Upset City: Why The Philadelphia Starting Pitching Staff Can Overcome The Rays

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies will be playing in their first World Series game in 15 years as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays, who is being seen as the "worst to first" team in baseball right now.

The last time the Phillies were in the World Series, Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays broke the hearts of thousands of Phillies fans as he hit a walk-off game winning home run to take the series.

The Phillies are coming into the 2008 World Series as underdogs to the Tampa Bay Rays. Don't get me wrong, the Rays have a very strong pitching staff set for the World Series. Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Sonnanstine have all had amazing seasons. They will without a doubt give the Phillies offense a tough time at the plate.

However, I strongly believe the Phillies pitching staff has what it takes to defeat the Rays and win the city their first professional title since 1983 (frustrating, I know). Here is what I think about the Phillies starting pitching staff in the World Series.

Game 1

Cole Hamels, the 2008 NLCS M.V.P., will take the mound for the Phillies in a crucial game in Tampa Bay. Hamels has been nothing short of spectacular for the Phillies in the 2008 post-season. So far, he has recorded three victories for the Phillies in the playoffs. He has only allowed three runs all post-season and pitched a stellar performance against the Dodgers in Game 5 to help the Phillies advance to the World Series.

Hamels is clearly the best pitcher on this Phillie team. He has high expectations every season because everybody knows he is capable of becoming one of the best pitchers in the league.

Hamels has recorded a 1.23 era this postseason and has made it past the seventh inning in each of his three post season games. Since August 7, Hamels has allowed more than 2 runs in a game just once (September 7 loss to the Mets).

Overall, Hamels has always performed well for the Phillies this season. A majority of his losses seem to be when the Phillies offense has failed to provide him with enough run support.

Statistics show that Hamels pitches best when he has at least 5 days rest. Hamels last start was last Wednesday in Los Angeles. This means that Hamels will be coming into tomorrow nights game with a full week of rest. Expect him to bring the heat tomorrow night against a young Rays lineup.

Game 2

Anybody can argue this statement with me but I'm going to stick to it: Brett Myers is the main reason why the Phillies were able to advance to the World Series.

I know that a lot of the other Phillies have stepped it up this postseason, but some of the stunts Myers has performed in the playoffs was unpredictable.

Myers performance against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 was phenomenal. The Brewers were starting Sabathia for the fourth time in a 12 day span. Ever since he was acquired from the Indians, Sabathia had been superb for the Brew crew.

Myers batting average during the 2008 season was .069. I know Myers is a pitcher and isn't supposed to be known for his bat but that stat alone is dreadful. When he made his first appearance at the plate against Sabathia, everybody just assumed Myers would be an easy out.

Guess again.

Myers wore Sabathia but tipping pitch after pitch after pitch. Nine pitches later, Myers was able to  draw a walk from the star pitcher. A  few batters later, Shane Victorino hit a grand slam off of Sabathia to not only give the Phillies the lead in Game 2, but the momentum as well.

Not only did Myers pitch a solid seven innings while only allowing two runs, but he only gave up two runs in the game.

Even though his victory against the Brewers was impressive, Myers best performance thus far came against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2. His pitching numbers may not be the best: five innings and allowing five runs.

I think everybody in Philadelphia forgave him after his offensive performance.

After batting .069 the entire season, Myers went 3 for 3 with 3 RBI's to help knock off the Dodgers 8-5.

Yes, you can read that statement again. The Phillies pitcher who batted .069 all season went 3 for 3 with 3 RBI's.

Myers has emerged as one of the Phillies hottest pitchers in the postseason. However, the one thing the Phillies have to worry about Myers is the beginning of the game. Myers always seems to find himself in a jam early in the game. In Game 2 against the Brewers, Myers was able to get himself out of a bases loaded situation by forcing the double play.

Ever since the end of July, Myers has only allowed five or more runs three times in fifteen games, including playoffs. Myers has been known to get off to a rough start in most of his games, but always finds a way out of it. If he can avoid early errors, he should pitch another solid outing for the Phillies.

Game 3

No other Phillie is more frustrated then Jamie Moyer this postseason. Moyer, the Phillies leading pitcher in wins this season (16), is the only starting pitcher to record a loss this postseason.

In two postseason games, Moyer has yet to make it to the 5th inning. In Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, he couldn't even make it to the 2nd.

Before losing to the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS, Moyer hadn't recorded a loss since August 5 against the Florida Marlins. So why is Moyer having so much trouble in the postseason?

Many people criticize Moyer because of his age. At 45 years old, a lot of fans are wondering how much longer he can last as a pitcher in the MLB. However, the fact that Moyer won 16 games this season for the Phillies with a 3.71 era proves that he still can pitch.

Moyer needs to get out his postseason slump quickly if he wants to help the Phillies record their second Word Series Championship in franchise history. Game 3 will be crucial for Moyer and the Phillies since it is their first series game at home. The Rays have the advantage of playing the first two games of the series in Tampa.

If Moyer wants to perform well against the Rays, the main thing he needs to do is get off to a decent start. The reason why Moyer hasn't lasted more than 4 innings in a game this postseason is because of his struggles early on. Moyer gave up 2 runs in the first inning against the Brewers in the NLCS and five runs in the first inning against the Dodgers in the NLDS.

We all know what Moyer is capable of. There is no way that Moyer can perform as bad as he has this postseason for a third game in a row. Moyer knows how important it is for the Phillies to win that first game at home.

Game 4

What is my favorite part about the Phillies pitcher in Game 4? HIS NAME IS NOT ADAM EATON!

Sorry, I just had to throw that out there. Anyway, the Phillies starting pitcher in Game 4 of the World Series is Joe Blanton, the late season acquisition from the Oakland Athletics.

I think a lot of people are surprised with the success Blanton has brought to the Phillies this season. Even though Blanton has a lot of no decisions, he has never officially recorded a loss as a member of the Phillies. In fact, Blanton has never given up more than 5 runs in a game with 15 games started for the Phillies.

What I like the best about Blanton is he seems like the pitcher who can perform well under pressure. Blanton has came up with a big win on the road in front of the Milwaukee home crowd. He has given up just 4 runs in 2 games this post season. The fact that Blanton has pitched well as a Phillies and gets the Rays in front of a home crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Game 4 is a huge advantage.

The are only a few things the Phillies should be worried about with Blanton pitching. Blanton pitched earlier this seasons against the Rays. When Blanton was playing for Oakland, he left the game with a no-decision as the Rays won 7-6. Blanton gave up 4 runs and 6 hits over six innings. The Rays have played him already this year and they know how he can pitch.

Even though he didn't record a loss against the Dodgers, Blanton still was responsible for giving up the lead against the Dodgers in Game 4. He was pulled out after the fifth after the Phillies were down 3-2. However, the offense stepped it up with Victorino and Stairs hitting home runs in the 8th to help the Phillies win 7-5.

Blanton has never given up more than 5 runs in a game as a member of the Phillies. As long as they can give him enough offensive support, there is no reason why Blanton can't pull away with a Game 4 victory.