Postseason Playing Pepper: Philadelphia Phillies

First up, the Philadelphia Phillies.  I posed the following questions to Bill of Crashburn Alley and estebomb of Fire Eric Bruntlett.  Get to know the NL East champs from the people that follow them daily!

C70: What is the Phillies' strength going into October?

FEB: The Phillies' strength going into October is their offense.  They have a stacked lineup and when it's on it's unstoppable.

CA: Simply put, their hitting. Their pitching has essentially remained the same as last year in terms of performance, Brad Lidge aside. Both their fielding and base running has also regressed, but they're tops in the league in hitting. Their 1-6 in the lineup is as feared as any in baseball.

C70: What worries you about the team?

CA: The bullpen. I like that Ryan Madson has essentially become the de facto closer. That should have been the decision four months ago. However, Brett Myers, Scott Eyre, and J.C. Romero have all spent time on the D.L. and Chan Ho Park -- the Phils' most valuable reliever this year -- is hoping to be ready by NLDS Game 1 but no one will be surprised if he doesn't come back by then.

FEB: The bullpen really worries me.  Between the injuries and struggles in general it's been the Phillies' weak spot throughout the year.  Brad Lidge has been terrible, Ryan Madson has been maddeningly inconsistent.  Chan Ho Park was the team's best reliever this season and he went down near the end of the season (should be back soon).

FEB: Ever since Kyle Kendrick came back from the minors he's been pitching very well, he could surprise people if he makes an appearance.  Watch out for J.A. Happ also, he's going to be on the postseason roster regardless, but no one's sure if he'll start or be in the bullpen.  Where Happ ends up will impact the Phils tremendously.

CA: Miguel Cairo performed very well in limited opportunities in September. He went 5-for-14 with two doubles, and an RBI. He's essentially Eric Bruntlett if Bruntlett was an experienced player with the tiniest sliver of talent. Both play the same positions as utility players (corner outfield, middle infield). I would love to see the Phillies leave Bruntlett off the post-season roster in favor of Cairo, but I don't see it happening.

C70: Who is the one key player for the Phillies, the player that, if they don't go well, the Phillies will be home quickly?

CA: Ryan Madson. He is the only thing separating the bullpen from complete and total chaos. Fans got tense when he was blowing saves in July; imagine what will happen if he blows one save early in the playoffs.

FEB: I'm not sure there is one key player on this team because they have so much depth.  In the past I would have said Jimmy Rollins, but that was proven wrong in the first half of the season when he struggled and the team still succeeded.  Given the bullpen troubles I'm going to say Cliff Lee is going to be key here.  He's the ace now and if he can't get it done the Phils are going to be in trouble.

C70: Who will close games?  If it's Brad Lidge and he blows a postseason save, will he get another chance?

FEB: I think Charlie Manuel's going to give Lidge another chance, but on a very short leash.  He's going to use Ryan Madson to close games if Lidge can't do it.  The only other possibility is Brett Myers, but I don't think they're going to use him for that.  Here's hoping Lidge can locate his fastball...

CA: I don't imagine Lidge will be given an opportunity to close out a game unless Madson gets shelled. He has shown absolutely no reason why he should be given the ball in the ninth inning of a close game in the playoffs.

Thanks to both of these great Phillies fans for their time and knowledge.  It's impossible for the Cards and Phils to match up in the first round, so we'll see if maybe the NLCS isn't in the plans for the two squads.