Commentary

Insider Intel: Phillies vs. Dodgers

If L.A. can work Philly into its pen, this one could go the distance

Originally Published: October 14, 2009
By Keith Law and Baseball Prospectus | ESPN Insider

The rematch of the 2008 National League Championship Series should be better than the original.

When the Phillies are up

1. Watch Ryan Howard's production
The Phillies have a number of left-handed hitters in the heart of their lineup, although only one (Howard) has a substantial problem against left-handed pitchers. However, the Dodgers have a stronger-than-normal group of lefties on their pitching staff, headlined by flamethrowing Clayton Kershaw, with ex-Philly Randy Wolf coming off a regular season in which he dominated left-handed hitters, holding them to a .159/.216/.200 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) line.

To see the rest of Keith Law's ideas about this series -- as well as Baseball Prospectus' and Inside Edge's looks at it, and ultimately predictions -- you must be an ESPN Insider. Insider

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Keith Law

ESPN Insider
  • Senior baseball analyst for Insider
  • Was special asst. to Blue Jays GM
  • Wrote for Baseball Prospectus

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