Last night, the two-time defending National League Champions (and 2008 World Champion) Philadelphia Phillies clinched their fourth consecutive NL East Championship with an 8-0 splattering of the Washington Nationals. Their ace, Mr. Complete Game Roy Halladay, threw just 97 pitches in a 2-hit shutout that was also his 21st win of the season. Once predicted to win the National League CY Young in his first year in the new league, he looks like the favorite as of this writing.
Well, at least they won't have to go through the formality of facing the Dodgers this time. In 2008 and 2009, the Phillies beat the Joe Torre-led Dodgers in the NLCS four-games-to-one. In the process, they out-hit a potent offense and twice humiliated a proud and proven closer in Jonathan Broxton. They've gotten grand slams off C.C. Sabathia (Shane Victorino), five-homer World Series performances (Chase Utley), the usual monster masher (Ryan Howard), and sterling pitching performances (Cole Hamels in '08, current Texas Rangers' ace Cliff Lee in '09). They've also breezed through the Milwaukee Brewers ('08 NLDS) and Colorado Rockies ('09 NLDS).
The Phils were one of the big leagues' greatest stories this year. Riddled with injuries (Utley, Victorino, Howard, 2007 MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins), and inconsistency (Hamels, closer Brad Lidge), they managed to hang into an ever-changing NL East (at points, all five teams were in the conversation, even the Nationals). But they had an eye-popping August and September in which they blew through the National League, shot past the former division-leader Atlanta Braves, and now clinched. They have a new third ace behind Halladay and Hamels (Roy Oswalt), they're hitting, and they're probably going to be facing offensive weaklings like the San Diego Padres or the San Francisco Giants. Those teams can pitch, to be sure, but the Phils can swing with the best of 'em.
Right now, the Phils are one of two NL teams set in stone for the postseason. The other, which can clinch the NL Central (and their first postseason appearance since 1995) with a win tonight, are the Cincinnati Reds. Okay, so they're not set in stone, but the word 'Cincinnati' probably already is. With some talented hurlers (Aroldis Chapman, Edinson Volquez, Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo) and proven, effective hitters (Scott Rolen, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips), the Reds look like the biggest potential threat to the Phils' third straight NL pennant, and I'd pick the Phils over them in a heartbeat.
Meanwhile, in the American League, two teams are set in stone and the others are darn close to being a sure thing. The Minnesota Twins (still sans the concussive Justin Morneau) won the AL Central with a huge second half, and the Texas Rangers (still sans the wall-slamming Josh Hamilton) won the AL West because the rest of their division is a bunch of pansies. This is the 3rd straight postseason berth for the Twins, but the fourth overall for the Rangers, and first since 1999. The AL East is still up for grabs-as of this writing, the Tampa Bay Rays hold a one-half game lead over the New York Yankees. The Yanks got hammered by the Blue Jays last night, while the Rays were shut out by the Orioles. This weekend, the Yanks got a good scare when the Red Sox beat them in two of three, momentarily inserting their depleted selves back into the postseason conversation, but that appears to be a moot point. A win tonight would set either team, or both teams, in stone.
**It's worth noting here that the Yankees have kicked the Rangers unceremoniously out of the playoffs all three times they've ever made it (1996, 1998, 1999), losing just one game in the process. And, the last two times the Yankees and Twins shared the same postseason (2004, 2009), the Yanks beat 'em.
In other sports news, Donovan McNabb returns home to Philly when his 1-2 Redskins play the 2-1 Michaelvicks, I mean, ahem, the Eagles. His counterpart QB has become the biggest career comeback story since Johnny Depp. That's the big news for this coming week.
The Packers embarrassed themselves last night by committing a franchise record 18 penalties to lose to Da Bears, 20-17. Athletic star QB Aaron Rodgers kept them in the game 'till the end, even rushing for a key touchdown late, but the Pack had a field goal blocked by Julius Peppers earlier in the game, and lost a key fumble. Bears' QB Jay Cutler looks as good as he ever has in his pro career, as do defensive standouts Peppers and Brian Urlacher. Devon Hester also scored his first punt return-for-touchdown since 2007.
The defending-champion New Orleans Saints lost at home this weekend to the Atlanta Falcons when kicker Garrett Hartley missed an overtime field goal. The New York Giants were crushed for the second straight week, the Rams won a game, and Brett Favre threw a touchdown pass.
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