Chase Utley

After dismissing the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS, the Phillies will face off against the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. 

Will the Giants be a minor speed bump on the road to another National League pennant, or do they have a legitimate shot at sending the Phillies home early?

Here are some arguments for both cases:

Fear the Giants

A rollercoaster ride of a season saw the Phillies at 48-46 in the middle of July, seven games behind the Atlanta Braves and fading quickly. Fast-forward two and a half months, and the Phillies have been crowned National League East Champions for the fourth consecutive season, thanks to an incredible 49-18 surge at the end of the season.

With the Phillies’ postseason sweep of the Reds, I thought it was time to pay homage. I’ll start:

When it comes to Phillies pitching, there’s definitely something in the H20.

Mike Sweeney is so generous with the hugs, I applied for a job as bat-boy.

The Phils successfully steal so many bases, they gave away EPTs at the last game.

Admit it, you’re enjoying these baseball playoffs. The excitement. The do-or-die nature of every game. Brian Wilson’s epic beard-mohawk combo that makes him look like a guy begging for change outside McDonald’s.

The—

Wait, what’s that? You’re not enjoying these playoffs? Really? Maybe I’m the only one.

I can't tell you how much this pains me to say this being a diehard Giants fan. But a noble journalist puts his allegiances aside.

Here is an in-depth comparison of two teams, in amazing detail and quality (HD detail and quality). The main determinant in the series, I believe, will be the powerful offense of the Phils...and the three-runs-is-a-chore offense of the Giants.

Begin Slideshow

On a few different fronts, it's as easy as "1-2-3" for the Philadelphia Phillies this postseason. 

Hey everyone, baseball fanatic Evan Adrian here, live blogging game 3 of the NLDS between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds. Cole Hamels will attempt to close out a sweep of the Reds. Cincinnati turns to Johnny Cueto, hoping the right-handed fireballer can keep this series alive.

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I don't claim to have watched every game this postseason, due to the unfortunate  condition of having things to do during the day. And yet, somehow, I've managed to see many, many blown calls. This is rather alarming, seeing as MLB lacks any process to review these mistakes. 

In a sport where style points (luckily) don't count, the Phillies played a little "prettier" than the Reds in claiming a 7-4 victory and a 2-0 lead in their best of five NLDS.

In Game One, Roy Halladay was the clear star; in Game Two, the Phils mostly benefited from the largesse of their visitors.

Hey there, baseball fans. Die-hard baseball fan Evan Adrian  here, live blogging game 2 of the Reds-Phillies NLDS. Let's see if Roy Oswalt can follow Roy Halladay's lead and shut out the National League best Cincinnati Reds' offense.

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