Phillies Nation

Yesterday’s sweep of the Braves ended on a simple note. The Phils got strong starting pitching from Cole Hamels, quick runs from the offense and some timely runs later in the game from Pat Burrell. The bullpen cleaned it up. No muss, no fuss.

But there’s a sense of fright as the Phillies start a three-game series against the Marlins, their last tussle with the Fish this season. Scrappy and resilient, the Marlins have competed for first place in the division all season, and now remain six games behind the Phils, enough to be out of the race, but not enough to not lay down and die. And it’s been a cage match with Florida — the Phils are 6-9 against their rivals from palm-tree city.

It’s been a positive, generous season for the Fish. The offense punched teams in the gut until the All-Star break, and the tin arms of the young staff carried the load late. While they will likely fall short of the playoffs, they are a proud, snarling bunch. The kind of team that can end postseason dreams.

They did it last year — Hanley Ramirez and Co. provoked the faltering Mets into a brawl of both the baseball and boxing kind, and with black eyes and fuming noses, the Fish brutalized the weak-armed Tom Glavine to send the apple boys home to Flushing. The Fish have the chance to do it again, though if the Phils get knocked around, they’d still have six games to reclaim their place.

But these three games are the most important challenges remaining for the Phils. Close the deal in any way, and find yourself leading the pack, possibly ahead by another game or two. Stumble and stand victimized by the hungry Marlins, and find yourself reeling at the side of the lagoon.

For the good guys, the play is simple: Patience.

Offensively, they need to wait out Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez and Chris Volstad. These young guns will try and extinguish the Phils’ bats early, so make them throw their best and try to scrape together a run or two. Once they tire, hit ‘em hard.

On the other side, the Phils bring Brett Myers, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer to the table. Myers was knocked a bit the last time he faced the Marlins, but still fared decently. He struck out nine; he’ll do that again since Fish hitters have a tendency to be impatient. But Myers has to be smart, throw stuff out of the zone and make them chase. For Blanton and Moyer, it’s simple: Nibble and deceive.

There may be some five- or six-inning outings in this set, so the bullpen better be ready to work hard. The onus falls on Chad Durbin, who may have to throw a two-inning session. Scott Eyre could get some extended time out there, too. These games will tax the arms, and the clocks.

But it’s all about patience. Take pitches and pitch carefully. Don’t let the wild and starving Marlins to attack, keep them close to the border. They want to take the Phillies out, but if the Phils are smart, they’ll plow through with two wins this weekend. And that’s the goal.