By now we have heard all about the resiliency of the Phillies. They started the season poorly, winning just one of their first seven games and two of their first nine. As the season progressed the club was plagued with injuries, bad luck and other oddball maladies that often send the average ballclub spiraling down the standings.
Finally, the Phillies looked as if they were ready to fall off the ledge trailing the Mets by seven games with 17 to play before streaking past and into the playoffs.
Yadda, yadda, yadda.
It looks as if once the slate was wiped clean the Phillies got off to yet another slow start. That’s just so typical of these Charlie Manuel-managed teams.
But here we are now. Once again the Phillies are in an all-too familiar position with their backs against the wall. This time, though, they seem to be facing the wrong opponent. At this exact moment, the Colorado Rockies might be the best team in baseball. Yes, there have been a few teams that won the World Series by accident, like the 2006 Cardinals. But no team wins 16 of its last 17 games on a lark.
Actually, listening to the Rockies’ Matt Holliday explain it, there really isn’t much to his team’s ridiculous winning streak.
“We just came in and keep playing,” he said. “We don't really talk about what we have to do – we need to get one, we need to get two, we need to get whatever. Just every day, go out there, play hard, play the game the right way.”
On the other hand, the Phillies know exactly what they have to do… better yet, they know what they cannot do. If the Phillies lose one more game the whole thing comes to a grinding halt. Just like that – poof! – it will be all over.
Or, it could be another one of those crazy comebacks that have defined this team all season long.
The odds are long, though. Of the 84 five-game series in Major League Baseball history, here are the seven teams to overcome a 2-0 deficit followed by their fate later in the post-season:
- 1981 Dodgers over the Astros – Dodgers won the NLCS in five over the Expos; won the World Series in six games over the Yankees.
- 1982 Brewers over the Angels – Brewers lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Cardinals.
- 1984 Padres over the Cubs – Padres lost World Series in five games to the Tigers
- 1995 Mariners over the Yankees – Mariners lost ALCS to the Indians.
- 1999 Red Sox over the Indians – Red Sox lost in ALCS to the Yankees.
- 2001 Yankees over the A’s – Yankees beat Mariners in ALCS in five games; lost to Diamondbacks in World Series in seven.
- 2003 Red Sox over the A’s – Red Sox lost ALCS in seven games to Yankees.
The 2001 Yankees are the only team to lose the first two games of a five-game series at home before going on to win the series.
*** More to come later... I have a Jamie Moyer story to finish, a radio show to do and some packing for a flight to Denver. After that, this wannabe Coloradoan will give some insights on the area for the east-coast flatlanders heading out for the rest of the series.
*** Last night's story: Manuel's Call to Lohse in Game 2 Backfires