NLCS: How To Take Down Those Fightin' Phils, from the Dodgers' Perspective

On Thursday night, the fun begins, as it's Los Angeles vs. Philadelphia for the N.L. title. It's the fourth time these team meet to determine the National League representative in the World Series.

Both teams have earned their place in this series. The Phillies won the East, holding off a Mets team that limped to the finish for a second time. Obviously, the GM and manager for the Mets deserve extensions on their contracts for such a result.

That is not to take anything from the Phillies; they have a talented lineup with power and high-average hitters. They also boast speed at the top with Rollins and Victorino, who have 47 and 36 stolen bases, respectively. Given the trouble Russell Martin has had lately of throwing runners out, it becomes imperative for the Dodgers' pitchers to keep these two burners off the basepaths.

Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell form the heart of the Philadelphia lineup. All have power—Utley and Burrell with 33 homers apiece and Howard with a league-leading 48—but Howard and Burrell hit in the .250 range while Utley checks in at .292. They all have topped 100 strikeouts, with Howard going down 199 times.

Given they are feast or famine type of hitters, it is critical for the Dodger pitching to keep the bases clear to minimize the damage when one of these big boppers get hold of one. Expect them to get hold of a few, just try to keep them to solo shots.

Fomer Dodger Jason Werth is a wild card to the Phillies' lineup. He is a superior defender, who powered 24 homers while stealing 20 bases and batting .273. While prone to striking out—119 times—he will have a great deal of motivation to beat his old team. The Dodgers would do well to limit his ability to cause damage.

Former Giant Pedro Feliz mans third base and is another .250-type hitter with fair power. Being a ex-jint, the Dodgers should stuff and bag him as they have done many times in the past. But like a rattlesnake with it's head cut off, you must handle him carefully because his venom can still cause injury.

Catcher Carlos Ruiz is an excellent defensive backstop with a cannon for an arm. His bat more resembles the wick, hitting only .219 with 4 homers. He does have a good eye though, with more walks than strikeouts. Running on Ruiz is precarious at best, so only people like Rafael Furcal, Matt Kemp, and Juan Pierre should try to test him.

Phillie pitching is very good, coming in fourth in the N.L. in ERA, while the Dodgers lead the league. The Dodgers also have superior numbers in strikeouts, walks, and home runs allowed. This can be traced to Dodger Stadium being a much better ballpark for pitchers and the Phillies' home, Citizens Bank Park, one of the newer stadiums in the majors, being kinder to the batters.

Just like with the series against the Cubs, Dodger batters must be patient at the plate, not getting themselves out on bad pitches. Unlike Chicago hurlers, the Phillies may challenge the Dodger hitters more, so the key will to not take too many strikes and have to hit while in the hole.

Given Joe Torre and Don Mattingly have been counseling their hitters in this approach this year, the young Dodger hitters should consider this series a crucial exam that must be passed as to be allowed to take the finals—in the World Series.

Veteran hitters such as Furcal, Casey Blake, Jeff Kent, and Manny Ramirez know these lessons well. They need to lead by example for Martin, Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Blake DeWitt. This nice blend of youth and experience has served the Dodgers well the last couple of months and must continue to overcome the Phillie staff.

As Bette Davis noted in All About Eve (1950), "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" I look for the game in this series to be tight affairs and for the Dodger to prevail four games to two.