The Dodgers National League nemesis, the only team better than them last year and the only team standing in their way this year has returned.
Let's just hope the Dodgers fare better against the Phillies in 2009 than they did in 2008.
The Dodgers impressively swept through the Cardinals, giving them time to rest, to evaluate Hiroki Kuroda and to set their pitching up for the series.
I really like what Joe Torre did, announcing Kuroda for Game Three and Randy Wolf for Game Four. He's letting the elder statesmen, the veterans, pitch on the road while letting the young ace Clayton Kershaw and the newer guy, Vicente Padilla, pitch at home in Game's One and Two.
Kershaw hasn't done very well against the Phillies in his career, and this year in particular. Yet, I feel like he will pitch well.
Kershaw will pitch well enough to keep the Dodgers in the game. The question is how the offense does against Cole Hamels.
Hamels, in his lifetime (including the post-season) is 4-0 against the Dodgers with a 1.64 ERA. He owns them, and shut them down twice in the playoffs last year.
This isn't the same Cole Hamels, but he still has the stuff. It's going to be very important to scratch across two or three runs against him, preferably early on.
The key hitters in the lineup will be righties Matt Kemp and Manny Ramirez who have had very good success against Hamels in the past. When runners are on, these two are going to have to come up with hits.
They also need to lay off the changeup out of the zone, and take advantage of hanging curveballs. Hamels won't trick anyone with the bender and when he tries to get it over for a strike, the Dodgers need to take advantage.
For Clayton Kershaw, he needs to pound the strike zone. His stuff is electric, so throwing strikes is really all he needs to do. When he does give up a hit, and it will happen, it is important that he isn't hurt because he walked the batter in front of him.
The Dodgers start their voyage towards their first World Series since 1988 and Dodger fans are ready. This year's team has the experience, they have the talent and they have the swagger back.
Beginning at 5:00 tomorrow, the Dodgers will lay it all on the line. We'll talk more after Game One.
It's crazy, man. I can't even sleep from thinking about the game so much.
Winning Games 1 and 2 will be really crucial, if we want to build a rhythm.
I don't think I could agree more with what you said. Games 1 and 2 will be so crucial in this series. I don't feel like the Dodgers can afford a split, though I think they could bounce back. The important thing is to go to Philly up 2-0 and hopefully comeback up 3-2 and finish the series in Los Angeles.