>You may be right. I do think they're headed for the playoffs, and wild cards tend to do well there because you have to be hot to win a wild card.
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>We're going to the game tonight, and have paid for our playoff tickets.
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>I'm sure you'll have fun at the game, though Houston is a hot club that is playing for their lives right now.
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Yep, and they played like it. It was a playoff atmosphere. The place was packed and people were clapping and cheering from beginning to end. Ryan Howard got cheers when he came out to stretch before the game, and his at-bats were punctuated with chants of "MVP."

Frustrating loss.

>If the Phils get in, they'll likely play SD in the first round. The Padres have great pitching, they've been winning many games by 2-1 and 3-1 scores. But Philly has been so good on the road that I do believe they're capable of going to SD and pulling an upset.

The Phils' record against the NL West the last couple of years has been terrific. The only issue here and it affects both teams is the coast-to-coast travel.

>>And even though Met fans will jump on me, I think the Phils are capable of edging the Mets. I don't know if you follow hockey, but the NL reminds me of the Western Conference this past year - the lowest seeds are the most dangerous.
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The reality is that whoever's hot when the playoffs start has a really good shot. That's why we've seen so many wild cards in the World Series recently.

>If the Phils win, Pat Gillick is a genius. He did what Wade could never do - pull the right strings.

Even if they don't, it's been impressive to see how you can add by subtracting and how a few key moves (Moyer, Conine) can plug big holes.

Tamar