Phillies to World Series Again

Last night, the Philiadelphia Phillies used four home runs to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-4, to advance to their second straight World Series and a chance to defend their 2008 World Championship. The Phils will await the winner of the New York Yankees - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim series winner with the Yankees currently holding a 3-1 lead with Game 5 tonight.

I totally missed this one. I said L.A. in 6. After the way the Dodgers dispactched the St. Louis Cardinals and their 1-2 punch of Carpenter & Wainwright, who could have envisioned this outcome? As I look back at the NLCS, I realized a few things.

In my preview, I thought the Dodgers held an advantage over the Phillies at third base, bullpen, closer and a push as far as starting pitching. Even with the Phils 3B Pedro Feliz having only 2 hits, he had a higher batting average than Dodgers 3B Casey Blake. Blake hit a cool .105. Feliz, .118.

The pitching, as a whole, mystifies me the most. The Dodgers bullpen and their closer, Jonathon Broxton, were untouchable most of the season. But not when it counted the most. The Dodgers starting staff managed to allow almost a run an inning, walk a total of 23 batters,and Broxton couldn't hold a lead in what proved to be a pivotal Game 4. The Phillies pitches accounted for only 12 walks.

What about the Phillies closer, Brad Lidge (left)? If Lidge is choosing now to pick up where he left off, it couldn't be coming at a better time for Philly fans (and his Philly teammates). Only four Phillies pitchers gave up runs and two of those were starters (Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton). Of all Dodergers pitchers, only one that pitched more than an inning (Ramon Troncoso) did not allow a run.

Among the starting position players, only 1B James Loney (.353) and 2B Ronnie Belliard (.316) hit over .300. L.A. hit a total of 6 home runs, for the series. The Phillies had 4 last night alone. And how were the Dodgers going to score when their leadoff hitter SS Rafael Furcal, did not manage to score a single run in the series? In his 20 at bats, Dodgers CF Matt Kemp saw fit to strikeout 8 times. NLCS MVP Ryan Howard (right) walked 6 times.

Regardless of the outcome of the Angels-Yankees series, the Phillies will be on the road for the first two games of the World Series. With New York holding a 3-1 lead, Yankee Stadium appears to be their destination.

Imagine the runs that series would produce.

NLCS Preview - Phillies/Dodgers

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The NLCS starts on Thursday night at 8:07. Let's look at the teams and see what the series will hold for baseball fans.

Season series: Dodgers won, 4-3. Can't really get a whole lot out of this, except maybe the fact that the Dodgers won 2 of 3 in Philly and split 2-2 in L.A. No real home field advantage for the Dodgers.

First base: Ryan Howard (PHI) v James Loney (LAD)
Howard showed that he is an offensive force, but Loney is a bit better with the glove. In fact, 2009 was Loney's best defensive season since he became the full time 1B. Still, Howard will change a game with one mammoth swing while Loney lacks the power.
Advantage: Phillies

Second base: Chase Utley (PHI) v Ronnie Belliard/Orlando Hudson (LAD)
Utley's bat is one of the more feared bats in the NL. Playing potentially more games in Los Angeles falls into his benefit because Utley hits 23 points higher on the road (.270 at home/.293 on the road). That's weird considering "The Bank" (Citizens Bank Park in Philly) is considered a hitters park. If the NLDS is any indication, Belliard will most likely get more playing time. He's been the better hitter, but Hudson has won a Gold Glove and defense may be more of a commodity for Dodgers to advance.
Advantage: Phillies

Third base: Pedro Feliz (PHI) v Casey Blake (LAD)
Not a glamorous matchup here, but a very important one for both teams. Feliz is not asked to do much offensively because of all the other power bats the Phillies have. He just mans third, gets a hit here and there, and drives in a run or two. Blake is more relied on by his team for his bat to the point where on occasion he's hit clean up. Blake's hitting .320 against lefties. Feliz is hitting .208 against the southpaws.
Advantage: Dodgers

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins (PHI) v Rafael Furcal (LAD)
We've heard so much talk of Rollins not being the same player as his MVP season of 2007. He's not the same player, granted, but Rollins still is a leader on the Phillies. Compare his 2009 stats to that of Furcal. The only stat where Furcal has the advantage is in batting average, and I'm including fileding percentage.
Advantage: Phillies

Left field: Raul Ibanez (PHI) v Manny Ramirez (LAD)
At the beginning of the season, Ibanez was well on his way to being a viable MVP candidate. A stint on the DL curbed that, but Raul put together is best offensvie season of his career. Manny put together a 50 game suspension for violating the league's drug policy. And he wasn't the same Manny after returning.
Advantage: Phillies

Center field: Shane Victorino (PHI) v Matt Kemp (LAD)
A push? Almost. These are the two best fielding center fielders in the NL. The difference is with the stick. Kemp has more a of tendency to go deep. Believe it or not, Kemp also had more stolen bases.
Advantage: Dodgers

Right field: Jayson Werth (PHI) v Andre Ethier (LAD)
Name one ML team that wouldn't love to have either of these guys in right field. You can't really. They both hit for power and deliver clutch hits.
Advantage: Push

Catcher: Carlos Ruiz (PHI) v Russell Martin (LAD)
Both Ruiz and Martin are great defensively and can regularly throw out potential thefts on the base paths. It all comes down to the bat. Last year, Martin had the clear cut advantage. This year, not so much. Despite playing in 36 less games, Ruiz had more homers (9 to 7) and only 10 less RBI (43 to 53). Ruiz doesn't strikeout as often either, and he's been hitting in the postseason while Martin is still struggling.
Advantage: Phillies

Starting pitching:
Neither manager has announced any type of a rotation as of this post, but here's what I know. The Phillies will most likley go with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton and maybe J.A. Happ. I anticipate L.A. to keep the same three (Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla) and throw in possibly Hiroki Kuroda if he can go. If not, then Chad Billingsley is a potential 4th starter. You look at the names and it seems like a runaway for the Phillies. Not so fast. The Dodgers starters had the best ERA during the regular season. Those guys can flat out pitch.
Advantage: Push

Bullpen:
Both teams sport a lefty specialist (Scott Eyre for PHI and Hong-Chih Kuo for LAD). But where the Dodgers are better suited in the pen is George Sherrill. He's closed before with success. Add this: the Dodgers have the league's best pen, too.
Advantage: Dodgers

Closer: Brad Lidge (PHI) v Jonathon Broxton (LAD)
This season has been a chronicle for Lidge. Last year, he was perfect. This year, he had a ton of blown saves. But keep this in mind. Lidge didn't struggle in the NLDS against the Rockies. He almost resembled the Lidge of '08 in the clincher displaying his nasty slider. Broxton works on the other end of the spectrum. Hw throws heat and dares you to think about swinging at a 100mph pitch. Lidge has been here before, so that closes the gap.
Advantage: Dodgers

Bench:
The Phillies have the "professional hitter", Matt Stairs. The Dodgers can now match that with Jim Thome. The Phillies have a great pinch hitter in Greg Dobbs. The Dodgers can counter with Mark Loretta. Philly has Ben Francisco to be a defensive replacement in the outfield. L.A. has their "glue" in Juan Pierre.
Advantage: Dodgers

If you go down the positions (according to my breakdown), it's even. The tie breaker: managers. I know the Phillies won with Charlie Manuel last year, but I have to go with Joe Torre. There's not a situation he hasn't seen. Put this tidbit in your rolodex: Torre has said he most likely will not return as the Dodger skipper following next season. Makes you wonder if the motivational mind of Torre isn't already at work.

Dodgers in 6 for me.

MLB NL Playoff Breakdown

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Season series: Cards 5-2

First base: Albert Pujols (Cardinals)/ James Loney (Dodgers)
Advantage: Cardinals
Pujols is not going to be MVP for nothing, but he's asked to do much more than Loney.

Second base: Skip Schumaker (Cardinals)/Orlando Hudson (Dodgers)
Advantage: Dodgers
Offensively, it's pretty much a push, but Hudson is a former Gold Glover and Schumaker just took up the position this year.

Shortstop: Brenden Ryan (Cardinals)/Rafael Furcal (Dodgers)
Advantage: Cardinals
Ryan wasn't even the starter at the beginning of the season, but he's been the most pleasant surprise. Furcal is actually the one the Dodgers need to find his swing as he sets the table for Ramirez, Ethier, and Kemp

Third base: Mark DeRosa (Cardinals)/Casey Blake (Dodgers)
Advantage: PUSH
Both can control the bat, both are better than adequate fielders. It's almost like seeing double.

Left field: Matt Holliday (Cardinals)/Manny Ramirez (Dodgers)
Advantage: Cardinals
Holliday led the charge for the Cards and has taken considerable pressure off Pujols. Meanwhile, Manny's just Manny.

Center field: Colby Rasmus (Cardinals)/Matt Kemp (Dodgers)
Advantage: Dodgers
Kemp is the most complete player on the Dodger roster and is a 5 tool player. Rasmus is a legit Rookie of the Year candidate.

Right field: Ryan Ludwick (Cardinals)/Andre Ethier (Dodgers)
Advantage: Dodgers
This is so close, but Ethier's knack for heroics is the only difference.

Catcher: Yadier Molina (Cardinals)/Russell Martin (Dodgers)
Advantage: Cardinals
What Molina doesn't generate with the bat, he more than makes up for it with his glove and arm. Martin struggled almost all season and never got on track.

Starting pitching: Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro (Cardinals)/Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Vicente Padilla (Dodgers)
Advantage: Cardinals
Carpenter and Wainwright will battle it out for the Cy Young in the NL. But the Dodgers pitching staff did lead the NL in ERA (3.41). The Dodgers starting situation appears so up in the air that this looks lopsided.

Closer: Ryan Franklin (Cardinals)/Jonathon Broxton (Dodgers)
Advantage: Dodgers
The main reason for the Dodgers get this one is that Franklin has struggled a bit as of late.

As much as everyone wants to write of Joe Torre's guys, I wouldn't be so quick to do so. While I think the Cards should prevail, it could easily go the full five games if L.A. gets quality starts. Funny, the Dodgers had the NL's best record and it feels like they're underdogs due to the way they finished the season. Oh yeah, the Dodgers are the underdog. The Cards, 3-1.

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Season series: Phillies won 4-2

First base: Todd Helton (Rockies)/Ryan Howard (Phillies)
Advantage: Phillies
Helton holds the Rockies together, but Howard is the most potenet bat (and an underrated fielder) in the Phils lineup.

Second base: Clint Barmes (Rockies)/Chase Utley (Phillies)
Advantage: Phillies
This is a no-brainer, but Barmes has emerged as a legit ML second baseman.

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies)/Jimmy Rollins (Phillies)
Advantage: Rockies
Tulo has carried the Rockies while Rollins has not come cloe to returning to his MVP form.

Third base: Ian Stewart (Rockies)/Pedro Feliz (Phillies)
Advatage: PUSH
Stewart hits more for power and Feliz hits more for average.

Left field: Seth Smith or Ryan Spilborghs (Rockies)/Raul Ibanez (Phillies)
Advantage: Phillies
Before he was injured, Ibanez was a legit MVP contender. With his injury, he had his best offesive season ever.

Center field: Carlos Gonzalez or Dexter Fowler (Rockies)/Shane Victorino (Phillies)
Advantage: Phillies
Victorino could win the Gold Glove. His D is a major difference.

Right field: Brad Hawpe (Rockies)/Jayson Werth (Phillies)
Advatage: Phillies
The only reason I give Werth the nod is he's been more consistent for the season. Hawpe has struggled since the All-Star game.

Starting pitching: Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, Jorge de la Rosa, Aaron Cook (Rockies)/Cliff Lee, J.A. Happ, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton (Phillies)
Advantage: Phillies
If the Rockies starters weren't so beat up, they could make this a very interesting series.

Closer: Huston Street (Rockies)/Brad Lidge (Phillies)
Advantage: Rockies
Is there any need for stating why Street gets the nod? Here's one anyway. Street has blown only 2 saves this year. There.

If the Rockies starting staff can get healthy, this would be a tight series as the Phillies bullpen issues may affect Happ's playoff status. There's been talk of moving Happ to the bullpen. That would leave Le and Hamels but does Blanton get the start for game 3? If Happ does not go the the pen, he starts game 3 and that might be the closing game. I don't think the Rockies can deal with the Phillies offense. Phils in 4.

Zito key to Giants postseason hopes

The San Francisco Giants are taking a run at the NL Wild Card again. I say again because of the torrid run the Colorado Rockies have been on until recently that saw thew Rockies overtake the Giants. The Rockies have now dropped four straight after losing a 5-3 decision to the Giants at AT&T Park last night. The Giants victory pulls them to within one game of the Rockies in the Wild Card standings. And the Giants are once again relevant in the NL West standings sitting only six games behind the hated rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pitching wins games and everyone knows of the 1-2 punch the Giants pitching staff offers in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. But the key to the Giants run might be identified as Barry Zito. Barry Zito? That's right, Barry Zito. How can that be? Last night Zito's line: 8.1 IP, 8 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.

In the offseason, the Giants brought in future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. The original thought was that Johnson would be the #3 in the Giants rotation. But Johnson has been on the disabled list since July 7 with a bum shoulder (torn rotator cuff). There's a chance the Big Unit could be back this season, but that's still up in the air. Johnson is 8-6, but his ERA is 4.81.

Next choice: Jonathan Sanchez? Sanchez did throw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on July 10th and he was actually headed to the bullpen, maybe even Triple-A when he tossed his no-no. Since that game, Sanchez is 3-2 and has knocked 0.41 off of his ERA. That's pretty good. But look at Zito.

The Giants drove a Brink's truck to snare Zito from their across the bay American League rivals, the Oakland A's. Zito took the money and has suffered ever since. Not because his back pockets were weighing him down, although A's fans would try to convince you otherwise. Zito suffered due largely to being ineffective and having a shattering of his confidence. That confidence could have taken an even bigger hit with the fact that both Johnson and Sanchez were seen as better options in the rotation.

But Zito has turned his season, and maybe his career, 180 degrees. Since the All-Star Game, Zito has started to show slight glimpses of what made him the 2002 AL Cy Young winner. Since the All-Star Game, Zito has a 4-2 record with a 1.92 ERA. Before the break, Zito was 5-9 with a 5.01 ERA. For the season: 9-11, 3.94 ERA. The All-Star break helped Zito as much as any player in baseball. The break appears to have given Zito a new lease in San Francisco and if the Giants were to make the postseason, he may have even pitched himself into the #3 slot. That could see him get a start, maybe even two, depending how big of a run the Giants would make.

The Giants can make a run deep into the playoffs and they will need Zito to keep up his personal run if the Giants have a chance to win the NL Wild Card, maybe even the NL West.

Zito is important to the Giants. He's back, not all the way, but he's getting there.