NLDS Schedule: 3 Keys to Phillies Victory in Series vs. Cardinals

The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals kick off their NLDS series Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. ET.

The Phillies finished the regular season with the best record in the league at 102-60.

Despite this, they seem to be the team on upset alert for the Division Series of the 2011 postseason.

The Cardinals do present some potential matchup problems for the Phillies, but the chances of them pulling off the upset are still relatively slim.

Here are three reasons the Phillies will avoid an upset from St. Louis.

1. Matchup of Relievers

The Philadelphia Phillies relied on relief pitchers less than any other team in the league this season. Obviously, this is because of the talent of the starters.

Halladay, Lee and Hamels all logged over 200 inning this season. They play deep into games keeping the bullpen fresh.

The bullpen for the Phillies blew eight saves this season, less than any other team in baseball. The Cardinals blew 36, second most in the league.

2. Cardinals Batting Advantage

All of the talk about batting points the finger towards St. Louis for the advantage. Although this is true, the advantage is less than people are making it out to be.

First off, Matt Holliday will be missing Game 1 with a finger injury. Even though it’s only one game, any time a star player misses time it’s an issue.

Second, Albert Pujols may be a beast, but he struggles against the three aces in Philadelphia. Pujols is just 7-42 in his career against Halladay, Lee and Hamels.

Lastly, the Phillies batting has improved vastly since the acquisition of Hunter Pence at the trade deadline. The addition has given Philadelphia a boost at the plate.

3. Pitching Postseason History

If there is any reason for Philadelphia fans to feel confident, it’s the history of the Phillies pitchers in the postseason.

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are all proven veterans with fantastic postseason play.

Sometimes there is a fear that players under duress can’t perform in high stakes situations like the playoffs. It’s something nobody in Philadelphia will have to worry about.

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