Told You So

So I am 1-1 on predictions, it's a good thing the Phillies won (and that only I would start a blog on the last day of baseball) because I now have months to brag about this, and this is your warning - I often like to brag as a joke to the point where it is either no longer funny or just not me joking anymore.

Clearly not putting Price in to start, as I so eloquently said should have happened, lost the Rays the game and obviously the series. Why would Joe Maddon use Balfour, Howell, and Chad Bradford with the game on the line and every reliever fresh? I hate saying I told you so (juss keeding, I already used it in the title), but saving your bullpen in the playoffs especially facing elimination when the game already starts in the 6th is just ridiculous. Jenkins hit a double off a righty Balfour to start the 6th that led to the run in the 6th, and Burrell hit a double off a lefty Howell that led to the eventual winning run. Each one of these big hits that gave the Phillies their runs started the inning, each one had the matchup in the Phillies favor, and each one had the Rays best arms in the pen (most notably Price).

Maddon could have thrown Price out there to start, see what he had and most likely he would have been good and given them some innings. At least Maddon could have used Price when he used Howell in the 6th and 7th innings. You worry about putting up scoreless innings first when facing elimination, that's the number one priority, worrying about saving your bullpen (if that's what Maddon was doing cause it seemed like it) is pretty laughable, in a bad way. Manual had a 3-1 series lead and didn't try to save his pen, using Madson right out of the gate. Facing elimination Joe Maddon went with Howell and Bradford. Good grief, at least I'm not a Mets fan.

Next up, the hot stove league!