Playoff Preview: Cardinals vs Dodgers

Even though game 1 is in the books, in favour of the Dodgers, I still feel the need to post this. So, here I go.

Starting Pitching
Game 1:
Chris Carpenter vs Randy Wolf. On paper, this should've clear advantage St. Louis. Carp is a Cy candidate, while Wolf is a 30+ year old making his first playoff start in his career. The bullpens were used pretty early, even though both starters were pretty solid. The Dodgers won.
Game 2:
Adam Wainwright vs Clayton Kershaw. Fuck, I wish I could watch this game. This match-up is incredible. I love watching Kershaw pitch, his stuff is out of this world. And Wainwright has been amazing this season, and is a real contender for the Cy. I think Pujols will have a good game today, so that leaves me thinking the Cardinals even up this series.
Game 3:
Joel Pinero vs Vincente Padilla. I don't get the decision not to go with Billingsley here. Padilla is not that good, and the Cardinals will probably show that. Pinero, meanwhile, is a groundball machine, and should do just fine. Game Cardinals.
Game 4:
Kyle Lohse/John Smoltz vs Billingsley?. If it is Billingley, I take the Dodgers. If they push up Wolf, then go Cardinals.
Game 5:
Carpenter/Wainwright vs Wolf/Kershaw. Good match-up either way.

Positionally:

Catcher
Yadier Molina vs Russell Martin. As good as Martin can be, Yadier has been pretty awesome. His arm is unbelievable, which could stop the running game dead for Furcal and Pierre. On the other side, Martin has been underwhelming the last 2 seasons and no one is sure if this is his true level of play. Advantage Cardinals.

First Base
Albert Pujols vs James Loney. Pujols is the best player in baseball. While Loney is a good hitter, he doesn't have much power. Both are fantastic defensively.

Second Base
Skip Shumaker vs Ronnie Belliard/Orlando Hudson. Another bad decision by the Dodgers decision makers. Hudson should be starting, as he is better on both sides than Belliard is. Shumaker is a good hitter and has some speed, but is still pretty new to 2B. He still may be a better defender than Belliard, but not Hudson, who is top class. Edge to the Cards if Belliard remains, to the Dodgers if Hudson takes over.

Third Base
Mark DeRosa vs Casey Blake. This is pretty even. Blake has more power, while DeRosa is the better overall hitter. He also fields a little better than Blake. Advantage Cardinals.

Short Stop
Brendan Ryan vs Rafael Furcal. Ryan is a good glove man, but he is not much with the stick. Furcal is a really good player, and has a cannon for an arm. He is also a pretty dangerous offensive player, using his speed really well. Advantage Dodgers.

Left Field
Matt Holliday vs Manny Ramirez. What a duo. Holliday has been outstanding since becoming a Cardinal, and is a far superior defensive LF and can steal some bases. Ramirez is in a class of his with the stick, and brings a lightness to the Dodgers. Slight advantage to the Dodgers.

Centre Field
Colby Rasmus vs Matt Kemp. There is something very special about Matt Kemp. The kid is gifted with something extremely rare with his power and speed combo. He also fields CF very well. Rasmus is no sloutch, but he can't hold a candle to Kemp. Advantage Dodgers.

Right Field
Ryan Ludwick/Rick Ankiel vs Andre Ethier. What an OF the Dodgers have. Ethier has been a beast this season and is showing that he can be an elite player. He reminds me of Adam Lind, but with very good defense. Ludwick has been a bit of a disappointment after his big season last year, and Ankiel may start against righties. Advantage Dodgers.

Bench
Jason LaRue probably won't play much, unless Molina goes down. Troy Glaus is a nice option to pinch hit late in games. Julio Lugo really played well when going to St. Louis mid-season, and brings some speed and a solid bat off the bench. Joe Thurston is a speedy utility player who can handle the bat pretty well, and is the 5th OF on the team. Rick Ankiel will sit the majority of the series, but is a nice pinch hitting option.

Brad Ausmus is a nice back-up option with his experience and his really good defense. Juan Castro is a great glove man, but is unneccessary on this team, as they have good defenders up the middle. Orlando Hudson should be starting, but is not, so he becomes a great option off the bench. Mark Loretta is nice hitter, and plays a fundamental game. Jim Thome, a great mid-season pick-up, is here to provide serious power off the bench. Juan Pierre is an amazing 4th OF, and his speed could be a huge factor similar to Dave Roberts in 2004 for Boston.

I think the advantage on the bench goes slightly to Los Angeles. The Cardinals have more pieces that I see being used in bigger roles, as Lugo could start at SS or 2B, and Ankiel could make an OF start. The Dodgers have clear cut starters, and their back-ups are really only pinch hitters, and maybe defensive replacements with the exception of Pierre. Juan Pierre is actually the differance maker for me, as his speed is game changing and he presents a great option late in games to play LF for Manny.

Bullpen
Righties Ryan Franklin, Blake Hawksworth, Kyle McClellan, Jason Motte, and Mitchell Boggs are all nice options at various points throughout the game and have outstanding beards. Lefties Trevor Miller and Dennys Reyes are both really nice options late in games, and their tasks are Andre Ethier and James Loney.

For the Dodgers, righties Ron Belisario, closer Jon Broxton, Ramon Troncoso, and long man Jeff Weaver is a great group. Lefties George Sherrill and Hong Kuo are also very good, although the lefties are scarse for the Cardinals.

I have to give the edge to the Dodgers, as they seem to have a better feel for how to use their guys in the best situations with a set plan. Torre is known for over working relievers into the ground (Scott Proctor,s arm is still sore), but he has enough really good arms to do the job.

Verdict:
I have to go with the Dodgers in this series. The offense is just too good, and since they have allready gotten past Carpenter, the only need to beat up on the back-end of the Cardinals rotation. Dodgers in 4.