- Phil Sheridan of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about the thirstiest sports town in the universe finally draws closer to title drink.

- Bill Plaschke of The L.A. Times writes about Dodgers’ fans booing their club into the offseason after their terrible performance in Game 5.

- T.J. Simers writes that even though the Dodgers fell short, Manny Ramirez made them important again.

- Rich Hofmann writes that the Fightin’ Phils get to write a new chapter in their history.

- Bill Shaikin writes that Dodger veterans Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux and Nomar Garciaparra deserved a better ending.

- Bob Ford reminds Phillie fans to savor this victory.

Here are five observations from the Phillies’ 5-1 series clinching victory over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS:

Cole Hamels is a worthy MVP. The dude was just downright un-hittable. Other than Manny’s homer in the sixth inning, Hamels limited the rest of the Dodgers to just five hits over seven innings. Philly better hope he pitches this way in the World Series because he is the only reliable starter they have.

Manny goes out with a bang. Manny’s solo shot in the sixth inning may have been the last time Angelinos see No. 99 launch a baseball into the outfield seats. It certainly is a priority for LA to re-sign Ramirez, but the big question of the off-season is whether or not Frank McCourt will fork over the money that Manny is going to be asking for. Stay tuned.

Joe Torre isn’t exactly a strategic manager. James Loney seemed to be the only Dodger besides Manny Ramirez to have any success swinging the bat in this series. Loney had two hits in this game to raise his average in the series to .438. So the question is: Why didn’t Joe Torre ever bat him clean up? Or how about putting the guy in front of Manny. Andre Ethier and Russel Martin, the Dodgers’ number two and four hitters respectively, were a combined 7-39 (.179) with one RBI.

I take back what I said about Blake DeWitt. I’ll admit I was wrong on this one. Other than his three run triple in Game 3, DeWitt was absolutely atrocious in this series, especially with runners in scoring position. He was 0-2 in this game, including grounding into an inning ending double play in the second inning. DeWitt would later be taken out of the game in favor of Jeff Kent. For the series, DeWitt batted just .077.

Ryan Howard’s homerless streak continues. It is pretty remarkable that after all the home runs Ryan Howard hit during the regular season, especially in September, that the former NL MVP has yet to go yard in nine postseason games. He did pick up three hits tonight, but the Phillies need Howard to smack some baseballs over the fence if they have any hopes of bringing home a World Series Championship.

For the majority of the season, Joe Torre faced criticism for failing to move the Dodgers to the top of their division. His talents as a World Series-caliber manager were questioned: Was it Torre that got the Yankees into the playoffs, or the players alone? As he always does usual, Torre remained calm and optimistic. Then, Manny Ramirez came around and the Dodgers found themselves sweeping the Cubs in the NLDS. The negative remarks quickly quelled, and Torre was once again hailed as a genius. But after his decisions in Game 4 of the NLCS on Monday, that harsh criticism has resurfaced.

In street clothes and a blue cap bearing the name of the Safe At Home Foundation he created, Torre took the podium for a noon news conference and answered questions about the widely scrutinized decisions he made in Game 4 — from his call to pull Derek Lowe in the sixth inning to his choices about which relievers he used and when.

Torre said he didn’t second-guess any of his decisions.

“You wish the result was different,” he said. “If we all know the results, we certainly say, ‘Yeah, maybe I should have done that and done this.’ But with what I had at hand and knowing what I wanted to do, the only thing I’d like to change is the result.

“I have a two-run lead in the seventh inning, the game’s in my court and then the winning home run is hit off my closer.

“I don’t know what I could say to myself that would change what I would do, to be honest with you.”

The only change Torre said he envisioned making today would be to re-insert Matt Kemp into the lineup. Kemp, who has hit .208 in his six postseason starts, had his place in center field taken by Juan Pierre in Game 4.

I’ve always been a fan of Joe Torre. When he arrived in Los Angeles, he did the best he could with what Dodgers GM Ned Colletti had given him. Without a big bat in the top of the order, he still remained neck and neck with Arizona. Manny was only the missing link, and he certainly proved it.

Still, even with Ramirez in the lineup, Torre has made some confusing decisions. Monday against the Phillies, he pulled Lowe in the top of the sixth, after only throwing 70 plus pitches and giving up two runs. Granted, he was only on three days rest, but he has just pitched his only one-two-three inning of the game. Then, he pulls Hong Chi Kuo—a pitcher the Phillies have been awful against—after giving up one single to Jimmy Rollins. These two decisions probably cost the Dodgers the series. Torre brought in all the wrong pitchers at all the wrong times. A string of bad decision killed Dodgers chances of tying this series: a twenty-year old Clayton Kershaw, a struggling Chan Ho Park, an inconsistent Joe Beimel, and a tired Cory Wade. With nowhere to go, in the top of the eighth inning Torre brought in their young, overworked closer, Jonathan Broxton. After elder statesman Matt Stairs hit a monster homerun into the right field pavilion, the Dodgers fans fell silent. Joe Torre’s critics, however, erupted.

Torre needs Chad Billinglsey to give him at least six good innings in the game tonight. If this doesn’t happen, the Dodgers are finished. However, with a lead going into the seventh, the Dodgers have two strong relievers in Kuo and James McDonald, who shut down the Phillies in Game 2. Then, it will come down to Big John Broxton, who’s hopefully learned a thing or two from Matt Stairs.

Here are five things I noticed when watching the Dodgers and Phillies square off in game two of the NLCS on Friday:

1. The Phillies have a new 1-2 punch. Ok, not quite. But you would think so after watching pitcher Brett Myers and CF Shane Victorino carve up Dodger pitching on Thursday. The two combined to drive in six of the Phillies’ eight runs. It’s one thing to have guys like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins beat you, but Victorino and Myers? Shocking stat of the playoffs: Myers has more RBI (three) this postseason than Ryan Howard (one).

2. Don’t piss off Manny. Granted, this guy will hit a home run in whatever mood he’s in. But its especially fun to watch when Ramirez gets ticked off. In the first inning, Myers nearly hit Manny with a pitch that went sailing behind him. So what does M-Ram do when Myers challenges him again in the fourth inning? He smacks the ball into the stands and gives Myers a few choice words while walking into the dugout.

3. James McDonald is a stud. The Dodgers rook pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, struck out five and gave up just two hits. They say you can tell what a player is made of by the way he performs in October. Well, McDonald looks like he’s got it.

4. 2-out Ribbies. It’s probably the most important stat you’ll find in playoff baseball. Nothing is more discouraging for a pitcher - and more clutch for a hitter - than driving in a run with two outs. Six of the Phillies’ eight runs came with two outs in an inning. The Dodgers scored four of their five runs with two outs.

5. Tommy Lasorda givin’ up on his boys too early. If you were watching the game when the Phils were pushing across four more runs in the third inning, FOX cameras caught Tommy Lasorda taking an early exit from the game. I know it was 8-2 at that point, but shouldn’t Lasorda at least stick around a little longer?

Series heads back to LA on Sunday where I’m predicting the Dodgers get back into this series. Or at least let’s hope so we can see a decent series…

Unlike the division series that began in 1995, the ALCS and NLCS has been played since 1969. Before that, there was just a World Series. Anyway, with the two series underway to determine who will play in the 2008 fall classic, we’ll take a look at the career Top 5 in LCS play in both batting average and starting pitching ERA. Enjoy, and hope you’re enjoying the games…..

Batting Average

1. Kevin Youkilis (.531)—Okay, so Kevin Youkilis has only played in one full LCS, last year’s ALCS with Boston, and he just began his second, against Tampa . Last year, Youkilis went 14 for 28 with a double, a triple, three homers, and 7 RBI. And last night he went 3 for 4 with two doubles. Sox fans not surprisingly love this guy as well as, or in spite of, his facial hair.

2. Mark Grace (.515)—Mark Grace played in two league championship series—in 1989 with the Cubs and in 2001 with the Diamondbacks. Despite the fact that Gracey hit .647 with a homer and 8 RBI in the 1989 NLCS, the Cubs lost to the Giants. Are you surprised?

3. Will Clark (.468)—First baseman Will Clark has played in three NLCS—1987 and 1989 with the Giants and 2000 with the Cardinals. He hit .360, .650 and .412 in those series, respectively. It’s worth noting that the .650 was against Mark Grace’s Cubs. That, and a billy goat, partially explains the result of that series.

4. Craig Counsell (.400)—“Screech” is lights out in the LCS (with Florida in 1997 and Arizona in 2001), but has a .212 average in the NLDS and .130 World Series mark. Huh?

5. Mickey Rivers (.386)—Talk about consistency. In three straight ALCS appearances for Rivers’ Yankees against the Royals (1976-78), he was almost impossible to pitch to, hitting .348, .391, and .455. Considering Rivers was the Yankees’ leadoff man, do I have to tell you who won each series?

Starting Pitching ERA (note: we only included those who have started more games than they relieved)

1. Gary Nolan (1.35)—Gary Nolan pitched in four NLCS for the Reds—1970, 1972, 1975 and 1976. In four starts, he went 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA, and 16 strikeouts. Though Nolan was a very good 3.08 in his career during the regular season, he clearly knew how to turn it up a notch when it counted most.

2. Orel Hershiser (1.52)—Orel Hershiser was almost unhittable in 1988, but in all he pitched in five LCS—1985 and 1988 with the Dodgers; 1995 and 1997 with Cleveland, and 1999 with the Mets. His record in championship series play? 4-0 with the 1.52 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

3. Jeff Suppan (1.69)—Jeff Suppan has pitched in three NLCS, all with the Cardinals—2004-06. His numbers are aided mostly by those two ridiculous starts in 2006 against the Mets when he gave up one earned run in 15 innings of work. And as a Mets fan, I do mean ridiculous literally.

4. Randy Johnson (1.72)—The Big Unit has been lights out in LCS play—in 1995 with Seattle and in 2001 with the D-Backs. In those two series, he went 2-1 with 32 strikeouts and just 5 walks in 31 innings. The man is just sick.

5. Fernando Valenzuela (1.95)—Fernando Valenzuela was like a cult hero for the Dodgers and pitched for them in three LCS—1981, 1983 and 1985. Over that time, Valenzuela, who’s out pitch was a screwball, went 3-1 with 28 strikeouts.

Source: Baseball Reference

Philadelphia Phillies’ ace Cole Hamels will start in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday night. And as the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, the 24-year old pitcher learned in his one postseason start last year that the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season.

But talent isn’t enough in the playoffs, which Hamels realized last season when he walked an uncharacteristic four batters and allowed three runs in his postseason debut against the Rockies. In front of a packed house, with a nip in the air, and the realization that every pitch can hasten the end of a season, the psychology of the game can change.

The X-factor is to harness that change. And, ultimately, to ignore it.

Hamels admitted that in the past he has allowed the emotions of pitching in a big game to affect him. But in Game 1 of the NLDS last Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, he pitched one of the finest games of his career. He threw eight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk. He struck out nine.

Hamels attributes the success to a peace of mind he achieved through his workout routine.

“I think when [I'm] so focused on making myself feel healthy and feel strong, then you don’t really think about the game as much,” he said. “You just think about trying to be in the best possible shape I can be in…I think that’s taken a lot of my thought processes away from all the games I had during the season…And I think it’s helped me right now, because I want to be that guy that can go out there into the postseason and have success. And I think the success for me is not necessarily what’s on the scoreboard, but feeling healthy, because I know if I do feel healthy I can help this team out.”

I hope this kid succeeds. He’s got a great head on his shoulders and you can tell in his comments that he respects himself and respects the game. It’s incredibly hard for young players to perform on the postseason stage when they’ve never been there before, but succeeding in the playoffs is what great players do.

Can’t wait to check out Hamels vs. Manny Ramirez.

Not since the 1993 World Series team has the Philadelphia Phillies gone this far. With their 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS, the Phillies are heading to the NLCS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. And as Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, this Phillies team might be one of destiny.

For the homegrown nucleus of this team - Utley and Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels and Brett Myers - reaching the NLCS marks a major milestone. Having grown up in this organization together through mostly futile years, they have lived in the shadow of the 1980 world champions and the beloved 1993 World Series club.

Now it is their time. Now they can write their own chapters in the book of Schmidt and Carlton, of Dykstra and Schilling.

“This team has a lot of heart,” Myers said. “To be the first team to go this far since ‘93, it’s huge. We’re going to try to put ‘93 in the past where it should be. We’re going to try to take it a little further and actually win this whole thing.”

Rollins, who led off the game with a towering home run to right field, has been this team’s oracle. He predicted 100 wins for these Phillies, a number he realized was still attainable. After all, he never said “in the regular season.”

“We can get to 103,” Rollins said. “That’s the number.”

It would take eight more wins, of course, to get to 103: four against the Dodgers and four more in the World Series.

The Phillies’ 95th victory was a perfect example of what they will have to do to beat a Dodgers team that exploded offensively to sweep the Chicago Cubs in the division series. They will have to continue pitching well, but they will also have to hit the ball. They did just that today, blasting four home runs - two by Burrell, one by Rollins, and one by Jayson Werth. It was the kind of game this lineup hadn’t produced in its six previous playoff games, going back to last year.

I think Philly was fortunate to get a weary Milwaukee team, but that’s not to take anything away from them. They’ll get a great test in the Dodgers and I think it’s a great matchup all the way around.

Cole Hamels vs. Manny Ramirez? Sign me up.

After being swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS, Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that this is the worst Cubs postseason collapse to date.

The Cubs are now 9-22 in postseason play since 1984. They’re 0-6 the last two years. They’re 18-50 since they last won a World Series in 1908.

In this final game of 2008, starting pitcher Rich Harden was average, and everybody else … aw, the whole team simply stunk.

This is the thing about Cubs players and managers. They always say they don’t believe in curses, they don’t believe in any of that nonsense, they only play ‘em one game at a time.

This may all be true. Indeed, there are times when I believe Soriano is not sure what planet he is on, let alone what century.

But the fans, the people who live in Chicago, the ones who aren’t on free-agent contracts but who throw in with the Cubs year after year, without fail, from childhood ’til senility — those are the people who get wounded again and again, without let up, without relief.
One hundred years are over, and now we start on another century.

To trust in the Cubs is to expect — and get — the worst.

Cubs fans deserve better. There seems to be the belief that Cubs fans almost want the club to lose so that they can remain everybody’s “lovable losers.” But not true Cub fans – they’re dying right now with each excruciating loss. When a team wins 97 games and runs away with their division, one would think they could produce one postseason victory.

Maybe curses are real.