Phillies vs. Dodgers is a classic match-up
For those of us who have been around long enough to remember those great battles between the Dodgers and Phillies that took place in 1977, '78 and '83, it will seem very strange to see Larry Bowa in a Dodgers uniform. For Dodgers fans, it will be equally strange to see Davey Lopes in a Phillies jersey. These two warriors of past post-season skirmishes between Dodgers blue and Phillies red will be on the field as Dodgers third-base coach and Phillies first-base coach respectively. It is just a fun sidebar to an NLCS battle that has several other interesting news angles, not the least of which is that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was the hitting coach and, later, manager of Manny Ramirez when they were both in Cleveland.
Ramirez is the hottest hitter in the post season, having batted .500 against the Cubs in the Dodgers' three-game sweep. However, Ramirez has not killed the Phillies. Of course, lurking in the background is this scary stat: Ramirez has hit 10 homers off Jamie Moyer and is batting .340 against him.
Both teams got out the brooms this year. When the Phillies went to L.A., the team was swept in four games. However, the Phillies returned the favor in Citizens Bank Park when they took four games from the Dodgers.
The first game in the NLCS features the Dodgers at Phillies on Thurs., Oct. 9, at 8:22pm. All games will be shown on Fox.
Pitching: The Dodgers have the best ERA in the National League, led by post-season veteran Derek Lowe (14-11 3.24), Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14) and Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 3.73). Lowe is 4-1 with two saves and a 3.02 ERA in his career against the Phillies. The Phillies counter with Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09), Brett Myers (10-13, 4.56) and Moyer (16-7 3.71), who pitched in the ALCS in 2001 while with the Mariners.
The edge in starting pitching goes to L.A. The Phillies have the better bullpen, led by Brad Lidge, who has yet to blow a save this year, and J.C. Romero. Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton blew a save against the Phillies on Aug. 24.
Hitting: Ramirez is scary. He is the all-time postseason leader in home runs, including two against the Cubs, for a career total of 26. He is not alone. After losing much of the season to an injury, shortstop Rafael Furcal is back. He is a spark for the offense. First baseman James Loney batted .289, and catcher Russell Martin is one of the best young players in the game.
The Phillies managed to beat the Brewers without a lot of production out of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Pat Burrell broke his no-hit string with two homers and a single in the clinching victory against Milwaukee. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth provided most of the offense against the Brew Crew. The Phils need Howard and Utley to produce against the Dodgers. The good news: Burrell, Rollins, Utley and Howard are all hitting more than .300 lifetime against Billingsley. All but Howard have hit well against Lowe in their careers. The bad news: they have all been terrible against Kuroda.
The Prediction: Utley and Howard's bats come alive against the Dodgers' right-handed starters, and Lidge remains lights out. Phillies in 7.
Sporting Events
FRIDAY OCT. 10
Sun Bank Golf & Sporting Clays Invitational
Mariott's Seaview Golf Resort 401 S. New York Rd., Galloway. 652-1800. The 13th annual event is a unique event that pairs the exciting sport of clay shooting with golf. This year's event honors Michael Azeez of UNITEL. The tournament has raised $980,000 since it began. Call 404-4483.
SATURDAY OCT. 11
Continuing a longtime collaboration and advancing mutual educational interests, The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage and The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey today announced a partnership resulting in the largest gift in the history of the College.
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