4-0 in the 2008 postseason.  This kid has what it takes to shut down even an aggressive offense.  Hopefully he locates his pitches well and retires batters with a quick tempo. 

A lot of us are nervous and excited about this evening’s game.  This is what October is all about.  This is what we’ve waited all year for.  Enjoy it.