http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-philliesnlcsgamefour102110

Coulda/woulda/shoulda all around. 

Passan and the media coulda/woulda/shoulda seen the Phillies for what they are: a successful team over the last few years with a stellar front of the roatation, but otherwise primed to underperform. The bullpen was never on the list of things to worry about in this series; the hitters had a nice run but the regulars are all past or passing thirty and this is their exhale.

In a word creaky. In eight words, not being allowed to play to their strengths. The Giants haven't completely shut them down, but limiting the Phillies to 3 multiple-run innings in 4 games has been a major help. The runnin', gunnin', hit to all fields at all times Phillies morphed into a "two bloops and a blast" ballclub while no one was looking.

Slugging .328 (75 points lower than their season average) it's their worst performance in a playoff series since... well, since the anemic .273 they put up this year against the Reds. Before that you have to look back beyond the .366 they put up while being swept by the Rockies in 2007 to find such a pronounced playoff power failure. 

Manuel coulda/woulda/shoulda gone to other than Oswalt for the ninth, but he was the best out there whether or not he chooses to use the closer Lidge and fly in the face of the typical doctrine of tied games on the road. With benefit of hindsight the sixth inning would have been the time but the situation wasn't right. He got beat with his best, so I say let it go.

Coulda/woulda/shoulda been a Fanshot... but, meh.