Philadelphia Phillies: Checking Out Their National League Playoff Opponents

All that Philadelphia Phillies fans can say right now is that we are glad that is over. After finally snapping an eight-game skid yesterday, the Phillies have one three-game series with the Atlanta Braves as a final tuneup before they enter playoff competition.

However, what would be the ultimate scenario for the Phillies in the playoffs? Let's take a look at each of the potential matchups that the Phillies might have throughout the National League playoffs and see how they would match up to the Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies versus Arizona Diamondbacks

I think that this is the most likely first-round matchup for the Philadelphia Phillies right now, but I do definitely realize that this could change if the St. Louis Cardinals move ahead in the Wild Card.

Nevertheless, if the Phillies meet Arizona Diamondbacks at some point, the Phillies will need to rely on their pitching staff as they always have done. The reason for this is that the Arizona Diamondbacks have several players, such as Justin Upton, Ryan Roberts and Chris Young, who provide a very interesting combination of power and speed. If these guys are able to hit and run, they could be very dangerous.

I think, however, that the Phillies' offense will finally wake up. Three of Arizona's top four starting pitchers are right-handed. The Phillies are definitely much better at hitting right-handed pitchers, with the left-handed bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the middle of the lineup.

With the offense playing to their strengths and of course good starting pitching, I think that the Phillies would have the advantage in this matchup.

Philadelphia Phillies versus Milwaukee Brewers

The Philadelphia Phillies could face the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round if they lose enough games to fall behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, and if the Atlanta Braves win the Wild Card.

The Phillies' pitching would definitely be challenged by the powerful bats of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. These two men are arguably two of the best hitters individually in baseball. They have combined to hit 60 home runs, and have driven in 224 runs this season. That is definitely impressive production from the heart of the lineup.

The Phillies of course are going to need to rely on their starting pitching, as usual. Cliff Lee has pitched well against the Brewers this season, with a pair of quality starts against them, and Cole Hamels threw a complete game against them a few weeks ago. If these two pitchers are able to have continued success against the Milwaukee Brewers, that would obviously bode well for the Phillies. It is also worthwhile noting again that three out of four of Milwaukee's top starters are right-handed. This is again a good sign.

Philadelphia Phillies versus Atlanta Braves

I realize that there is no way that these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs because they're in the same division. However, since they could meet in the next round, let's check it out.

The Atlanta Braves obviously rely on the back end of the bullpen. With Jonny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel always ready to pitch, nobody wants to be behind after the seventh or eighth inning and allow them to come in. The Atlanta offense has left something to be desired, but their starting pitching has been effective enough to deliver it to the bullpen and tally up the wins.

I guess we will know little bit more about this matchup over the next few days, but the Phillies are obviously going to need to get ahead early. Like I said before, nobody wants to face the back end of the Atlanta Braves bullpen. The Phillies as a team hit much better in the first six innings anyway, so if they end up down late in the game, that would not necessarily be a recipe for success.

Philadelphia Phillies versus St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are only one game behind the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card, so it is very possible that the Philadelphia Phillies will meet them.

The Cardinals are focused on the big bats of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman. They have 90 combined home runs and 263 combined RBI. This is obviously a very strong and veteran core for the lineup. They also have a strong pitching rotation led by Jamie Garcia, Chris Carpenter and Kyle Loshe.

I think that this could be a difficult matchup for the Phillies, even though the Cardinals are on the brink of making the playoffs. This is a very experienced team, and they will not be rattled. Therefore, the best response that the Phillies could have is to once again pitch well, but now with an emphasis on the bullpen. The bullpen, led by Ryan Madson, will need to be able to finish out the games effectively because they cannot allow late leads to disappear.