NL Championship: Phillies vs. Dodgers

National League Championship Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers Recent history: Finished with a 17-8 record in September, winning the NL West and ousting the Cubs with 3 straight wins in the NLDS. Strengths: Pitching. The Dodgers led the NL with a 3.68 ERA. Speed. LA baserunners swiped 126 bases in 2008, 4th best in the league. Manager. Joe Torre went from the East coast to the West after the Yankees decided he was not in their future plans. Now, Torre has his team in the playoffs while Yankee regulars are watching on TV. Bench vets. Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre can pinch hit or fill n wherever and whenever needed. Weaknesses: Lack of power. Outside of Manny Ramirez, there isn't a lot of raw power in LA. They finished the regular season with 137 homers, 13th of 16 in the NL. Closer. Takashi Saito, the regular closer, missed much of the season due to injury, but returned in time for the playoffs, but was ineffective. Jonathan Broxton filled in down the stretch, but was shaky. He will close for Torre as Saito has been kept off the 25-man roster submitted by Torre for the playoffs. Players to watch Manny Ramirez (right): No player had such a tremendous late-season impact on any team than Ramirez. Since joining the Dodgers on August 1, Ramirez batted .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI, amassing 74 hits in 53 games. If any one player could be credited with turning the Dodgers into a playoff-capable team it was Manny. James Loney Mr. RBI for LA, Loney drove in a team high 90 runs and batted .289. A solid contact hitter with a does of power (13 HR), he struck out only 85 times in 595 at-bats. A tough out in the middle of the lineup. Rafael Furcal The veteran infielder started the season on fire, batting .366, but was sidelined on May 5 with a lower back injury that required surgery. He returned in time for the end of the season and playoffs and bats leadoff. He's speedy, but has only attempted one steal since returning Sept. 24 (7 games) and was thrown out. Hiroki Kuroda The rookie starter went 9-10 in the regular season with a 3.73 ERA, and was brilliant at times. If he has his control and breaking ball working, he can provide 7-9 innings of outstanding work.Has been named the starter for Game 3. Chad Billingsley Winningest pitcher on the staff with a 16-10 record, a 3.13 ERA and 201 Ks in 200.2 innings. Will start Game 2. Philadelphia Phillies Recent history: The Phillies captured their second straight NL East title, going 17-8 in September and whipped the Brewers, 3 games to 1, in the NLDS. Strengths: Power. The Phillies led the NL with 214 home runs, the bulk of those off the bats of Ryan Howard, who led the majors with 48, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell, who knocked 33 apiece out of the park. Speed. with 138 steals, the Phillies were third in the NL. Most of those were by leadoff man, Jimmy Rollins (47) and #2 hitter Shane Victorino (36). Bench. The versatile roster includes Pedro Feliz, Jayson Werth, Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins, each of whom can be plugged in as needed. Bullpen. The Phillies are blessed with an abundance of middle relievers. Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson are all capable of getting the ball to closer Brad Lidge, who had 41 saves, 92 Ks in 69.1 innings and an ERA of 1.95. Weaknesses: Whiffers. The three power players - Utley, Burrell and Howard - all have a tendency to swing and miss. Between them, they struck out 439 times, the worst offender being Howard, with 199. Starting Pitching. After ace Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA), there isn't much there. Brett Myers and ancient Jamie Moyer will have to step it up. Players to watch Ryan Howard (right) is the big gun in the lineup, with 48 homers and 146 RBI, he led the league in both categories. If he's on, ball will be flying over outfielders' heads and out of the park. Jimmy Rollins Outspoken and with the stats to back up his talk, Rollins is the team leader and leadoff hitter. Rollins is great at the plate in pressure situations and can hurt you with the long ball and can steal. Very steady at shortstop as well. Shane Victorino This youngster doesn't get much press, but the Phillies probably wouldn't be where they are without him. His .293 BA led all regulars. He was second on the team in hits (167) and third in runs scored (102). Chase Utley Dubbed "The Machine" by teammates, Utley's rare blend of power and consistently produced a .292 BA, 104 RBI and 33 HRs in 2008. He can - and has - hurt opponents in many ways. Capable of carrying the team alone, as he did in April and May. Cole Hamels Led the team in innings with 227.1, strikeouts (196) and all starters in ERA (3.09). The game one starter may get two more shots if the series is extended to 7 games. He is the Phillies' best defensive weapon. If he's on, a very tough guy to beat. Brad Lidge Arguably the best closer in the league, Lidge earned comeback player of the year for his outstanding season. He's simply lights out in the 9th inning. Series Schedule (all games ET) Game 1: Thu, Oct 9 8:22 pm at Philadelphia Game 2: Fri, Oct 10 4:35 pm at Philadelphia Game 3: Sun, Oct 12 8:22 pm at Los Angeles Game 4: Mon, Oct 13 8:22 pm at Los Angeles If necessary Game 5: Wed, Oct 15 8:22 pm at Los Angeles Game 6: Fri, Oct 17 8:22 pm at Philadelphia Game 7: Sat, Oct 18 8:22 pm at Philadelphia Prediction: Hamels should be better than Derek Lowe in game 1 and possibly game 4, though Joe Blanton has been solid lately and may get the start, depending on the situation. Phillies pitchers believe they can handle Ramirez, and Lidge is the best closer out there.While Joe Torre is a great manager, Charlie Manuel knows what he's got and won't hesistate to send in the relief corps. If Howard, Utley, Rollins, Burrell hit, it could be a romp. Philadelphia in 6 games.

It's Red Sox vs. Rays, Phillies vs. Dodgers for World Series Berths

Players of the Day from Monday, October 6, 2008 Boston 3 LA Angels 2 The Boston Red Sox turned to a rookie and a newcomer to oust the LA Angels and advance to the ALCS. Jed Lowrie - who played just 81 games for the Red Sox in his initial season - drove home Jason Bay - acquired from Pittsburgh mid-season - with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th to topping the Angels, 3-2, to win the series, 3 games to 1. Starters John Lackey and Jon Lester each pitched 7 strong innings, but Lester was better, shutting out the Angels while Lackey allowed a pair of Boston runs. The Angels tied the game in the 8th on Torii Hunter's two-run single in the 8th, but it proved to be too little, too late, as the Red Sox topped the Angels for the 12th time in their last 13 playoff meetings. The wild card Red Sox will face Tampa Bay, winners of the AL East. Tampa Bay 6 Chicago White Sox 2 B.J. Upton's solo homers in the 1st and 3rd innings gave the Tampa Bay Rays an early lead and Andy Sonnanstine and a pair of relievers made it hold up as the Rays took down the White Sox, 6-2, to advance to the AL Championship Series, 3 games to 1. Following Upton's blasts, the Rays added two runs in the 4th and single runs in the 5th and 7th. They also had an opportunity to stretch their legs. Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford each stole two bases off A.J. Pierzynski, prepping for their upcoming showdown with the Red Sox. Notes: The AL Championship Series begins Friday in Tampa at 8:30 pm ET. The series is in a 2-3-2 format in which the Rays have home field advantage. The NLCS begins Thursday in Philadelphia, with the Phillies hosting the LA Dodgers in the best-of-seven series.

Phillies KO Brewers; Angels, White Sox Extend Series

Players of the Day from Sunday, October 5, 2008 LA Angels 5 Boston 4 Mike Napoli became the unlikely hero as the LA Angels staved off elimination with a 5-4, 12-inning win over the Boston Red Sox. Napoli, who also caught the entire game, handling six different pitchers, homered twice off Boston starter Josh Beckett, rapping a 2-run shot in the third and a solo blast in the 5th, sending the Red Sox hurler to an early shower. Napoli's second homer gave the Angels a 4-3 lead, but Boston tied it in the bottom of the frame and the score remained the same until the 12th inning. Napoli led off with a single, moved to second on a sac bunt and scored on Erick Abyar's single up the middle. Notes: The Angels now trail Boston 2-1 in the best-of-five series, which resumes Monday at 8:35 ET at Fenway. The same pairing that started game 1 will go, with Jon Lester heading to the hill for Boston to face the Angels' John Lackey. LA's win snapped a string of 11 straight playoff losses to the Red Sox, dating back to 1986. Chicago White Sox 5 Rays 3 Manager Jose Guillen juggled his lineup and it worked out just fine for Ken Griffey Jr., who singled twice, walked and scored the eventual game-winner as the White Sox stayed alive with a 5-3 win over the Rays. The Sox are still trailing the Rays, 2-1 in the series, which continues Monday in Chicago. Game 4 begins at 5:05 pm ET, with Chicago's Gavin Floyd facing the Rays' Andy Sonnanstine. Philadelphia 6 Milwaukee 2 The Phillies were just too much for the Brewers, taking their playoff series by a 3-1 margin. Jimmy Rollins homered to open the game, but it was Pat Burrell's three-run homer in the third and solo shot in the 8th that really put the Phillies over the top. The Phillies scored all of their runs via the long ball, as they knocked off the Brewers, 6-2. Notes: Philly now has home field advantage in the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, starting Thursday, October 9.

Dodgers Seal Deal; Brewers Get One Back

Players of the Day from Saturday, October 4, 2008 Milwaukee 4 Philadelphia 1 J.J. Hardy went 3-for-4, drove in a key run in the 1st inning and scored another in the 7th as the Brewers avoided elimination with a 4-1 win over the Phillies. The Phillies still lead the series 2 games to 1, with game 4 set for Sunday at 1:07 pm ET in Milwaukee. While Hardy was scorching the ball, the Phillies' bats were mostly silent, as Milwaukee pitchers scattered 9 hits, though closer Salomon Torres ran into some trouble in the 9th, allowing three hits in the innings, though the Phillies were unable to push across a run. LA Dodgers 3 Chicago Cubs 1 The LA Dodgers knocked the Chicago Cubs out of the playoffs and advanced to the NLCS as starter Hiroki Kuroda shut out Chicago over 6 1/3 innings to lead LA past Chicago, 3-1, completing a sweep over the team that hasn't won the World Series since 1908. Kuroda scattered 6 hits and a pair of walks while fanning 4. Otherwise, it was an infielder's delight as Kuroda got 13 of 15 outs on ground balls. The Dodgers struck in the first inning for two runs - all that they'd need - when James Loney doubled home Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin. Martin was also responsible for the other LA run, doubling home Rafael Furcal in the 5th. After dominating the NL with the best record in the league, the Cubs fell completely apart against the Dodgers' surge, being outscored in the three games by a combined score of 20-6. Notes: The American League playoffs continue today, with the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox both looking to sweep. The Rays lead the White Sox, 2-0. Game 3 is scheduled to begin at 4:07 pm ET in Chicago. The Red Sox can knock out the Angels in their game 3, beginning at 7:07 pm ET at Fenway Park.