An 18th Gold glove... and a career?

It appears as if the long, glorious run of Greg Maddux may finally have to come an end.

A couple days before picking up his record 18th Gold Glove, Maddux has indicated through his agent Scott Boras that he intends to retire. While the move is not official, at age 42 and having spent 23 years in the Majors, it certainly seems as if it's the real deal.

First, a brief look at his numbers. Of course, they're unbelievable. He has a career 355-227 record with a ridiculous 3.18 ERA. He's officially 8th on the all-time wins list, which he barely got to last year by going 1 up on Roger Clemens. He's played with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Dodgers.

There's not a whole lot left for him to accomplish. He's won 4 Cy Young awards and a World Series ring, to go along with the insane amount of Gold Glove awards. He's generally regarded as having perhaps the most pinpoint accuracy in the history of baseball. After tasting playoff success with the Dodgers this year, I'm not surprised to see him ride off into the sunset.

We'll all wait to see when Maddux will talk, as everything else is still speculation. I've read that the Dodgers would welcome him back to anchor the back end of their rotation, which I'm sure he could still do.

Free agency update

Add Chan Ho Park to list of names who have filed for free agency. He has stated that he wants to start again. After putting up a 3.40 ERA in 95.1 innings this year, I think some team will give him a shot, even in his mid 30's. I thought the signing was a joke at the time, but he really proved all doubters wrong. The problem is that he's never been good anywhere but LA, so if he does leave, he better be careful not to self-destruct again.

Here's the list of who has filed:

• Manny Ramirez, OF
• Derek Lowe, SP
• Greg Maddux, SP
• Casey Blake, 3B
• Joe Beimel, RP
• Nomar Garciaparra, INF
• Jason Johnson, SP
• Mark Sweeney, 1B/PH
• Chan Ho Park, SP
  

Bunch of rumors to catch up on

The offseason is now officially in full swing, thanks to the Philadelphia Phillies defeating the Tampa Bay Rays last night to win the World Series. I'm glad the Phillies won and in dominating fashion, since it makes the Dodgers not look quite as bad now. It pains me to say this, but congrats to the Phillies on a great season.

Now it's time to look at a bunch of different news on the boys in blue, courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com:

• Russell Martin's numbers dipped this year, so there's again talk that he needs more rest. Expect a decent backup to be brought in. That may or may not mean re-upping Gary Bennett. My guess... no.
• Ned Colletti and agent Scott Boras have not had much contact yet. Boras' clients include Derek Lowe, Andruw Jones, and Greg Maddux. Oh ya, and some Manny Ramirez guy.
• There have been early talks with Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, and Casey Blake.
• Jeff Kent will likely retire, ending his great career.
• A top starting pitcher is likely to be acquired, whether that be C.C. Sabathia or resigning Lowe.
• Jake Peavy is probably not likely only because the Padres would want way too much in return.
• Both Brad Penny and Takashi Saito are question marks.
• While Juan Pierre and Jones have talked about being traded, neither has formally said that to the club.

As usual, lots of decisions on the table. This is already getting very interesting.

Mailbag

Another week of mailbag questions, centered around the resigning of "you know who." The topics are a timetable for signing Manny Ramirez, why the club hasn't given up on Jason Schmidt, why Russell Martin and Andre Ethier are eligible for salary arbitration, what Kim Ng does for the Dodgers, and Tony Abreu's health.

Read and become smarter.

Berroa's option declined

The Dodgers have declined to exercise the $5.5 million option for Angel Berroa, choosing instead to buy him out at $500,000. Well, it's the Kansas City Royals who end up paying, his former team. For some reason, the Dodgers have the uncanny ability to trade for players without paying a penny of their contracts. Go figure.

He still belongs to the Dodgers, as he is salary arbitration eligible. Or, he could be non-tendered in December, then re-signed. The minimum he could be signed for is $2.85 million.

When he first came to the Dodgers, I thought he was the worst player on Earth. That's pretty much because he played like the worst player on Earth. But I'll give him plenty of credit - he was a key component of their turnaround in September by taking over full-time duties at shortstop. His hitting improved to be a good threat at the bottom of the order, and his defense was solid.

I think the key for him as far as rejoining the Dodgers is Rafael Furcal. If Raffy is back, he may seek out other teams to see if he can be a starter, and I wouldn't blame him. If there's no interest, I think he should be brought back more as an insurance policy and defensive replacement. There's definitely value to him.

Mailbag

The offseason means the return of a weekly mailbag (at least I hope... some weeks can be slow). This week's topics are whether Manny Ramirez is worth a huge contract, how Jason Schmidt is feeling, if Juan Pierre will be traded, and the coaching staff returning next season.

Here you are.

Let the Jake Peavy sweepstakes begin

It's common knowledge that this offseason will be a busy one for the Dodgers. Not only do they have the dilemma of bringing back Manny Ramirez (and at what cost?), but there's also C.C. Sabathia, who will demand top dollar as well. Now comes reports that the San Diego Padres are shopping ace Jake Peavy, and the Dodgers are on his list.

Peavy himself named 5 teams in which he'd be open to go to. Those teams are the Cardinals, Braves, Astros, Cubs, and Dodgers. Obviously, all are National League teams, and among the top tier as far as making a postseason run. Can't blame him for naming those teams.

Like any other trade of a superstar, there's 2 things that stand in the way: a huge contract and willingness to deal away top prospects. Thus far, the word is that the Padres have not heard the names they'd like to hear, so no deal is close. I could add another element, and that's Peavy's no-trade clause. He holds the key in all of this.

If the Dodgers do make a run, I'm sure they'd have to part with a couple of their Major League-ready prospects. Matt Kemp's name will be thrown around (because it always is), and probably Clayton Kershaw and James McDonald. All 3 of those guys have boat loads of talent, so getting rid of them would be tough.

I gotta be honest thought - I would be most open to moving Kemp. I just can't quite understand the guy. One second he's brilliant, the next second he looks completely uninterested. His inconsistency is his own worst enemy, and it caught up to him in the playoffs when he did absolutely nothing against the Phillies. A package of Kemp and maybe a younger prospect, and it would be an intriguing deal.

As for Kershaw and McDonald, I'd leave them alone. There's just WAY too much talent for both of them. And since one is a lefty and the other a righty, the rotation can be that much better for years to come.

I'm not sure how likely it is Peavy will be gone, but just him naming the Dodgers is a reason for optimism.

Pierre wants to be traded

I guess this news shouldn't come as a surprise, but Juan Pierre has asked the Dodgers to trade him this offseason. The reason is pretty cut and dry: playing time. He used to have it, and he wants it again. With the Dodgers, that may be hard to come by.

I can't blame him, and I don't think any Dodger fans should either. Let's look at the facts. He signed a 5-year, $44 million contract for 2007, in which he proceeded to hit .293 with 96 runs and 64 stolen bases. Those numbers look pretty darn good, but there was a flip side. His OBP was only .331, which is way too low for a leadoff hitter. Plus, he was the center fielder with a weak arm, pretty much forcing teams to take extra bases on him. That got old fast.

The Dodgers needed pop coming into 2008, so they signed Andruw Jones. Well, we all know what a complete joke that turned out to be. But, with the emergence of Andre Ethier in Spring Training, Pierre was the odd man out with Matt Kemp already being in right. At the time, he was unhappy, and who could blame him? When Jones flopped worse than the XFL, Manny Ramirez was acquired, and the rest is history.

To Pierre's credit, I believe he has handled his demotion with as much class as possible. When he was given the start in Game 4 of NLCS, Joe Torre commented about how hard Pierre still worked each day, all to stay ready. That game, he played very well with a 2-3 night including a double. That was good to see.

The problem now is that he still has 3 years and $28.5 million left on his contract. Is that easy to trade? Uh, no. Plus, if Manny isn't brought back, the Dodgers would like to have Pierre still on the team as insurance. However, if the right deal comes along, then I can see him being moved. Time will tell.

Phillies leave no doubt as they win the NLCS

It took all of one at-bat to realize that the Philadelphia Phillies were destined to go to the World Series.

And it took another bunch of runners left on base for the Dodgers to realize that they had opportunities, but pretty much blew it each time.

Game 5 of the NLCS belonged to the Phillies for the entire game, as they cruised to a 5-1 victory, punching their ticket to the World Series. Cole Hamels was just awesome, and even when runners did reach base, the Dodgers resorted to their old ways of failing miserably when it came to driving them in.

It's hard to imagine just what in the hell happened to Chad Billingsley, but he was atrocious once again. For someone that had a 3.14 ERA in the regular season and pitched brilliantly in Game 2 of the NLDS in Chicago, everything fell apart. We all know about his bad performance in Game 2 (and his whining afterwards), so this start was huge for him. He got up 0-2 on Jimmy Rollins, ran the count to 3-2, then threw a fastball that was smoked out to right. The crowd was dead already, and this gave them even more reason to just sit on their hands. Ugh.

A double play from Chase Utley helped out Billingsley in the 1st, and only 1 run was scored. It got worse in the 3rd. Jimmy Rollins walked and stole 2nd, but there were 2 outs. It didn't matter as Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell had RBI singles to go up 3-0. After an intentional pass to Shane F'n Victorino, that was it for Bills, finishing with 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. Chan Ho Park relieved and thankfully kept the game close when Pedro Feliz grounded out.

It's not like the Dodgers were getting killed, it just felt that way. But going into the 5th, it was 3-0 Phillies. The crowd would periodically pick it up a little, and there was a glimmer of hope that with Greg Maddux on the mound pitching well, something could happen.

Well, something did happen. Rafael Furcal had the worst inning of his life.

3, count 'em, THREE errors later by Furcal, and the Phillies went up 3-0. In fact, 2 errors were on 1 play where he booted a would-be double play ball, then made a horrendous throw home that scored another run. Then Carlos Ruiz grounded one to him with 2 outs, but the throw to 1st was in the dirt, scoring another. Much like Billingsley, I never thought I'd see Raffy just mentally be taken out of the game like that. Wow, I really did feel badly for him.

The game was virtually over then, but Casey Blake and Matt Kemp did single to open the bottom of the 5th, so it got somewhat interesting again. Then Blake DeWitt grounded into ANOTHER double play, and Jeff Kent struck out. That was DeWitt's 2nd DP of the game, and he just looked totally fried after that. I know the announcers thought it was weird that Joe Torre pulled him, but I think it was the right call. He was just completely done at that point, why risk making it even worse?

I'm sure nobody was shocked to see who provided the lone highlight of the night - Manny Ramirez. He was the only one to tag Hamels as he hit a solo shot into right to make it 5-1. The Dodgers were so inspired by that that they... did a big pile of nothing from that point on. Manny's last AB was a single up the middle in the 8th, a fitting end to a spectacular postseason. This October, he finished at a .520 AVG, .667 OBP, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 11 BB. Unreal numbers.

For all of the big hits the Dodgers got against the Cubs, it just wasn't happening this round. Take away both Manny Ramirez and all of Game 3, and their offense was downright embarrassing. Time and time again chances were blown with runners on. It's hard to believe just how lousy they were in those opportunities, but they were. And that's why they're on the outside looking in.

As poorly as the NLCS ended, nobody should lose sight on the fact that this was a great run from September on. They were easily one of the hottest teams in baseball over that span, and it was a lot of fun to watch. Manny was obviously a key factor in all of that, but the pitching staff was on fire as well. It really was a great time to be a Dodger fan.

This coming offseason will be HUGE for them, as there are a ton of decisions to be made. I can't recall the last time the Dodgers faced so many decisions like this, so it will be an interesting ride over the winter. There will be plenty of discussion not only about resigning Manny, but guys like Derek Lowe and Furcal, too. In my mind, the Dodgers will either look nearly the same or completely different from their postseason roster. It will be great to watch it all unfold.

For now, I'll salute the Dodgers for a great end of the season, including their first postseason series win in 20 years. Hopefully this will be the foundation for even more success in 2009.

Does Juan Pierre deserve another start?

One thing that I failed to mention in my game recap of Game 4 was the play of Juan Pierre. He got the start in center field over Matt Kemp after Kemp had gone 5-24 with only 1 RBI in the postseason. On the whole, I thought Pierre played very well.

Batting in the #8 spot, Pierre was in a spot where he wasn't too pressured to get on base like he would hitting leadoff or #2. His first AB he singled with 1 down. He was then easily thrown out trying to steal 2nd with Derek Lowe up. I don't know if it was a failed hit and run because Lowe swung and missed or if he just got a bad jump, but it was kind of weird how much he was out by.

His 2nd AB he lined out to 3rd, but then came right back in the 6th and doubled, which came right after Casey Blake's solo homer. Too bad both Andre Ethier and Russell Martin came up empty trying to drive him in, which goes along with my "they were not clutch" theme from last night.

I know it's easy to rip on Pierre, but it was good to see him get in there and play well. Kemp pretty much played his way to the bench, so I was glad to see Joe Torre make the switch. I know Kemp has all the tools to be a great player, but he's looked overmatched in both series. It was a good move.

Now the question is if it will happen again in Game 5. The Phillies are starting their lefty stud, Cole Hamels. The regular season stats for both men vs. lefties is pretty close: Kemp - .369, Pierre - .346. Will Torre stay with the man who went 2-3 with a run scored in his only start, or go with the man who has more power potential?

To give my 2 cents, I think I would rather see Pierre in there. In 375 AB's this year, he only struck out 24 times. Kemp has struggled much more with striking out, so that's a big plus for Pierre. I would much rather see the person who puts the ball in play then someone who has 9 K's in 25 AB's this postseason.

Bullpen falters in 8th as Phillies take a 3-1 lead

Where do I even begin with this?

In what seemed like a near certainty late in Game 4 of the NLCS, the Dodgers went from being a few outs away of tying the series to getting pounded in no time. The Phillies made big swings when they needed to, and took over late for the win, 7-5. It's now 3-1 in favor of the Phillies, who are a game away from the World Series.

It was an up and down battle for the Dodgers from the very first batter of the game, starting with Jimmy Rollins' single. Jayson Werth singled, and Chase Utley doubled home a run. Ryan Howard had an RBI groundout, and while Derek Lowe was tossing a water cooler and ripping up his jersey, the Dodgers were down 2-0.

The bottom of the 1st would bring some noise for the Dodgers, but it would also signify an alarming trend that might have meant more to losing than the bullpen did. James Loney launched a 2-out double that scored Rafael Furcal to get back a run. Actually, it was mere feet from leaving the yard. But, with Manny Ramirez on 3rd and Loney on 2nd, Blake DeWitt lined out to end the inning.

And that would only be the beginning of not coming through in the clutch. In all, 12 men were left on base, and that would bite them in the end.

In fact, with the exception of the 4th and 9th innings, the Dodgers had realistic chances to put up a few runs in each inning. And more often than not, they failed miserably. Yes, they scored 5 runs, which isn't that bad, but it could have been so much better. Time and time again, runners were left stranded as another opportunity was blown.

It all boiled down to the same old problem the Dodgers have had the last couple of months when they lose: anybody not named Manny Ramirez cannot get a big hit.

To be fair, Rafael Furcal played great again, but he's a leadoff hitter and obviously not in an RBI position. The only big hits I can think of (except for Manny, of course), was the double by Loney and a solo shot by Casey Blake in the 6th, which initially gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Manny is great, but not even he can win the NLCS by himself. He needs help.

Poor Blake DeWitt will have better nights, but last night was one he'd like to soon forget. He left 2 in the 1st on a lineout, 2 in the 3rd on a flyout, and 2 in the 5th on a double play. He was bad, but Russell Martin, hitting cleanup, was worse. In all, he left 8 men on base, including lining into a big double play to end the 6th in which the Dodgers could have extended their 5-3 lead. Oh ya, he was also 0-5.

The focus on this game will undoubtedly be if Joe Torre mishandled the bullpen in the 8th, but I don't know. I mean, if I was told Hong-Chih Kuo, Cory Wade, and Jonathan Broxton would be in the game late with a lead of 2, I would have been all for it. I couldn't help but think at the end of the night that their youth finally showed. They're great pitchers, but inexperienced. Maybe the bright lights and big stage finally got to them.

I know people think Broxton should have come on in the 8th with 1 down, but I know that Wade has been fantastic all year. There's always that hindsight being 20/20 thing, so I guess Broxton should have been in. I just think it's unfair to only point at Torre for blowing the game. If the anybody other than Manny could come through in the clutch with runners on, then it would be 2-2 right now.

So now all the Dodgers can do is go out and win 3 straight, which they can do. Is it probable? Eh, not really, but it is possible. Win the next one in LA, take Game 6, and all of the pressure is on Philly for Game 7. It can happen.

Chad Billingsley has a huge start coming up. I can't imagine he's the most popular guy in the clubhouse after his sorry performance from Game 2. Not only did he refuse to retaliate after Brett Myers threw one behind Manny, but then he blamed his poor play on "pitch selection," more or less calling out Martin. He absolutely needs to step up and be the man. There's no other way around it.

Big start carries Dodgers in heated game

The Dodgers rode a big, 5-run 1st inning to easily cruise past the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS, 7-2. The lead for the Phillies is now 2-1, but the biggest news of the game was not the result, but the near brawl that ensued in the 3rd inning.

First, let's backtrack just a bit. In the 1st, Russell Martin was beaned on a pitch from Jamie Moyer in the left leg that would load the bases. Clay Condry eventually relieved and brushed back Martin with a pitch high and tight. That appeared to be the last straw.

With the game comfortably in hand at 6-1 in the 3rd, Hiroki Kuroda sent a message himself by throwing one over the head of Shane "Hit me in the ribs, not the head!" Victorino with 2 down. Nothing happened then except for Victorino's whining, but after he grounded out, more words were exchanged. The benches were emptied, and Manny Ramirez had to be restrained. I say they should have let him go and watched him fight Ryan Howard. Now that would be fun!

Warnings were issued, but nothing happened the rest of the night. Martin was actually beaned again later in the game, but on a breaking ball by Chad Durbin, which did not at all seem intentional. This series has suddenly become very interesting.

As far as the game goes, the Dodgers used a patient approach to tee off of Jamie Moyer, who looked downright pathetic. I know he's had success this year, but you have to wonder how. I can't imagine any hitter would be scared of facing him.

To open the bottom of the 1st, Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier singled. Manny came up and singled home Furcal, and runners were on 2nd and 3rd. That's when Martin was beaned for the first time to load 'em up. Nomar Garciaparra, playing for James Loney, struck out looking for 1 down. Casey Blake barely singled into right to score Ethier and keep the bases loaded.

Matt Kemp was up next, and needing a big at-bat after doing pretty much nothing in the first 2 games, promptly K'd looking. But don't fear, Blake DeWitt continued his amazing season by clearing the bases with a triple, and pretty much putting the game away at the same time. The other 2 runs were scored on a solo shot by Raffy in the 2nd and an RBI single by Nomar in the 4th.

The other story (besides the near brawl and DeWitt's triple) was Kuroda's great start. He finished at 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He ran into some trouble in the 7th when Chase Utley doubled and Howard singled, followed by an RBI bloop single by Pat Burrell. That chased Kuroda, but Cory Wade came on and shut down the Phillies for 2 innings. Just like DeWitt, Wade has come out of nowhere and been huge just when the Dodgers have needed him most.

Back to Kuroda, and it was great to see him look so comfortable in a big situation, just like against the Cubs. It should be noted, however, that if he does start again, it'll be Game 6 in Philadelphia. His ERA is similar from home and the road (3.68 and 3.78, respectively), but his WHIP tells a different story: 1.08 at home, 1.34 on the road. Hopefully with 2 great starts already this October, he can ride his hot streak for a big road start.

Today's game sees Derek Lowe going on three days' rest against Joe Blanton. Losing the first 2 games pretty much gave Joe Torre no choice but to turn to Lowe, which is the right move. Plus, no lefties were used last night, so Hong-Chih Kuo, Joe Beimel, and Clayton Kershaw are all ready to go. Blanton won the clinching game in Milwaukee, so he's not to be taken lightly.

Today's game could very well determine how the rest of the series will go. Can the Dodgers hit well again today, or will the Phillies make a statement to end this thing early?

Nomar in today, Lowe goes Game 4

A couple of notes about the next couple of games. First, Joe Torre has announced that Nomar Garciaparra will get the start today based on previous success off of Jamie Moyer. Where he'll be remains a mystery. It'll either be at 1st base in place of James Loney or over at 3rd base for Casey Blake.

My gut instinct tells me that Loney will be the odd man out. I'm not sure I can see Casey Blake getting benched after they traded for him during the season and have counted on his bat. Thus far, Loney is 3-7 while Blake is 1-7.

In other news, Derek Lowe is officially the Game 4 starter. Not surprising at all there, especially since no matter what happens tonight, the Dodgers will still be in a hole. Had the first 2 games gone to the Dodgers, it may have been a different story.

Back to LA down 0-2

Game 2 of the NLCS saw something very similar to Game 1: an early lead for the Dodgers. This time, it was an RBI groundout by Blake DeWitt that scored Andre Ethier, and the Dodgers were feeling good.

2 innings and 8 runs given up later, and it's another dud in Philly.

The Phillies rode the wave of 6, 2-out RBI's en route to an 8-5 win and a 2-0 lead in the NLCS. It all started in the bottom of the 2nd, and right after Chad Billingsley struck out both Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth. What seemed like an innocent single by Greg Dobbs started a string of 5 straight hits, including an RBI by Brett Myers, that gave the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Want to know what else is funny about that inning? Ryan Howard K'd to end it. So Burrell, Werth, and Howard all K'd, yet everyone else got on base. Weird.

The 3rd inning started with the Dodgers trying to claw back, as both Russell Martin and Ethier walked. With 2 down, James Loney singled up the middle to cut the lead in half at 4-2. Matt Kemp reached on an error at 3rd by Dobbs, and the bases were juiced. Too bad DeWitt looked overmatched and struck out swinging to end the threat.

I don't know what it was about Billingsley, but he was just awful. The bases were quickly loaded in the bottom of the 3rd after only 3 batters, but they did get a forceout at home for 1 down. Brett Freakin' Myers then doubled down the right field line to score 2, and the game was pretty much over from that point. Shane Victorino added a 2-run triple for good measure. The never ending inning saw 4 pitchers total in Billingsley, Chan Ho Park, Joe Beimel, and James McDonald.

At that point, with the Dodgers down 8-2 and the game taking forever, I felt like I was watching an American League game. So much for the National League being about pitching and faster games. Not yesterday.

I know the Dodgers of earlier in the year would've rolled over and played dead, but these guys have 1 extra special ingredient these days - Manny Ramirez. And it was Manny, after taking a strange pitch that sailed behind him in the 1st inning, that launched a 3-run shot that just got out in left to make the score 8-5. And it was even sweeter watching him talking trash to Myers from the dugout.

I guess the hitters from both teams ran out of gas at that point, because from the bottom of the 4th on there was no scoring. Starting in the 6th, the Phillies used their strong bullpen of Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge to finish it off. Lidge was his usual up-and-down self, walking Manny and Loney, but K'ing Ethier, Kemp, and Nomar Garciaparra on some nasty changeups.

Like I said before, Billingsley was both awful during the game, and after it. During it, he went 2.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Obviously he was hurt in the 2nd when he couldn't get his team off the field with 2 outs. After the game, he blamed his poor outing on "pitch selection," which would seem to imply that Martin called a lousy game. Look, I can understand being pissed about getting pounded, but blaming Martin made him look very selfish. If you don't like the pitch, can't you just shake it off? Let's hope that was just the frustration of losing talking.

Giving up 8 runs in 2 innings is not exactly a blueprint for success in the postseason, but I'll be somewhat positive and look for what went right. McDonald was simply fantastic out of the 'pen, pitching 3.1 innings of shutout ball, K'ing 5. You could see what sort of nasty stuff he has, so look out for him in the future. Damn, his changeup was sick.

And then we saw the Manny Ramirez factor. His presence alone just turns this whole team around. The 3-run shot got them back in the game, and each time he's up, you can just sense that something big could happen.

So now it's off to LA for Games 3-5. Hiroki Kuroda gets the call against Jamie Moyer. Moyer gets by on people thinking that he's too old, pitching too slow, and is too easy to hit around. Because of those reasons, he continually fools hitters and gets outs. The Dodgers can hit him, but can't fall into the trap that every at-bat will be a home run.

Quick lineup notes for Game 2

Just a quick look at today's lineup. A couple of changes have been made, and they match what the lineup was for the series against the Cubs:

1. Rafael Furcal - SS
2. Russell Martin - C
3. Manny Ramirez - LF
4. Andre Ethier - RF
5. James Loney - 1B
6. Matt Kemp - CF
7. Blake DeWitt - 2B
8. Casey Blake - 3B
9. Chad Billingsley - P

This reflects the Phillies starting right-handed Brett Myers. It worked against the Cubs for 3 straight, hopefully it works again today.