Phillies Sweep Braves

There is a pattern developing in the titles of my recent posts. The titles have read like this: Phillies Sweep Marlins, Phillies Sweep Nationals, and Phillies Sweep Braves. Quite frankly, these titles are starting to get a little boring, but I don't mind. I don't mind titling my posts, "Phillies Sweep (insert team name here). I don't mind going to my closet to get out the broom every 3 days, which is quickly becoming a habit. And I certainly don't mind the fact that the Phillies who have had a season of ups and downs now find themselves with a 6 game lead over the Braves with just 9 games left to play. The Phillies are currently playing scalding hot baseball. They are 18-3 in the month of September and in the midst of their current 10 game winning streak, have propelled themselves to one of the best teams record wise in baseball. Coming into this week's series against the Braves, the Phils were riding a 7 game winning streak coming off of sweeps of both the Marlins and Nationals. The Phils treated this series like a playoff series and sent Hamels, Halladay, and Oswalt to the mound. On Monday, the series started off as planned as Hamels pitched a gem going 8 innings and giving up just 1 run. Although there wasn't a ton of offense in the game, the Phillies managed to manufacture 3 runs and gave Brad Lidge a 2 run lead to work with as he closed out the game and gave the Phillies the all important first game of the series. On Tuesday, the Phils dealt their second ace of the series and sent Roy Halladay to the mound. Halladay pitched a solid game going 7 innings and giving up 3 runs. The Phils brought their bats on Tuesday and managed to score 5 thanks in part to a 3 run bomb from Jayson Werth, and a 2 run double from Raul Ibanez. Madson pitched a scoreless 8th, and once again Lidge was phenomenal as he picked up his 25th save and secured the win for the Phils. On Wednesday, the Phillies could smell the sweep. They could almost taste a monumental 6 game lead that a win would bring them. To secure the sweep the Phils sent Roy Oswalt to the mound. He pitched 7 innings and gave up 0 runs in a game that saw very few hits, and very few runs. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless 8th, and finally after a Jayson Werth walk, Raul Ibanez hit a double into the left field corner that broke the scoreless tie. With a 1-0 lead, Brad Lidge was called upon to get the save. After getting the first 2 batters out, you could really feel the tension in the stadium building. Lidge then walked Heyward and got the next batter Martin Prado to fly out to right field and secure the win, the sweep, and the 6 game lead for the Phils. Right now the Phils are in a very good position to win the divison. With just 9 games left, the Phils can see the finish line and now have to gear up for an all important post season run. The Phillies showed in this past series that they are next to unbeatable in a playoff series by sending the big three to the mound. This weekend, the Phils will finish up their homestand against the Mets and if things go the Phillies way, the Phils could have the division wrapped up by the end of the weekend.