Dodgers vs. Phillies

I read a little article from Rob Neyer, who thinks the Phillies will be the team to represent the National League in the World Series. I respectfully disagree. Neyer points out that since the Manny Ramirez trade, the Dodgers have gone 30-25, while the Phillies have gone 34-21. This really doesn't mean much to me. I guess the Phillies have played a little bit better than the Dodgers in the past 55 games. Ramirez brings the threat of going long every time he enters the batters box. Ryan Howard is kind of the same way for the Phillies, but he doesn't hit for the average that Ramirez does. The key to this series is how the Phillies pitch to Ramirez. If Ramirez gets looks at pitches, I like the Dodgers; simple as that. However, if the Phillies make the rest of the Dodgers beat them, I like the Phillies. Ramirez is the MVP of the Dodgers, as Brad Lidge is the MVP for the Phillies. He hasn't blown a save all year, which is outstanding. If we get to see Lidge four or more times in the series, the Phillies will win. However, my pick is with the Dodgers. They are playing extremely well right now under manager Joe Torre. Dodgers in six!

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