By Lesley Van Arsdall

I was in Pittsburgh yesterday for the Phillies opener in front of a record crowd at PNC Park. It was a record crowd in large part thanks to Phillies fans who made the trip. But these fans were not the “World Series or bust” type of fans; these fans were much more cautiously optimistic. Everyone I talked to was happy to be there, but honest that they were a little bit worried about the team.

Yesterday’s game gave us a good look into the Phillies 2012 season.

Great pitching, the offense is so-so, oh, but we do have a great closer. (He better be, he’s the highest paid closer ever to play the game)

Are anyone’s expectations as high as last year? No. Could they win the NL East? Maybe. But, you have to wonder, how many games the Phillies can win by just scoring a single run?