This series has the National League's two most dominant franchises.
It's got Albert Pujols.
It's got Manny Ramirez.
It's got Captain Clutch.
It's managers have brought their teams to 11 World Series.
What more could you want?
Well, we know who's going to win.
What do the Dodgers need to win?
Joe Torre's squad needs to turn things around after struggling through August and September. Los Angeles had hopped out to the best record in baseball at one point but went 31-28 down the stretch and barely won the division.
So they don't have momentum on their side.
One of the reasons the Dodgers struggled was a lack of production from Russell Martin, who saw his average drop 30 points and his power numbers almost cut in half.
The Dodgers have a more balanced offense than the Cardinals so they'll need to try to wear down St. Louis' starters.
If a player such as Martin can have a hot series, the Dodgers can pull this out.
Key player
It's hard to believe but it's Randy Wolf.
The Southpaw had a very strong second half. If the Dodgers are going to win this series, he needs to sneak out a win against a possible Cy Young winner. If he can do that, the Dodgers might just pull this off.
What do the Cardinals need to win?
Well, they can count on Prince Albert. Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter have post season experience, as does Matt Holliday. So Tony La Russa's team should be the favorite in this match-up, despite having fewer wins.
The Cardinals however, will have to rely on some of their no-name players.
If nobody gets on base for Albert and Holliday it doesn't matter how many extra-base hits those two collect.
Key player Carpenter and Wainwright have gotten all the Cy Young hype, however Joel Pineiro is what separates this team from the rest of the National League field. The man flat out wins now that he's a No.3 starter on a good team. And if he does that in the playoffs, the Cardinals should win this match-up easily.Three reasons to watch this series
- Albert Pujols - Need we say more?
- The Managerial Match-Up - You've got two of the best managers of all time in Joe Torre and Tony La Russa. Joe's been to the playoffs every season since 1995 and has equaled Bobby Cox' run. Tony La Russa has taken five teams to the World Series. So watch and learn.
- Young and the Restless - There are several players on both rosters - Wainwright, James Loney, Andre Ethier - who deserve to be in the spotlight. One of them will probably grab it.
Magic Number 18 - Career home runs Matt Holliday has against the Dodgers. It's his most against any team. The slugger is looking for a big payday this off-season and solid series against Los Angeles could assure that influx of cash.
Prognosticator
Cardinals in four.
Short and sweet.
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