The Dodgers' season is over.  They lost to the Phillies 5-1 last night, ending the NLCS, and ending 2008 for the Dodgers.  The Phillies will wait for the winner of the Boston-Tampa Bay series, and the Dodgers will start their vacations.  I'm not going to say anything more about the series.  The Dodgers lost to a better team, the young guys inexperience showed, and the Phillies have been there before and were just a little hungrier, I guess.  That's Ok, though.  I feel the future will be bright for the Dodgers.
Provided the team brings Manny Ramirez back, they're already assured of being one of, if not the best team in the National League last year.  It appears the team also wants to bring back Rafael Furcal.  Furcal has been very oft-injured during his three years here, but when he's healthy, Furcal is one of the most dynamic players in the league, with his game-changing speed and aggressiveness with the bat.  Most importantly, though, the young core of the team, Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Matt Kemp, and Blake DeWitt should all be back, with a full-year more of experience under their belts and a wealth more of knowledge.  And the club will be stable too with Joe Torre and his staff also returning.  The main questions in the offseason for the Dodgers will be the pitching staff.  The only two starters assured of returning are Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda.  The team may or may not exercise its option on Brad Penny, who was pretty much of a non-factor this year, but has also been an all-star the past two years, as well.  Derek Lowe's four years with the Dodgers is probably up as he will most likely depart for free agency, and probably return to the East Coast or his hometown Detroit Tigers.  Lowe was always reliable and effective during his tenure here, but never got the run support to put up the near Cy Young numbers he had in Boston.  His high-mark in wins in L.A. was 16 when the Dodgers won the wildcard in '06.  But, before we can have some free agent moves, there's a World Series to play.  For the first time in their history, the Tampa Bay Rays will be in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.  Tampa has the momentum, as the Phils have been off for about a week now after dropping the Dodgers 4-1.  Despite being one of baseball's original teams, the Phillies have only one World Series win, in 1980.  We've seen first hand how quickly the Phillies high powered offense can score.  But, Tampa Bay's pitchers pretty much shut down the vaunted Boston Red Sox offense other than one game.  However, the whole country got to see that Boston is not a better team without Manny Ramirez.  Will the cinderella Rays taste glory for the first time, or will the Phillies bring a championship to a city that's gone 100 combined years without a major sports victory.  Game 1 is tonight. 
   

Things are looking pretty bleak for the Dodgers right now.  They let the game slip away last night with only 5 outs left to even up the series.  Many in town are questioning some of Joe Torre's decisions last night, but the fact is, the bullpen has been one of the Dodgers strengths all year long.  They had been flawless in the playoffs up until last night.  Apparently, something had to give.  Chan Ho Park couldn't get the job done, Cory Wade couldn't get the job done, and then Jonathan Broxton couldn't get the job done.  There's not really much else to say about last night.   For the second time in four games the Dodgers had a lead and let it slip away in heartbreaking fashion.  The Dodgers can win the last game at Dodger Stadium.  So long as Chad Billingsley has his stuff together, there's no reason the Dodgers can't win tomorrow.  As far as winning in Philadelphia, this blogger's just taking it one day at a time.  For some type of solace, I look to the Boston-Tampa Bay series and try to lessen the sting of the Dodgers losing.  The Dodgers won the first game at home, and played a tight game up until the 8th inning last night.  The Boston Red Sox on the other hand, have been getting embarassed the past two nights at home by the Tampa Bay Rays.  They lost 9-1 on Monday night, and got drubbed again tonight 13-4.  What is happening to the Red Sox is inexlpicable.  Their ace, Jon Lester, who was 11-1 this year at Fenway Park, got hit hard by the Rays last night, giving up four runs in only 5 2/3 innings last night.  Tim Wakefield suffered a similar fate tonight giving up five runs in only 2 2/3 innings.  So I ask, which is worse, playing a tight game, and letting it slip away at the end like the Dodgers, or getting spanked at home like the Red Sox?  This is now a tale of two cities,  because I'm sure most people wer hoping for a Dodgers-Red Sox World Series.  That may not come to be, of course anything is possible.  Both teams need to win their remaining three games to stay alive.  Things look better for the Dodgers who will most likely be in a low scoring game tomorrow.  Botson has been outscored 22-5 so far, so anything would be good for them.  Will the Dodgers October ride continue?  Chad Billingsley will be leading the charge tomorrow.  Let's go Dodgers.

The Dodgers are right back in the NLCS after last night's 7-2 thumping of the Philadelphia Phillies.  The game was essentially over after the first inning when the Dodgers scored six runs off 45-year old Jamie Moyer.  The Dodgers did exactly what they needed to do by coming out and establishing the tone by scoring early and often against a team that still hasn't won at Dodger Stadium all year.  No doubt the Dodgers needed to win this game after let game 1 slip away in heartbreaking fashion, and then getting drubbed in game 2.  Who would have thought that it would be Hiroki Kuroda's shoulders the team would be riding to victory?  Especially after Derek Lowe imploded in the 6th innning of game 1 and Chad Billingsley just didn't have it in game 2.  But Kuroda delivered in a way that Lowe and Billingsley couldn't.  Not only did he shut down the Phillies lineup, but he put them on warning too, that the Dodgers were ready for them if they wanted to play hardball.  Other than the 6-run first, the highlight of the night was in the 3rd inning when Kurdo sailed a fastball above Shane Victorino's head.  A very upset Victorino gestured toward the mound, that it was okay to throw at his body, but not at his head.  However, as Russell Martin said in the post game interview they threw well above his head.  Victorino grounded out to first, but many words were exchanged in between and the benches cleared as Kuroda was walking off the mound.  Manny had to be restrained from going after a few Phillies player as tempers were hot.  It appeared as though Pat Burrell was being restrained on the Phillies side.  Tensions were so high, the old timers were even getting into it as first base coach Mariano Duncan was getting into it with his Phillies counterpart Davey Lopes.  The game cooled off considerably from there, as Kuroda shut down the Phillies until the 7th, when Corey Wade and Jonathan Broxton finished off the job.  The Dodgers now have all the momentum headed into tonight's game, and Philadelphia still has not won at Dodger Stadium this year.  Derek Lowe will have his first home start of the postseason, and he brings with him a 9-5 record and a 2.30 ERA this year at home.  Opponents are hitting only .206 off Lowe at Dodger Stadium this year.  The Phillies will counter with Joe Blanton, who went six strong innings against Milwaukee in the Divisional Series.  Blanton does walk a lot of batters.  So long as the Dodgers are patient and play their game, they should be able to carry over the momentum and turn it into a win tonight, and even up the series 2-2.  Let's go Dodgers!