2010_phillies
The Phillies have one final tune-up for the playoffs and they certainly aren't rolling over for the Braves, even though, for the first time ever, they will finish the regular season with the best record in Major League Baseball.

It has been a long season, A LOT has happened, a lot has changed- injuries, a perfect game, a taser, a puke, a Red Man, an Oswalt, an extension, this play.  But one thing has remained the same- the lineup. Today, the Phils bring it full circle, with the same batting order as Opening Day.

Rollins

Polanco

Utley

Howard

Werth

Ibanez

Victorino

Ruiz

Hamels will pitch only two innings and Oswalt will pitch one, to get some work in.

And we'll bring it full circle too. The season started off with much ado over Jayson Werth's beard. Today's Inquirer recounts some Werth related stories.  One that we enjoyed tells us the inspiration behind the beard.

"After we got beat in the World Series, having won the year before and being that close, you could almost taste it.  We got beat by the Yankees. My stepdad played for the Yankees. I grew up with pinstripes in the house. But I was never really a Yankee fan. The Yankees have that clean-shaven rule."

"You look in the mirror and you know why you're getting out of bed.  You know what you have to do that day. You know why. I don't want to get beat again. I don't want to be in that situation. That was a silent, daily reminder."

 

Let the playoffs begin.