On Monday, the Banshees will face the Brewers in a game that is a definite must-win for Philly. Boston currently has a 2 game lead on the season, and a win would make it a 3 game lead with only 5 to play. However, a win by Philly puts them only 1 game back. Boston is 16-3 in their last 19 games at home, and are 38-19 overall at home on the season. The drama of the series should be the main story, however there’s another important factor…the return of Philly legend Stephen Millington.
Millington was released by Philly on July 8th, and by July 24th he had agreed to a contract with Boston, to come in and help replace the injured Albert Winnall, who was having a spectacular season for the Banshees. Millington (38) spent 18 years in Philly. He won 5 LBL rings, 2 LBL Pitcher of the Year awards, and 2 EL League Cup MVPs…and now he’ll have to be responsible for the effort to knock Philly out of the playoff picture. When asked about his match against Philadelphia in a presser yesterday, Millington stated that, “It’ll be an emotional walk out to the mound looking at the uniform I used to wear“. On top of that, he’ll be going against long time friend Reinhold Rogers. “Rein is having a great season, and he’ll be tough to get by…but we’re up to the challenge“.
Millington may have an advantage here, as he knows these players really well. The real question is, how much energy does the 38 year old have left in that arm? He’s had two decent starts for the Banshees leading up to this game. He went 8 innings and allowed 3 ER in a close loss to Brooklyn, and then went the full 9 innings and got the win against Providence. Boston has kept Millington on a pitch count of around 115 pitches so far, ultimately trying to get the game into the hands of late inning specialist Merrill Marsham. The Closer has been unhittable lately, going 3-0 and 6/6 in Save Opportunities in his last 11 appearances, and could be a big comfort to Millington.
After Millington, Boston will likely throw 39 year old Sylveste Osler, who has been great since his call-up, with a record of 5-1 and a 2.84 ERA. In the final game of the series, Philly will have to face a well rested Pierce Adney, the Boston Ace…who could be looking to secure a playoff spot for the Banshees if Millington or Osler get a win.