3 Reasons the Phillies Will Upset the Braves in NLDS
By Tyler Maher
2. We're Not Far Behind in the Arms Race
The Braves have an abundance of pitching, as always. That shouldn't scare us, though, because we have the arms to match them.
Miami was completely stymied by our staff in the Wild Card Round, managing just 2 runs and 12 hits over the two games combined. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola were lights-out, and more importantly, they gave the bullpen a breather by covering 13 2/3 of the 18 innings. After giving up just 1 run between them, they're clearly ready for the postseason.
Wheeler and Nola likely won't be available to start until Games 2 and 3 at the earliest, but that's alright. Those two guys are just the tip of the iceberg, especially when they're flanked by other quality starters like Taijuan Walker and Christopher Sanchez.
Beyond the rotation, the bullpen has exceptional depth as well. Nine different pitchers saved at least one game for the Phillies this season, so Rob Thomson has no shortage of options when he needs someone to put out a fire. Craig Kimbrel is still one of the better closers in baseball (plus a World Series winner) and has a great crew of setup men in front of him.
Some fans may not realize it, but Philadelphia's pitching staff is on par with its offense. Philly ranked third in the NL in ERA, walks and strikeouts this season despite sharing a division with Atlanta and playing in a hitter-friendly home park.
We don't just have the bats -- we have the arms, too.