What NL Team Should The Phillies Fear?

    

The Phillies won another game and series last night... anyone shocked??

Of course not.  It's been an ongoing pattern all year. The Phils have been unstoppable, and this is an incredible time for fans. 

The Phillies have been on a tear all season long and they don't have the looks of a club who's thinking of slowing down anytime soon. Even with the problems they have had with scoring runs and the injury troubles, they seem to simply shake these issues off and continue to win ball games.  It doesn't sound like a team that should be fearing anything, but there is one team in the National League flying under the radar who I think could make a run at the Phillies.

It's not the Giants or the Braves.  The scariest team in the NL is the Milwaukee Brewers. The "Brew Crew" have been on fire as of late.  Dating back to July 26th, the Brewers have won 19 out of their last 22 games. They have dominated clubs with their solid run producing line-up and their never say die will to win style of play.  The most improved aspect of the Brewers game is pitching. Their starters have been really strong with Zach Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, and Shaun Marcum leading the way.

The bullpen has been even better. Closer John Axford has had a solid year with 36 saves and an ERA of 2.31.  The addition of Francisco Rodriguez has made it even more difficult to score runs late in the ball game against them. The Brewers are a focused club who are making a late push for a World championship and the Phillies need to pay attention.

I believe the Phillies have what it takes to beat the Brewers should they face them in the playoffs, but it certainly won't be easy. The Brewers have a really solid line-up, and although the Phillies have the best rotation in baseball, our inconsistent offense scares me. I'm not so sure the Phillies could match the fire power that Milwaukee brings when they swing the bat. The Phillies pitching staff may have to hold these guys under 3 runs in order to win multiple ball games against them, and even with the likes of Lee and Halladay on the mound, that could be very difficult.

The Brewers line-up features Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Corey Hart.  All are dangerous hitters. Then, they have guys like Casey McGehee who has power, and Rickie Weeks who could be back from his ankle injury by September.  They are a very scary team to try and win 4 games against in October.

After last years heartbreaking defeat to the Giants, a team  I think we all took for granted, I'm reluctant to underestimate a scrappy hardworking team like that again. That's why I'll be paying close attention when we face them head to head a little less than a month from now. A 4 game series on the road will give the Phillies a great chance to see where they stand with this team right before the postseason starts.

The Phillies have the tools to win a series against the Brewers, but a balanced team such as Milwaukee definitely concerns me.