Cardinals vs. Phillies: Cole Hamels Will Put Philadelphia on World Series Track

Cole Hamels was the 2008 World Series MVP and knows a thing or two about stepping up in big situations and guiding his team to huge wins.

He needs to do exactly that as the Phillies travel to Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri to take on the Cardinals in a series currently tied at one game apiece.

Hamels, a 27-year-old lefty, will be on the mound tonight and will be looking to give Philadelphia the inside track to winning this NLDS when the series returns to Citizens Bank Park.

Going down 2-1 in a five-game series is a tough spot and the team knows that they can count on Hamels to pull out the W and avoid the scrutiny that would loom over them, especially considering they are World Series favorites.

"Every time I go out I try to win, no matter what the circumstance is—five games, seven games, three games or one game," Hamels said. "It's just going out there. I know I have a job to do."

Hamels also understands the need to balance out being aggressive with the importance of staying under control and in form.

"Anytime in the postseason, one pitch can really decide the fate of a game," Hamels said. "But at the same time, I'm going to be aggressive."

If Hamels can get this win, the Phillies will be exactly where they need to be and very much on the way to the World Series.

When this team was finalized in the offseason, you could just tell it was where they were destined to end up. Besides the fluke 5-4 loss with Cliff Lee on the mound on Sunday, the team is going to get through the NLDS and go deeper into October.

Don’t be surprised to see them up against the ALCS champions later in the season.