NLCS: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The strength of the Philadelphia Phillies is their offense. Tremendous left-handed hitters such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez fill their line-up, but righty Jayson Werth and switch-hitters Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino also provide pop.
The Phillies’ main concern will be their pitching. Cliff Lee looked great in his first two postseason starts during the National League Division Series, pitching 16 and 1⁄3 innings, with a miniscule 1.10 ERA, but Cole Hamels had a very disappointing season. Hamels did not look good against the Rockies in Game Two of the National League Division Series, giving up four earned runs in only five innings. Perhaps he is hiding an injury or a mechanical flaw, but he needs to show he is capable of being the same dominating pitcher from last October if the Phillies want to advance to the World Series.
The bullpen is in a state of disarray. Brad Lidge was horrendous during the season, posting a 7.21 ERA, and a whopping 11 blown saves. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel showed confidence in Lidge, as the manager called upon his embattled reliever to close out Games Three and Four of the NLDS. It remains to be seen whether Lidge stays reliable through the rest of the postseason.
The Dodgers have a solid lineup, highlighted by Rafael Furcal, Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez, and future megastar Matt Kemp. Speedy Juan Pierre and veteran hitter Jim Thome can both come off the bench to make an impact.
The Dodgers feature unspectacular pitching, though Randy Wolf and Hiroki Kuroda are reliable enough. Rangers cast-off Vicente Padilla was unbeaten as a Dodger with four regular season wins, and threw seven shutout innings against the Cardinals in the NLDS. Chad Billingsley, an all-star in the regular season, was relegated to the bullpen and has not made an appearance.
Clayton Kershaw must have a solid NLCS if the Dodgers are going to beat the Phillies. Kershaw can be flat-out dominant, though he still battles control issues. In Game One of the NLCS, Kershaw was not at his best, allowing five earned runs in four and 2⁄3 innings.
The Dodgers have two dominant relievers at the back of the bullpen: closer Jonathan Broxton and set-up man George Sherrill, who was acquired from Baltimore at the trade deadline. When the Dodgers hand over the lead to the bullpen in the late innings, they should feel safe.
Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre may get the chance to face his former team, the New York Yankees, in the World Series, but must first get past the former champions in a grind of a series.
Prediction: Dodgers in seven
NLCS MVP: Matt Kemp
—SILVIO SANSANO
The Dodgers and the Phillies battle for the National League pennant for the second straight year. The series will be a bit different this time, as the Dodgers enjoy home field advantage whereas the Phillies did last year. That advantage is crucial, especially in the playoffs. It will give the Dodgers a better chance of taking an early lead in the series, in contrast to the two games to none disadvantage that they found themselves in after opening the NLCS in Philadelphia last year.
Pitching is usually the deciding factor in the playoffs, and in that department, the Dodgers hold a clear advantage. Their pitching is first in the Majors, thanks to a sterling 3.41 staff ERA over the regular season. The Phillies are not far behind, though, as their 4.16 ERA gives them the eighth best pitching in the big leagues. The Dodgers have allowed almost a hundred fewer runs than the Phillies, and they have surrendered 62 fewer home runs. The Phillies’ only pronounced pitching advantage is in the control department, as they issued 105 fewer walks than Los Angeles in the regular season.
From an offensive standpoint, the teams are a bit more evenly matched. While the Dodgers’ .270 team batting average trumps the Phillies’ .258, the men in grey hit an astounding 79 more home runs. Still trying to decide which team holds the advantage? Consider that Philadelphia’s slugging percentage was 35 points higher than L.A.’s, even though the Dodgers drew more walks. Philadelphia always seems to find a way to get it done, as their offense is always unrelenting when it matters the most.
Prediction: Phillies in Six
NLCS MVP: Cliff Lee
—KEVIN DRAPER
ALCS: Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees
The Yankees lineup is a powerhouse. They led the Majors in runs, on base percentage, and home runs. The only way to defeat the Yankees is with pitching and defence, though the Angels have both. The Angels rotation led by John Lackey, Jered Weaver, and Joe Saunders, is solid and deeper than the Yankees rotation.
The Yankees will go with a three-man rotation, meaning CC Sabathia could get three starts in the best-of-seven matchup. Sabathia has been a great free-agent acquisition for the Yankees, as the big left-hander went 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA and posted a 1.15 WHIP in 230 innings this season.
The main concern of the Yankees should be slowing down the Angels running game. Angels third baseman Chone Figgins had 42 stolen bases on the season, and Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter had 30 and 18 stolen bases respectively. The Angels like to run and create havoc on the base paths, which will frustrate Yankees pitchers.
However, The Yankees have a stronger bullpen than the Angels. Mariano Rivera is the best closer in baseball. The veteran right-hander posted a 1.76 ERA during the season, registering 44 saves in 46 opportunities. The Yankees have a bridge to Rivera in Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, both of whom were groomed as starters at the start of the season. As a reliever, Hughes posted a spectacular 1.40 ERA, with 65 strikeouts in 51 1⁄3 innings and allowing only 31 hits.
The Angels did not have the same overpowering bullpen as in years past. Despite recording 48 saves in 2009, Angels closer Brian Fuentes had seven blown saves and posted a 1.40 WHIP. If the Angels have the lead, things could get interesting in the late innings. The Yankees have 50 come-from-behind wins, the most in baseball.
With a powerful offense, the Yankees will defeat the Angels, and advance to the World Series for the first time since 2003.
Prediction: Yankees in six
ALCS MVP: CC Sabathia
—SILVIO SANSANO
The Yankees have returned to the League Championship Series for the first time since their historic collapse against the Boston Red Sox in 2004. They revamped their team this past off-season, adding megastars CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira. While many doubted that simply throwing together so many talented players could yield effective results right away, 2009 played out as the best-case scenario for the Yankees. They smashed their way to 103 wins, and achieved a seemingly effortless American League East division title. The Angels, by contrast, were haunted by the tragic death of rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart in early April. They banded together to produce, to which the team is accustomed. The Angels are consistently one of the most technically sound teams in the majors, leading the league in effective outs under the tutelage of the brilliant and strategically sound Mike Scioscia.
Despite the Angels owning a slightly better team batting average (.285 to .283), the Yankees seem to have an edge from an offensive standpoint. They outslugged the Angels by over 30 runs, hit 71 more home runs, drew more than a hundred more walks, and had a greater on base percentage. The Angels’ only real offensive advantage is their speed, as they swiped 148 bases to the Yankees’ 111.
The pitching matches up more evenly. The Yankees’ ERA is a mere 0.19 higher than that of the Angels, and they are comparable in most other categories. The Yankees’ real advantage is their impressive depth, as the front end of their starting rotation features Sabathia, Burnett and the dangerous-in-the-postseason Andy Pettitte. Once the game is handed over to the bullpen, they can plug in Phil Hughes and the invincible-in-October Mariano Rivera, and have their opponents at their mercy. Manager Joe Girardi also enjoys the luxury of deciding whether he wants to use young star Joba Chamberlain out of the bullpen, or as a starter.
George Steinbrenner has spent a lot of money in search of October glory since the Yankees’ last World Series title in 2000, and he’s received very little return on his investment. This time around, though, it would take a significant upset for the Yankees to be denied the prize.
Prediction: Yankees in Six
ALCS MVP: Derek Jeter
—KEVIN DRAPER
