MLB Playoffs 2011: Roy Oswalt Gives Phillies Clear Advantage in Game 4

Right about now, there may be no person more beloved in Philadelphia than Ben Francisco. After all, his pinch-hit three-run home run ended up being the difference in the Phillies' 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

On Wednesday, Roy Oswalt will take the hill in Game 4 hoping to supplant Francisco as the king of Philadelphia. If he pitches well, the Phillies are all but assured to move on to the National League Championship Series for the fourth year in a row.

Though not as dominant as he once was, Oswalt should be able to handle himself well enough. He's no stranger to the postseason atmosphere, and he's always pitched well against the Cardinals.

Heck, just take a look at his career numbers against the Cards, most of which were accumulated during Oswalt's days in the NL Central with the Houston Astros. He's appeared in 31 games against St. Louis in his career, in which he's compiled an ERA of 3.19.

To boot, Oswalt pitched pretty well the last time he faced the Cardinals in St. Louis in the postseason. That was back in Game 6 of the 2005 National League Championship Series, in which Oswalt pitched the Astros to a win with seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball.

Opposing Oswalt on Wednesday will be Edwin Jackson, who the Cardinals got in a trade in late July. He pitched well for the Cardinals upon joining the team, but you just never really know what you're going to get out of Jackson. He tends to put a lot of hitters on base, and that could be his undoing against a patient club like the Phillies.

Additionally, Jackson has never started a postseason game before. He appeared in a handful of games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, but starting in the postseason is uncharted territory for him.

So if the question is which starting pitcher will blink first, you have to think it will be Jackson.

It's not all bad for the Cardinals, though. Despite the fact he has seven hits in 13 at bats in the series, the Phillies have done a pretty good job of keeping Albert Pujols in check. That could change on Wednesday, as Pujols has hit Oswalt very well in his career. Pujols has faced Oswalt 86 times, and he has hit .302 with five home runs against him.

Even if it doesn't come from Pujols, the Cardinals could definitely use a boost in Game 4. If they get one, they'll live to see a Game 5.

If needed, Game 5 will be in Philadelphia on Friday, and Roy Halladay will be on the mound. One doesn't get a chance to say something like this very often, but I'm guessing that the Cardinals would like nothing more than to face Halladay again.