Why Do I Have to Be from Philadelphia? A Playoff Pitching Tale

As usual, this series will come down to pitching. As the old saying goes, ‘good pitching beats good hitting in the playoffs,’ and so it will be. The Phillies have the edge here, believe it or not.

Where the Phillies are at a big disadvantage, and no one mentions this, is that they have no reliable closer. Kimbrel is fool’s gold, and Alvarado cannot be trusted in a high-leverage situation. They have both imploded repeatedly and blown saves.

The Braves’ bullpen is certainly as good as the Phillies’, and they have a good closer. Still, as a sports psychiatrist, I like the Phillies because the Braves have not been battle-tested. They jumped to such a large lead so early that they have been coasting. As usual, the Phillies had to fight and scrap and weren’t sure of the top seed in the wildcard until a few days before the season ended.

Now they have rolled through the Marlins and have great momentum. Their fans are the best in baseball and are an X factor, infusing the Phils with strength and confidence.

Phillies in four again.