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The Dodgers shocked the world- or at the very least, the vast majority of ESPN.com’s baseball analysts- by sweeping the long-suffering-but-seemingly-primed Chicago Cubs out of the playoffs in the NLDS.  They didn’t, though, shock themselves.  The Blue thought they were a good team going in, and crushing the Cubs didn’t exactly dent that self image.  Now the cat is out of the bag, Manny is on everyone’s brain, and the Dodgers are seen by most media types as favorites to reach the World Series.  Three wins = 180 degree turn in how they’re perceived.

After wandering through the baseball desert since winning the title in ‘88, winning only one playoff game and never a series, the Dodgers are looking to make it 2-2 this October.  Will they do it?  Here are five things to watch:

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1. Starting Pitching: The Phillies may be built around mashers like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Pat Burrell, but it was the arms that pushed them past the Brewers with relative ease.  Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton allowed only five runs in 25 innings of work, completely neutering a potent Brewers lineup.  Of course, the Dodgers’ trio of Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda only gave the Cubs three in 19 IP.  Whether Joe Torre sticks with those three or adds Clayton Kershaw to start Game 4, both teams will need similar performances from their starting pitchers in this series.
2. Hong-Chih Kuo: Takashi Saito was officially left off LA’s roster for this series, but Kuo, who has barely pitched over the last few weeks, was added.  This could be huge for the Dodgers.  Nobody on their staff, including Saito, was as dominant when healthy as Kuo, and the guy absolutely terrorized lefthanded hitters, striking out nearly half of those he faced this season.  (He wasn’t exactly a piece of cake for righties, either, holding them to a .205 BA.)  Philly lefties Ryan Howard and Chase Utley both crush right handed pitching, but lefties?  Not so much.  Especially Howard, whose already outrageous strikeout numbers skyrocket when facing southpaws.  Behind Kuo, the only other lefty in the pen is Joe Beimel, who hasn’t exactly blown people away this year.  In fact, righthander Cory Wade has been LA’s most effective reliever against lefties after Kuo.
3. Does Charlie Manuel Pitch to Manny?:  Not if he’s smart… unless the guys around Ramirez leave the Phillies’ skip with little choice.  In the opening round, Manny was everything the hype suggests.  .500 BA, .643 OBP, two big homers.  But importantly, against Chicago the Dodgers got big hits from other players.  The James Loney slam in Game 1, and his clutch two run double in Game 3.  Russell Martin had big hits, Rafael Furcal was a spark in Game 2.  Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, however, mostly struggled.  Not all of these guys need to produce in Round 2, but enough must or Manuel will roll the ball to Manny when he comes up to bat.
4. Jimmy Rollins: 2008 wasn’t kind to the reigning NL MVP, but he managed to get hot down the stretch (.313 BA, .411 OBP, .869 OPS), and was great against Milwaukee (6-16, with two doubles).  Just as Furcal does for the Blue, Rollins is an engine that helps push the Phillies’ offense.  When he’s good, they’re very dangerous.  Keep him off the bases, and life is much easier.
5. The Big Inning: One reason Hiroki Kuroda was so successful against the Cubs?  Of the seven men he faced to start an inning, only one reached base.  Both teams can score, so limiting opportunities to drive in runs will be key.  Even if runners reach, if they do it with one or two outs, by definition there are fewer chances to bring them around.  Don’t just watch how many hits each team gets, but when they get them.

Prediction: The Blue have momentum, they have buzz, and they have the edge in the pitching staff.  The Phillies can hit, but they also strike out a ton, and if the Dodgers can keep Philadelphia from blowing things open with big innings, they’ll be fine.  We think it’ll happen.  The series will be tight, but the Blue will ultimately prevail.  Dodgers in six. 

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