Dominant. That is just about the only term that could justly describe the Philadelphia Phillies’ 1st Round sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies rode the arms of Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels and got themselves back to the NLCS for a 3rd consecutive run. Add that in with timely hitting and taking advantage of costly Cincinnati miscues and that is exactly what we saw over this short, 5-day series.
This all had to start somewhere so why not with ace #1 Roy Halladay. Halladay set the tempo on Wednesday afternoon in his post-season debut. His no-hitter of the Reds let them know early that the “H20” rotation was all about. Halladay only allowed one base-runner and was thisclose to perfection again.
Cole Hamels’ stellar start on Sunday against the Reds made this series and quite frankly, the past few years of Hamels’ life come full-circle. Ever since being awarded the 2008 World Series MVP questions have surrounded Hamels’ ability to perform in big games. Those questions may now be put to rest as it appears as if vintage Hamels circa 2008 has returned and is hopefully here to stay for the Phillies.
The most surprising thing in this series was the Reds’ struggles on the field defensively. They had committed only 72 errors all season, yet committed seven in just three playoff games. Most notably, 7-time Gold Glover Scott Rolen had a poor defensive series for the Reds.
In Game 2 the Reds had the defending two-time NL Champs on the ropes for most of the game. A few errors later and the Phillies turned this into an advantageous scenario and took a 2-0 tilt to The Queen City. Jay Bruce’s error in particular was the tell-all of this sloppy game.
From the beginning of this series one thing was crystal clear. Even in having the top NL offense in the regular season, the Reds were going to have trouble solving H20. They hit .123 as a team and never really got the offense started throughout this series. This was mainly due to MVP favorite Joey Votto’s struggles. He was 1-10 in this series and was totally shut down by the Phillies in this series.
Now the Phillies look ahead to the NLCS, where they will face either the San Francisco Giants or Atlanta Braves. Though both teams boast very solid pitching, they simply will not be able to hit with Charlie Manuel’s club. This could be the difference in the NLCS which starts Saturday evening in Philadelphia. The Phillies’ rotation will look to stifle the opposing offense once again and be the ending place for another NL foe en route to a 3rd consecutive World Series appearance.
The bottom line is that Cole Hamels is at the top of his game right now and this could lead to another parade down South Broad St. He has been here before and knows what it takes to get it done. Along with Halladay and Roy Oswalt, this trio of aces could deliver another World Championship.
This champagne-poppin’ thing will never get old for these Phillies as they have done it in each of the past three seasons. This current period is the greatest in Philadelphia Phillies baseball history. This dynasty, as many refer to it as, seems to be growing by the year and looks to now be at its peak. Only time will tell how the rest will play out for these Phightin’ Phils.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com