NLCS Preview: Phillies @ Dodgers
Posted by Antonio Antenucci on October 15, 2009
Okay, so I seem to have been very wrong about the Dodgers, the Cards were no competition for them. I was right about the Phillies in 4, so I’m batting .500. This should be a great series. Both teams have good offenses and pitching.
The Phillies need to be on top of their game to beat these Dodgers. The starting pitching wasn’t great in the NLDS, with the exception of Cliff Lee of course. Hammels and Happ need to rebound after shaky appearances, and I don’t really trust Martinez n the playoffs. The 9th still worries me with this team.
The Phillie’s offense has been great. Six starters are hitting above .300 and only 3B Pedro Feliz is hitting below .250, sitting at .208. They are going to need to be very productive to beat the Dodgers.
The Dodgers surprised many by their dominance of St. Louis and their pitchers. More surprising was Vicente Padilla’s pitching performance. If the Dodger’s pitchers keep pitching like they have been, it puts them in good shape against a tough Phillies lineup. The offense has been pretty good, Andre Either and Rafael Furcal are each hitting .500. Manny will need to continue to be productive.
Phillies Key To Success: Closer- Yes, still the closer role. I know closers not named Mariano Rivera have had a rough post season so far, but the closer is still one of the most important positions. I’m not sold on Lidge’s 1.1 innings this October.
Dodger’s Key To Success: Manny Ramirez- I see him having a monster series and helping to carry this team to the pennant.
Prediction: LAD Over PHI In 6 Games- I think Torre is destined for another World Series trip. The Dodgers will treat the Phillies like they were named the Cardinals, though the Phillies will put up more of a fight.
