MLB

Scouting report: How to phlummox

The Phillies had the second-best record in the NL at 93-69. But make no mistake, the best team in the NL is playing in the World Series.

They are diverse on offense, sturdy on defense and as mentally tough as the best of the Joe Torre Yankees. In fact, what these current Yankees will attempt in the World Series is to temper discussions about these Phillies being the first baseball dynasty since the championship Yankees.

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How will they do that? Here are five key elements of the NL champs:

COLE HAMELS IS A KEY

Hamels won five games last postseason and the Phillies won it all. He has been usurped as the ace by Cliff Lee, but he remains vital. Pedro Martinez and Joe Blanton could need a lot of bullpen help against the Yankees lineup, so it will be up to Hamels to provide distance and excellence.

Scouts say he is still throwing 91-92 mph, but he has mostly abandoned his curve and the precision on his changeup is nowhere near last year. He needs to be able to go soft in to lefties and get a bunch of foul balls to open up the outside corner. But lefties are giving him big-time trouble in the playoffs: 9-for-15 with three homers (the rest of Philadelphia’s staff gave up one homer to a lefty in 85 at-bats). By starting in Philly, Hamels could avoid the Yankees’ lefty designated hitter, Hideki Matsui. If Hamels has command, he will be tough. But his command is nowhere as good as last year.

Two tidbits: Alex Rodriguez is 0-for-4 with a walk and four strikeouts against Hamels. And Hamels has a very good pickoff move to first, but basestealers were 5-for-5 stealing third.

CAN THE PHILLIES CLOSE?

Brad Lidge’s roller coaster from perfection in 2008 to a major league-high 11 blown saves this year has been well-documented. However, in these playoffs, Lidge and Mariano Rivera are the only closers who have not blown saves. So is Lidge back? Scouts say only some of the way. His fastball-slider location is better than it was during the season, but still not as good as last year. And he is one of the few Phillies whose confidence can come into question.

Ryan Madson, so important as a lockdown set-up man last year, also is having location issues with his fastball getting up too much. Lefties are important against the Yanks, but the talented J.A. Happ will have to be more precise than he has been in the playoffs so far and Scott Eyre is a Darren Oliver type who relies heavily on his slider. The wild card could be Brett Myers, depending on where he is physically.

THE PHILLIES CAN RUN

It is easy to think of them as a power team since they did lead the NL in homers. But the Phillies run, and run effectively. They led the majors with an 81-percent success rate. Four players — Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth — stole 20 or more bases. Werth stole third base eight times, Rollins seven and Victorino five; and this is a team that will shock you by stealing on some 3-0 counts.

“You need an inside move to keep them honest at second, and a slide step,” an NL scout said. “But the danger becomes paying so much attention to the runners or lessening your stuff with the slide step against a team that hits like an AL lineup.”

LEFTY PITCHING IS A MUST

The Phillies led the NL with 156 homers off righty pitching, mainly because of the lefty power bats of Ryan Howard, Utley and Raul Ibanez. The Yankees could get as many as five starts in a seven-game series from southpaws CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. But Phil Coke and Damaso Marte will be important matching up late in the game.

Marte, after a disappointing season, has made a matchup niche for himself in the playoffs. Howard and Utley are a combined 0-for-6 with five strikeouts against Marte, and Ibanez is 4-for-16, without an extra-base hit or walk. Keep in mind that pinch-hitting should be a factor in the NL parks and the Phillies’ two power pinch-hitters also are lefties, Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs.

Howard and A-Rod have been the hottest hitters in October. But Howard is susceptible to southpaws. He hit just .207 vs. lefties this year with six homers compared to .319 with 39 homers vs. righties. Even in his torrid playoffs, Howard is 2-for-11 (but with a double, homer and four walks) vs. lefties.

THE PHILLIES WILL NOT BACK DOWN

One NL coach said with admiration: “Even if the Yankees were to sweep the Phillies, it would be because Philadelphia’s pitching is not good enough, not because they are scared. This team doesn’t do scared.”

Want a sign of tough-mindedness? How about winning a division title when your closer has 11 blown saves and a 7.21 ERA? How about having the best road record (48-33) in the majors? How about not resting on a championship?

The Phillies are October-tested, know what it is to survive in a small home park and how to cope with a tough, big Northeastern city. Neither the Yankees nor Yankee Stadium will intimidate Philadelphia.

joel.sherman@nypost.com