NLCS: Trea Turner Sets Up Nationals Sweep of Cardinals; ALCS: Astros Take 2-1 Lead over Yankees

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 15, 2017

American League

Houston Astros 4 New York Yankees 1

Behind Gerrit Cole's seven shutout innings, Houston took a two games to one advantage in the AL Championship Series, dumping the Yankees in game three, 4-1.

The leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award, Cole allowed four hits, walked five, and struck out seven. Staked to a 2-0 lead by Jose Altuve's home run on the first pitch of the game and Josh Reddick's second inning solo shot, Cole was able to relax and employ his entire repertoire to dominate the Yankees from the mound.

Game four is slated for Wednesday, 8:08 pm ET. Game five is Thursday, with the same start time.

National League

Washington Nationals 7 St. Louis Cardinals 4

Turner set the Nats' table

For the first time since 1933, a world series will be played in Washington, DC.

86 years ago, the American League's Washington Senators played the New York Giants in the fall classic, losing four games to one. This season's National League entrant, the Washington Nationals, are hoping for a better result after ousting the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight.

The final touches to complete the sweep actually occurred early in game four. In Washington's first at-bat, Trea Turner led off with a single, moved to third on an Adam Eaton double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rendon.

A 1-0 lead for National's starter, Patrick Corbin, was a good start, but Washington was just getting going, eventually sending 10 men to the plate and scoring seven first inning runs, capped by Turner's second single of the frame, which plated a pair.

Dakota Hudson, the St. Louis starter, managed to retire just one batter before Adam Wainwright came on as a replacement with five runs already plated. Hudson was saddled with four earned runs (three were unearned) and the loss.

The Nationals did not score again in the game, but it was more than enough as the Cardinals were only able to muster a run in the fourth and three in the fifth inning. For the series, the Cardinals only scored six runs.

Champion of the National League for the first time in franchise history, the Nationals await the winner from the American League. Whether it's Houston or New York, the 2019 World Series will start at the home of the AL team.

ALCS: Yankees Grab Game One Behind Gleybar Torres; NLCS: Nationals Take 2-0 Lead Over Cardinals

Apologies in advance for the brevity of this reporting. Half of the internet seems to be down (possibly due to rolling blackouts in California?) and access is limited and slow.

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 12, 2019

American League

Torres: 3-for-5, HR 5 RBI

New York Yankees 7 Houston Astros 1

Opening the AL Championship Series in Houston, the New York Yankees took the initiative with a 7-0 whitewash of the Astros, on a big night for second baseman Gleyber Torres.

Torres got the Yankees on the board first with a double in the fourth inning, plating DJ LeMaheiu. In the sixth, Torres homered to put New York ahead 2-0. Giancarlo Stanton added a solo shot in the same inning.

In the seventh, Torres' bases-loaded single brought in two more runs as the Yankees pulled away. Torres completed the scoring with a ground out to short that brought home LeMaheiu from third base.

Yankee starter, Masahiro Tanaka held the Astros scoreless though the first six innings, allowing one hit and a walk, striking out four. Three New York relievers finished up, each throwing a scoreless inning.

Game two is Sunday at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Game time is

National League

Washington Nationals 3 St. Louis Cardinals 1

Washington took a two games to one edge in the NLCS, taking down St. Louis 2-0 on Friday night and taking the second of the Cardinals' home games by a 3-1 score on Saturday.

The series heads to Washington for the next three games, beginning with game three on Monday. Game four is Tuesday and game five, if needed, is Wednesday.

Yasiel Puig, Cody Bellinger Power Dodgers Over Brewers In NLCS Game Seven

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 20, 2018


National League

NL Championship Series Game 7: LA Dodgers 5  Milwaukee Brewers 1

Puig: 3-for-4, 3-run HR

The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series with a 5-1, game seven win over the Brewers in Milwaukee Saturday. Cody Bellinger socked a two-run home run in the bottom of the first and Yasiel Puig's sixth-inning, three-run homer sealed the deal for Dodger starter, rookie Walker Buehler, and five relief pitchers.

Bellinger: 2-run homer

Buehler worked 4 1/3 innings and did not get the win. That went to Ryan Madsen, the only reliever to allow a hit, for his 1 2/3 innings in the sixth and seventh. Dodger relievers allowed one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven. Buehler gave up six hits and the only run for the Brewers - Christian Yelich's first-inning solo shot - while fanning seven. 14 of the 27 Milwaukee outs were strikeouts.

Kenley Jansen struck out three in 1 1/3 hitless innings, and Clayton Kershaw closed out the win with a perfect ninth inning, fanning two of the three batters he faced.

The Dodgers will be off until Tuesday when they open the World Series at Fenway Park in Boston. Game one is slated for a 8:09 pm ET start at Fenway Park. Every game of the World Series will be televised exclusively on FOX. Game two is also in Boston, while games three, four, and five (if necessary) will be played in Los Angeles. Should the series extend to games six and seven, they would be back in Boston.

Jesus Aguilar Delivers, Milwaukee Forces NLCS Game Seven

Players of the Day for Friday, October 19, 2018

National League

NL Championship Series Game six: Milwaukee Brewers 7 LA Dodgers 2

Aguilar: 3-for-4, 2R, 3RBI

With elimination staring them in their collective faces, the Milwaukee Brewers proved undaunted, getting a huge effort from one of the players that carried them through the regular season, Jesus Aguilar.

Largely frustrated by the Rockies and Dodger pitchers, Aguilar hadn't been much of a factor in any of Milwaukee's eight postseason games - 5-for-29 (.172) 2 HR, 3 RBI - until Friday night. Going 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, Aguilar factored in five of the seven Brewers' runs.

After the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead on David Freese's first-inning home run, Aguilar responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-run double and later scored, as the Brewers plated four off Dodger starter, Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Nursing a 5-2 lead, Aguilar led off the seventh inning with his second double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch by Kenta Maeda. In the eighth, Aguilar singled in Lorenzo Cain with the Brewers' final run.

Aguilar had a excellent regular season, batting .274 with 35 homers and 108 RBI.

Milwaukee's win evened the series at three games apiece, bringing up game seven and a trip to the world series to face the AL champion Boston Red Sox. Game time is 8:09 pm ET in Milwaukee. The pitching match-up is the same as game three with Walker Buehler on the mound for Los Angeles against Milwaukee's Jhoulys Chacin. The Brewers won game three, 4-0, behind 5 1/3 inning of shutout ball by Chacin, who is unscored upon this postseason.

David Price, Rafael Devers Send Boston To World Series

Players of the Day for Thursday, October 18, 2018

American League

AL Championship Series Game Five: Boston Red Sox 4 Houston Astros 1

Price: 6IP, 3H, 0ER, 9K

Boston's David Price and Houston's Justin Verlander dueled through six innings until Red Sox third baseman, Rafael Devers, delivered the winning blow, a three-run sixth-inning homer that effectively finished off Verlander and the Astros, sending the Red Sox to a 4-1 win and a trip to the world series.

Verlander suffered his first loss of this post-season, previously notching two wins, over Cleveland in game one of the ALDS and game one against Boston in the championship series. It was Houston's only win against Boston as the Red Sox won four straight.

Devers: 3-run homer

Price evened his 2018 post-season record at 1-1, tossing six innings of shutout ball, nursing a 1-0 lead from the third inning on J.D. Martinez's solo homer run. Price allowed just three hits, didn't issue any walks and fanned nine. The Astros never threatened. With Price on the mound, they never had more than one baserunner per inning, none advancing past second and they went down in order in the third, fifth. and sixth.

This will be the first Red Sox world series appearance since they defeated St. Louis in 2013, four games to two. Boston's experience in the 21st century has been a positive one, winning the World Series in all of their appearances, previously winning in 2004 and 2007. They swept the Colorado Rockies in 2007 and also swept the Cardinals in 2004, taking the title for the first time since 1918.

National League

The NL Championship Series continues Friday in Milwaukee with game five beginning at 8:39 pm ET. The Dodgers lead the Brewers, three games to two.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Homers In Boston Victory; Clayton Kershaw Dominates Brewers As Dodgers Take Game Five

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 17, 2018

American League

AL Championship Series Game Four: Boston Red Sox 8 Houston Astros 6

Bradley Jr. does it again!

Jackie Bradley Jr. did it again. The Boston center fielder belted a two-run homer in the sixth inning, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 Boston lead that the Red Sox would never relinquish.

Bradley Jr. has become an instant superstar, reminiscent of the Reggie Jackson heroics in the 70s that earned him the name "Mr. October."

In four games against Houston in the Championship Series, Bradley is hitting only .250 (3-for-12), but his hits have been timely and game-changing. In game two, he doubled and drove in three runs. Game three's grand slam sealed Boston's win and another homer put Boston ahead in game four.

The win leaves Boston with a 3-1 lead in the series, with game five scheduled for Thursday at 8:09 pm ET in Houston. A Boston win sends the Red Sox to the World Series. A Houston victory sends the series back to Boston for game six and, if necessary, game seven.

National League

NL Championship Series Game Five: LA Dodgers 5 Milwaukee Brewers 2

Kershaw: 7IP, 3H, 1R, 9K

Clayton Kershaw was at his best, holding the Brewers to one run over seven innings, taking the Dodgers to the brink of their second straight World Series appearance with a 5-2 win over Milwaukee and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

On Lorenzo Cain's double with two aboard, the Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the third, but that was all they would get off Kershaw, who struck out Christian Yelich, walked Ryan Braun, and struck out Jesus Aguilar to end the bases-loaded threat. After that, he was perfect, retiring the next twelve batters in order from the fourth through seventh innings. He walked two and fanned nine.

During that stretch, the Dodgers rallied with a run in the fifth inning, two in the sixth, and two more in the bottom of the seventh. Kershaw walked in the seventh and came around to score on Justin Turner's single.

With the lead safely in hand, the Dodgers went to the bullpen, needing four relievers to hold down the Brewers. Milwaukee struck for a run in the ninth, but, with Curtis Granderson on second base, Kenley Jansen fanned Jesus Aguilar to shut down the rally and end the game.

The Dodgers find themselves one win away from the World Series as the series heads back to Milwaukee on Friday for game six and seven, if necessary, on Saturday.

Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy Lead Mets to Sweep of Cubs, Head to World Series; Blue Jays Stay Alive as Marco Estrada Stops Royals

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Estrada saves Blue Jays

American League


With 7 2/3 solid innings from Marco Estrada, the Blue Jays staved off elimination with a 7-1 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Game five was decidedly one-sided, as Estrada allowed only three hits and didn't give up a run until the eighth inning, when he surrendered a two-out homer to Salvador Perez.

Estrada set down the entire lineup in order over the first three innings, then after Alcides Escobar singled to open the fourth, Estrada recorded 11 straight outs, beginning with a double play that erased Escobar and Ben Zobrist, until walking Lorenzo Cain with two down in the seventh.

Toronto used a four-run sixth inning to take hold of the game, highlighted by Troy Tulowitzki's bases-loaded double which plated three.

The teams head back to Kansas City for game six on Friday. First pitch is slated for 8:07 pm EDT.

National League

Duda drives in five

Murphy set MLB HR mark

The Cubs will have to go Back to the Future if they wish to end their 107-year-old World Series drought because the New York Mets completed a four game sweep with an 8-3 win to capture the NL title and head for October glory.

New York took little time to press their case, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding two in the second.

Lucas Duda provided the power, socking a three-run homer in the first inning and driving in two more in the second with a double.

Daniel Murphy set a mejor league record with his sixth home run in the last six games, sending out a two-run shot in the eighth to put the game completely out of reach.

The Mets make the trip to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2000, when they lost to the Yankees in five games. They last won the World Series in 1986, when they defeated the Red Sox in seven games.

Alcides Escobar Leads Royals to 14-2 Wreck of Blue Jays in ALCS; Daniel Murphy Homers Again as Mets Take 3-0 Lead over Cubs in NLCS

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 20, 2015

American League

Escobar: 4 RBI

Despite Toronto's 11-8 win in game three, the ALCS seems destined to be in the hands of the Kansas City Royals, who took a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the best of seven series with a 14-2 mashing of the Blue Jays Tuesday at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

Leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar paced the Royals, going 2-for-3 with a pair of sac flies and a ninth inning single that plated the final two Kansas City runs. Escobar drove in four runs.

Escobar singled in the first and was aboard for Ben Zobrist's homer as the Royals pounded knuckballer, R.A. Dickey for four first inning runs.

Dickey lasted only until two down in the second inning, allowing an Alex Rios solo homer, which ended his mound appearance. It didn't get much better as the Royals ripped through six Toronto relievers, adding four runs in the seventh, three more in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Murphy: 5 games, 5 HR

Toronto now faces elimination in Wednesday's game five at the Rogers Centre. Start time is 4:07 pm EDT.

National League

Daniel Murphy was at it again, homering for the fifth straight game, and so were the players batting immediately in front and back of him, as the 2-3-4 Mets batters were a combined 8-for-14 and scored all five of the Mets runs in a 5-2 game three win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Murphy, David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes backed the pitching of Jacob deGrom, who tossed seven innings, allowing just four hits, two of them solo homers by Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber, which were the only runs the Cubs would score on the night.

Both Cespedes and Wright had two singles and a double. Wright scored three runs; Cespedes drove in two. Murphy went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. His solo homer in the second put the Mets ahead 2-1.

The win put the Mets in the enviable position of being up three games to one in the best of seven NLCS, with the chance to put the hopes of generations of Cubs' fans to rest for another season on Wednesday. Game time is 8:07 pm EDT in Chicago.

Mets Grab 2-0 Lead in NLCS as Daniel Murphy Homers for 4th Straight Game

Players of the Day for Sunday, October 18, 2015

American League

The Kansas City Royals lead the Toronto Blue Jays two games to one in the AL Championship series as the teams took Sunday off to travel and prepare for game three, in Toronto, Monday, at 8:07 pm EDT.

Murphy: HR, 2 RBI

National League

Daniel Murphy homered for the fourth straight game, leading the New York Mets to a 4-1 win over the Cubs in game two of the best-of-seven NLCS.

Murphy, who had a career-high 14 homers during the regular season, has gotten red-hot during the playoffs. His homers in games four and five of the NLDS helped defeat the LA Dodgers. In the NLCS, his first inning, game one solo shot helped the Mets to take a 4-2 victory.

On Sunday, Murphy again went yard early, touching off a two-run blast against Chicago ace, Jake Arrieta, sending the Cy Young hopeful to his first defeat since July 25. Murphy also singled and walked, going 2-for-3 for the game.

Arrieta only lasted five innings, giving up all four of the Mets' runs. It was his shortest outing of the season, matching starts on May 2nd and June 6th, both of which ended in losses. Arrieta had won 13 straight, including 11 during the regular season. He also won the wild card game against Pittsburgh and notched a win against St. Louis in the divisional series.

Noah Syndergaard got the win for New York, allowing one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out nine.

The Mets lead the series two games to one, with the series heading to Wrigley Field in Chicago for games three and four, and, if necessary, game five.

Game three is scheduled for Tuesday night at 8:07 pm EDT.

Mike Mousttakas Lead Royals to Game Two Win in ALCS; Matt Harvey, Mets Take Game One over Cubs

Moustakas: 2-4, 2 RBI

Players of the Day for Saturday, October 18, 2015

American League


Kansas City took game two of the ALCS with a 6-3 victory over Toronto, giving the Royals a two-games-to-none lead in the best of seven series.

The Royals overcame a 3-0 Blue Jay lead with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. After yielding a leadoff single to open the first, Toronto starter, David Price, set down 18 straight Royals and was cruising along with a comfortable lead into the seventh. Then Kansas City struck like lightning, scoring five runs on five hits, sending Pirce to the showers.

Mike Moustakas singled in a run during the seventh-inning rally and singled home another in the eighth to complete the scoring for Kansas City.

The series takes a day off Sunday for travel. Monday, the venue shifts to Toronto's Rogers Centre for game three, at 8:07 pm EDT.

National League

Harvey: Game One Winner

Matt Harvey worked into the eighth inning while the Mets built a lead on solo homers by Daniel Murphy and Travis d-Arnaud leading to a 4-2 triumph at Citi Field in game one of the NLCS.

The Mets put their ace on the mound at home and Harvey did not disappoint, striking out nine and not yielding a run until the Cubs struck for a single run in the fifth, temporarily tying the game at one apiece. Murphy's first-inning solo shot had given the Mets the lead earlier.

Curtis Granderson singled home a run in the bottom of the fifth, then d'Arnaud smashed his solo shot to dead center, the ball traveling some 436 feet for the 3-1 lead.

Granderson drove in another run in the eighth to complete the scoring for the Mets.

Harvey threw 64 of 97 pitches for strikes and allowed only three hits and one run until Kyle Schwarber touched him up with a solo shot in the eighth. Mets' closer, Jeurys Familia, took over after Harvey's 7 2/3 innings, slamming the door shut with a four-out save.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 8:07 pm EDT at Citi Field in New York.

Cubs Advance to NLCS on Javier Baez Blast; Jose Bautista Leads Blue Jays over Rangers; Toronto to Meet Royals in ALCS

Players of the Day for Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14, 2015

American League

Bautista Sends Jays to ALCS

A pair of game fives took place Wednesday in the ALDS, with Toronto moving on past the Texas Rangers, 6-3, and the Royals disposing of the pesky Astros, 7-2.

In Toronto, Jose Bautista had he game-winner, stroking a three-run blast in the seventh which broke open a 3-3 tie.

The Royals advanced to their second straight ALCS, riding the two-hit pitching of Johnny Cueto to the victory. Cueto's only mistake was a second-inning homer with a man aboard to Luis Valbeuna. The Royals hung in, took the lead in the fifth inning and polished off the Astros with three more in the eighth.

The Royals host Toronto in game one of the AL Championship series, which gets underway Friday, October 16.

National League

Baez puts Cubs in NLCS

The Mets and Dodgers will go to a decisive game five after LA came back to take game four in New York, 3-1. Game five is slated for an 8:00 pm ET start on Thursday in Los Angeles. Zack Greinke goes to the hill for the Dodgers, while the Mets will start Jacob DeGrom.

In Chicago, the Cubs took down the Cardinals, the team with the best regular season record, 6-4, advancing to the NL Championship.

The Cubs continued to employ the long ball as their major force, socking three home runs in the clincher against St. Louis, the unlikely hero of the game, shortstop Javier Baez, who unloaded for a three-run homer in the second inning off Cardinal starter, John Lackey. Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber also homered for the Cubs.

Carlos Beltran Delivers in 13th as Cardinals Take NLCS Game One with 3-2 Win over Dodgers

Players of the Day for Friday, October 11, 2013

National League

It took 13 innings for the Dodgers and Cardinals to decide game one of their best-of-seven championship series, but the Cardinal fans who kept the faith for four hours and 47 minutes were well rewarded, when Carlos Beltran knocked in the game-winner with one out in the bottom of the 13th for the 3-2 victory.

Beltran: 2-6, 3 RBI

With one out in the final frame, Daniel Descalso - pinch-hitting for Lance Lynn - singled up the middle and the next batter, Matt Carpenter, drew a walk off LA reliever Chris Winthrow. With the winning run on second base, manager Don Mattingly decided to make a move, bringing in closer Kenley Jansen to face the switch-hitting Beltran.

Beltran, who had driven in both of the Cardinal runs in the third inning with a two-out double to the right center gap, delivered with a sharp single to right, bringing around Descalso with the winning run.

After homering twice and driving in six runs in the NLDS with the Pirates, Beltran continued to provide for the Cardinals, driving in all three runs in the opener with the Dodgers. He also was a defensive star, throwing out A.J. Ellis at the plate in the 10th.

The Dodgers used six pitchers during the game; the Cardinals employed seven, including Lynn, who tossed the final two innings and may be the starter for Sy. Louis in game four.

The 13-inning marathon the longest postseason game for the Dodgers since the 1916 World Series, when Babe Ruth pitched 14 innings to lead the Boston Red Sox past Brooklyn.

Game two of the series begins at 4:37 pm EDT at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

American League

There were no AL games on Friday. Game of the the ALDS between Boston and Detroit is scheduled to start at 8:37 pm EDT at Fenway Park.

Today's Trivia: Two pitchers have won five post-season games in a single season. Who are they?

Yesterday's Answer: John Smoltz has the career post-season mark for most strikeouts, with 199 in 209 innings.

Matt Cain, Marco Scutaro Lead Giants Past Cardinals, Into World Series

Players of the Day for Monday, October 22, 2012

National League

Matt Cain

NLCS: San Francisco 9 St. Louis 0 - Matt Cain threw 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball and Marco Scutaro went 3-for-4 as the Giants blew past the Cardinals in game seven to capture the NL Championship and head to the World Series against the AL's Detroit Tigers.

Scutaro: NLCS MVP

Cain, a 3-1 loser in game three, redeemed himself in the ultimate test, scattering five Cardinal hits while walking one and striking out four to notch his fourth career post-season victory against two losses.

Scutaro, who was named series MVP, scored just once and didn't drive in any runs, but singled to lead off the third inning, starting a four-run rally that was the eventual undoing of Cardinal starter, Kyle Lohse, who took the loss.

Scutaro batted .500 for the series (14-for-28), scored six runs and drove in four. He carries a nine-game, post-season hitting streak into the World Series, which begins Wednesday in San Francisco.

Game one of the fall classic is set to begin at 8:07 pm EDT on Wednesday, October 24. Game two will be on Thursday, also in San Francisco. Games three, four and - if necessary - five, will be in Detroit, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the 27th, 28, and 29th. Should the series go to games six and seven, those would be back in san Francisco, on Wednesday, October 31 and Thursday, November 1.

The Tigers beat the New York Yankees four straight in the ALCS, and will be well-rested, with their starting rotation in good order. Justin Verlander will start game one for Detroit. The Giants have not yet named a game one starter.

San Francisco came back from being down three games to one in the NLCS, capturing the final three games by a combined score of 20-1, their starting pitching coming through with superior performances when it mattered most.

Phillies Spank Dodgers, 10-4, Win NLCS 4 Games to 1

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Philadelphia Phillies 10 LA Dodgers 4 It wasn't even close. When it came down to it, LA's pitching staff was no match for the bludgeoning of the Phillies' hitters, who outscored their West coast counterparts, 35-16, over the course of five games. The only game the Dodgers won was a 2-1 decision in game 2, in which the Philadelphia bullpen gave away a superb 7 innings of shutout work by Pedro Martinez. Other than that gaffe, the average winning margin for the Phillies was 5 runs. It really was as one-sided as the 4 games to 1 margin indicates. The Phillies got on the board early against LA starter Vicente Padilla. After Cole Hamels gave up a 1st inning home run to Andre Ethier, the Phils responded with 3 runs of their own, all of them on a massive blast by Jayson Werth (left), who also singled and scored in the 4th and launched a solo shot in the 7th to go 3-for-4 with two homers, 4 RBI and 3 runs. Philadelphia scored all of their runs on just 8 hits, thanks to 3 hit batsmen (Jimmy Rollins twice) and 4 walks issued by LA hurlers. 6 of Philly's hits went for extra bases, including home runs by Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino. Ryan Howard's streak of consecutive RBI post-season games was snapped at 8, tying him with Lou Gehrig and Alex Rodriguez, but Howard was named the series MVP. Howard batted .333 over the five-game span, with 2 homers, a double, a triple and 8 RBI. The Phillies advance to their second straight World Series, hoping to repeat against either the LA Angels or the Yankees. New York leads the series 3 games to 1, with a chance to wrap it up tonight in LA. The last National League to repeat as world champions was the 1975 and 1976 Cincinnati Reds, who beat Boston in 1975 and the Yankees in 1976.

NLCS Playoff Perspective: Phillies vs. Dodgers

NLCS Preview: Philadelphia Phillies vs. LA Dodgers The Phillies head West to take on the Dodgers in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series beginning Thursday, Oct. 15. First pitch is slated for 8:07 pm EDT (5:07 Pacific). These are the same two teams which met in last year's NLCS, won by Philadelphia, 4 games to 1. The Dodgers captured home-field advantage with the best record in the NL at 95-67. The Phillies were close, and could have done better than their record of 93-65, if not for the many blown saves from their bullpen, especially the nine by closer Brad Lidge. PITCHING: OK, the Phillies have Cliff Lee and Jason Hamels as legitimate 1-2 starters, or, judging by Hamels body of work this season, maybe just a 1. And that shouldn't be a huge edge for Philadelphia. After all, the Cardinals boasted two starters who are each legitimate Cy young candidates, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. The Dodgers beat them both, though, in deference to Wainwright, his loss was the cause of Holliday's butchering a nnth-inning, two-out fly ball and the inexcusable mound self-destruction of Cardinal closer, Ryan Franklin. Following their top two, however, the Phillies have good choices: Pedro Martinez, proven veteran Joe Blanton, and firebrand rookie J.A. Happ. That a legitimate starting five when only four are needed. How manager Charlie Manuel manages his arms roster will be key. There's also Brett Myers, Scott Eyre, Ryan Madsen and closer Brad Lidge, whose blow save gaffes this season are legendary, as, "in the past." Lidge looked just fine closing the finale in Colorado, and if he's on his game, it's lights out in the 9th inning, though that's no sure bet. The Dodgers stating rotation is Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, and Vicente Padilla, followed tentatively by Chad Billingsly, who used to be LA's #1, but lost his control somewhere this summer, not having won since August 18. He went 0-5 in his final 8 starts and hasn't been able to find the strike zone consistently. If he was right, this may be a much different scenario, but he's not. None of the LA starters are particularly overpowering, though Kershaw has been very game. Padilla found playoff magic in his win over the Cardinals in Game 3, and there's a legitimate question as to whether he'll be able to repeat that performance. The Dodger bullpen is a strength. Jeff Weaver, Ronald Belisario and Hong-Shih Kuo handle the middle to late innings, and Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill have been interchangeable as closers. That gives manager Joe Torre tremendous flexibility. Edge: Phillies have the starters, but the Dodgers have a better bullpen. BATTING: Hands down, no team in the league is better at the plate than the Phillies. Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Chase Utley and Jatson Werth all banged more than 30 homers apeice during the season, led by Howard's 45. All of these guys, except ibanez, have playoff and World Series experience. Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino at the top of the lineup are dangerous hitters in their own right and each can steal bases when needed. The Phillies want to beat your pitcher's brains in by the fifth inning, and they did just that many times in 2009. LA led the legue in batting average, at .270, compared to the Phillies' pedestrian number, .258, but the Phillies hit 79 more homers (224-145) and drove in 47 more runs (788, tops in the NL). The Dodgers have plenty of offense, especially if Manny Ramirez gets into a groove. Matt Kemp, James Loney and Andre Ethier can all deliver big, clutch hits, and did so in the NLDS. Russell Martin, Casey Blake, Ronnie Belliard and leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal complete their usual lineup. Everybody is good with a bat, which will make life tough for Philly pitchers. BOTTOM LINE: It's raw power vs. questionable pitching, and in games 1 and 2, give the Phillies excellent starting pitching to boot. Very tough to see how the Dodgers can turn last season's 4-1 beat-down into a 4-3 win. The Phillies are a veteran squad with a killer lineup. Jayson Werth has emerged this season as a legitimate All-Star and LA pitching will be overmatched, both on the mound and by the hitters. The Phillies won't give LA any gift wins, as did the Cardinals, so this one goes no further than 6 games, 4 of which will be Philly wins. Expect a couple of good pitching turns and a couple of old fashioned 10-4 or 9-3 beatings.