MLB Playoffs 2011: 7 Players to Watch as Cardinals and Phillies Decide Things

Even though Cliff Lee had a rough start on Sunday night, the Philadelphia Phillies will be back in action tonight in St. Louis to try to regain their lead in the NLDS. However, as has already been proven, the St. Louis Cardinals are not going to go down without a fight. They have a very solid lineup and are definitely capable of making a lot of noise for the remainder of the series.

Let's take a look then at a mixture of seven players from both teams who will be incredibly important as the verdict is drawn.

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is starting Game 3 for the Philadelphia Phillies. Beyond the fact that starting pitchers are always very important to any game, he is particularly important in this case because of the way the Phillies lost Game 2.

The St. Louis Cardinals surely have the momentum right now. They came back to beat the Phillies and Cliff Lee, and they have to be very excited about that. Therefore, it will be very important for the Phillies to have Hamels stop any type of rally that the Cardinals have begun.

Albert Pujols

I know this is an incredibly obvious choice, but I couldn't continue this list without mentioning Albert Pujols. He is arguably the best hitter in baseball right now, so that clearly makes him a very large part of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup.

Although he had what may very well be the worst season of his career, it was still an amazing year, which is saying something. He hit .299 with 36 home runs and 99 RBI. When you are used to this type of production from the middle of the lineup, it is very important that it appears during a playoff series.

Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard was one of the most prolific run producers in the MLB this season. He drove in the third-most runs in the National League with 116 total. The Philadelphia Phillies have been using a different lineup than they had for much of the rest of the season, but Howard still hits cleanup.

Because of this, he needs to drive in those runs for the Phillies to be successful. The Phillies struggled in this regard this season, but if Howard is able to drive them in, this problem might be able to be alleviated.

Lance Berkman

I seem to be a little bit biased towards the power hitters, but the St. Louis Cardinals have a great core to their lineup with the already mentioned Albert Pujols and the resurgent Lance Berkman. Berkman had been a fearsome hitter throughout the decade but had a tough year last year.

This season has been a complete return to form, however. He hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBI. He has provided protection to Pujols in the lineup and has made opposing pitchers fear him as well. It is incredibly important for the St. Louis Cardinals to score runs, and Berkman produces a lot of them.

Jimmy Rollins

I, along with seemingly everybody else, really want to talk about Jimmy Rollins' impending free agency. However, it is most important right now to actually talk about the contribution he is expected to make to the Philadelphia Phillies this postseason.

Like I said before, the Phillies have had trouble scoring runs. If Rollins, their leadoff man, can set the table for the rest of the lineup, that will a long way in helping the Phillies produce. Runners need to be consistently on base, and Rollins has a large role in doing this.

Jamie Garcia

I made the point before that Cole Hamels cannot allow the St. Louis Cardinals to gain even more momentum. However, Jamie Garcia is important because that is what he is supposed to do. He will be starting Game 3 for the Cardinals, and he needs to be able to come up with a big start.

Garcia went 13-7 this season with a 3.56 ERA. He is also a left-handed pitcher, which will be to his advantage when facing the likes of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. It will be his job to make sure the Cardinals take full advantage of the momentum they have right now.

Hunter Pence

I think that it is important for Hunter Pence to stay hot for the Philadelphia Phillies. He has been one of the hottest hitters for the Phillies since they acquired him in July. He is also the Phillies' most important right-handed hitter to balance out the left-handed power.

If Pence is able to stay hot, this would definitely benefit the Phillies, especially against the left-handed Jamie Garcia in Game 3. I personally believe that whoever wins Game 3 will win the series. Pence is going to be an important part in any victory the Phillies have.