It’s why he OK’d the trade to Philadelphia. He wanted to pitch in a meaningful October baseball game again. He’ll get his wish later on today.
Sounds a lot like Roy Halladay, but Roy Oswalt’s circumstances are somewhat similar. Oswalt was part of a Houston Astros team that decided it was completely renovating moving forward and would cut ties with a few fan favorites. Along with Lance Berkman, “The Other Roy” was shipped out as Ed Wade cleaned house. The Phillies received him at a bargain-basement cost and in the process became the most top-heavy pitching staff in baseball.
Now part of “H2O”, Oswalt will quickly find out just how intense playoff baseball is. He’s been through the most daunting challeneges, so he should be prepared. In 2005 with Houston, Oswalt took home the NLCS MVP award as the Astros pitched their way through the St. Louis Cardinals for the right to play the Chicago White Sox. The journey didn’t end with a ring for Oswalt – the White Sox swept the Astros – and the ensuing years became rocky for the franchise.
On July 30, he embraced the challenge of pitching in Philadelphia and accepted the fact the Astros were moving on by dropping his no-trade clause. In return, he was instantly embraced here. A 7-1 record with a 1.74 ERA was the final tally for the diminutive righty, helping to slingshot the Phillies past the Braves in the NL East. Now, it’s all about the playoffs.
It’s unlikely he’ll be able to match the Game 1 start put together by Roy Halladay, but you’d better believe this bulldog of a pitcher will give it his all. He’s pitched like a man possessed, sporting the best numbers of the three since the deal was made.
What can we expect from him tonight? Probably not a no-no, but you’ll get all-out effort for sure.
