Now, look, this punter advised anyone who would listen to back L.A. at the beginning of the season, with sportsbooks offering a line of anywhere from 9/1 to 15/1. Hey, rejuvenated-beyond-belief Manny Ramirez, Joe Torre, a smattering of young talent, and a weak division: A winning mix, right?
Wellllllllllllllll, though the Dodgers essentially lead the National League Western Division from early in April as expected, the team was hardly a dominant force past the All-Star break and nearly choked it all away in watching a six-game lead on September 24th reduced to one by another Rocktober run by Colorado. Manny’s season was interrupted and today the Cardinals have the edge – if not the distinct advantage – in all aspects of the game. And just for starters (so to speak), the Dodgers get Chris Carpenter (17-4, 2.24 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.63).
What might save L.A.? Yadier Molina’s dodgy knee. Since going down in a game against the Rockies on September 26, the Cardinals have backed into the playoffs in losing six out of seven; the sole victory in that run was a 13-0 laugher at Cincinnati with Carpenter on the mound. In fact, Wainwright contributed St. Louis’ only other win in the team’s last 10 regular-season games. In those six losses, the Cards’ lost-seeming arms allowed over seven runs per game.
Prediction: Right now, favor the Cardinals slightly, but one win in the first two games could well be enough to boost the Dodgers’ chances to steal this one in five games.
−written by Os Davis