NLCS Preview: Phillies vs. Dodgers

Well, the Dodgers did a great job of making me look like an idiot when I doubted that pitching rotation that actually pitched very well. Of course, maybe take away one Matt Holliday nutshot and we have a different series, but that's baseball and now we're treated to what looks like it will be a really really good NLCS.

Again we have another scary rotation in the Phillies (who even got a save from Brad Lidge!), with King Cole taking the mound tonight against Clayton Kershaw. I think the key will be whether or not the Dodgers starters can continue to go deep into the game to hand a lead off to the bullpen to preserve, if that's the case then it's over for the Phillies. The Dodgers also have impressive players coming off the bench in Jim Thome, Juan Pierre, Orlando Hudson, etc. That could also be the difference. However, the Phillies have been in this same spot...last year even, and now they have Cliff Lee, Raul Ibanez, J. A. Happ, among others who are ready to step up and bring them back to the World Series.

I think the Dodgers get a couple shaky starts that lead to a couple losses, but bounce right back in this back in forth series to knock off the defending champs in a decisive Game 7.

Players to watch: Cole Hamels, Clayton Kershaw, J. A. Happ, George Sherrill, Dodgers bench players

The Prediction:

Dodgers in 7


Oh yeah, this series even brought us this awesome little image from ESPN.com's frontpage:




You're sittin on a goldmine, Trebek!

NLDS Preview: Cardinals vs. Dodgers

This has potential to be the best of the first round playoff series. Great pitching and a lot of offense are the strengths for both of these teams. The acquisition of Matt Holliday is working out pretty well, he was straight murdering the ball right away. He's back down to earth since then, but is definitely a key part of the Cardinals offense. The Dodgers had some trouble closing out the season, and Manny Ramirez has looked like...well... a guy that's no longer on steroids, but there's always a chance he'll find his stick in the playoffs, and between him, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier there's a lot of danger for a quick burst of offense.


Cardinals Player to Watch:

Matt Holliday, St. Louis definitely does not regret going after this guy as he has solidified himself as a key part of the Cardinals offense, which really wasn't all that bad to begin with...Albert Pujols, maybe you've heard of him? Let's not forget that Holliday's a free agent after this, so he'll definitely want to use this opportunity to fatten up any potential contract that's on the horizon after this postseason, I'm expecting big things from him.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Ludwick, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Franklin

Dodgers Player to Watch:

Clayton Kershaw, this kid got off to a great start this season before a shoulder injury hampered him. He's been kinda sketchy ever since. The Dodgers need their pitching in general to come up big and keep up with the superior Cardinals staff.

Honorable Mentions: Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton, Manny Ramirez

The Prediction:

While it does have potential to be the best matchup, to me the Cardinals pitching staff is just too good, and the Dodgers have too many question marks at the wrong time of the season. Carpenter, Wainwright, and Piniero are a lethal 1-2-3 punch and just might be enough to get a clean sweep of the Dodgers right back to Mannywood to lick their wounds. Speaking of, ManRam has been in a big slump lately and I just don't think he'll recover. The Cardinals get the edge in every aspect of this one to me, I like them to sweep.

Cardinals in 3

Manny Ramirez Suspended for 50 Games

The Dodgers tie the record for most consecutive home wins to start the season (12), the starting pitching is decent, they have a closer who's ready to be considered elite, and there's no shortage of offense..things were definitely looking up in Mannywood. Then the bomb drops. Manny Ramirez is suspended by MLB for testing positive for...wait for it... a female fertility drug.

Wasn't expecting that.

"The officials investigated Ramirez further and found evidence that he was using Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (H.C.G.), a fertility drug for women that has been known to be used by athletes to generate the body’s production of testosterone after steroid use." - NY Times

That makes more sense. This is extremely unfortunate and saddens me to no end. I've always been an avid fan of Manny and all his Mannyness, and I really don't want to believe that he's just another juicer like Canseco and Fairy Bonds. Manny of course claimed that it was a big misunderstanding and he didn't know the drug was banned blah blah blah, he's most likely just covering his own ass but I REALLY hope he's being honest. His legacy may already be tarnished by his antics in Boston and accusations of "not playing hard" but that was all at least entertaining. Now we're getting into some serious stuff....this doesn't bode well for the ManRam. I think the Dodgers will still be sitting in a pretty good position when he does return, especially since the NL West is sketchy at best minus the Dodgers.

If Albert Pujols is ever found to be taking performance enhancing drugs, I officially give up on baseball.