Phillies to spend Memorial Day weekend 2019 at Miller Park in Milwaukee

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Phillies hope to keep Bernie Brewer from sliding much this weekend

The Philadelphia Phillies (29-21) will be spending Memorial Day weekend at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers (29-22), who are currently sitting in second place in the National League Central Division standings.

The Brew Crew trail the Chicago Cubs, against whom the Phillies just split a four-game series, by 1.5 games, three in the loss column. They enjoyed an off-day on Thursday prior to this series, coming off an 11-9 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in their previous game on Wednesday night.

It was just over a week ago that the Brewers captured three of four games between the two teams at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won the opener of that series by 7-4 when J.T. Realmuto and Odubel Herrera produced run-scoring doubles to break up a 4-4 tie game. But Milwaukee roared back to capture the final three games by a combined 22-6 runs margin.

The two clubs have proven very evenly matched in recent years with the Phillies holding a 10-9 edge in their 19 meetings over the three previous combined entering this 2019 season.

The Brewers (250) and Phillies (249) rank 4th and 5th respectively in the NL in runs scored, though Milwaukee has played one more game. The Atlanta Braves (252) are 3rd, and also have one more game than the Phillies.

Milwaukee is a well-rounded, dynamic offensive ball club. The Brewers hitters collectively rank 4th in OPS and 5th in OBP. They lead the entire National League in home runs and are tied for the league lead in stolen bases. No slouch with their gloves, the Brew Crew defenders have committed the 5th-fewest errors in the NL while handling the 2nd-most chances.

After splitting their series at Wrigley Field with the Cubs, the Phillies are now 6-5 during what we have described previously here at Phillies Nation as a 23-game “crucible”, a nearly month-long stretch against top-notch competition from outside the NL East Division. That stretch continues this weekend.

Phillies need to find a way to slow down Ryan Braun

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Ryan Braun has been a Phillies-killer for years

Over the course of his 13-year career in Major League Baseball, outfielder Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers has done a lot of damage against a lot of opposing teams.

Braun, who served a 65-game suspension back in 2013after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during his 2011 National League MVP-winning campaign, has blasted 331 home runs over that career.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been victimized by Braun more than most, to the point that he is now high on the list of “Phillie-killers”, those players who consistently do damage when the two teams meet.

Over 74 regular season games played against the Phillies, 72 of those as starts, Braun is slashing .378/.417/.711 with 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 44 extra-base hits with a 1.129 OPS. He even hit the Phillies during the one postseason series between the two clubs. During that 2008 NLDS he delivered five hits and a pair of RBIs. Ironically, he went 0-4 in the lone Brewers victory of that series.

At Citizens Bank Park, Braun has ripped successive generations of Phillies pitching to the tune of a .406/.453/.804 slash line with 14 homers and 43 RBIs over 36 games.

During Tuesday night’s 6-1 victory for the Brewers, Braun crushed his ninth home run of the season. It was just another successful night in South Philly for the now 35-year-old slugger, who is enjoying his best power year since the 2016 season.

In addition to that tainted 2011 NL MVP Award, Braun has finished among the top three in the voting in two other seasons. He was the 2007 National League Rookie of the Year and is a six-time NL All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger.

After manager Craig Counsell sat him out for the previous three Brewers games, using him only as a pinch-hitter, Braun was back in the starting lineup to torture the Phillies last night. Fans who head down to the ball park tonight can expect to see him in there again, looking to continue his onslaught.

The Brewers (25-19) trail the first-place Chicago Cubs by 2.5 games in the NL Central Division race, but are five games back in the loss column. The Phillies (24-17) are 3.5 games up in the NL East Division standings, three in the loss column over the New York Mets.

Coming into this series, the Phillies had been finding a way to win despite consistently dropping their series openers. This time around they won that opener. In order to capture their fourth series in a row the Phillies need to slow down Braun and beat the Brew Crew on Wednesday night in this third of a four-game set.

Brewers pitcher Chase Anderson is now the hunter

Anderson has gone from being the hunted to the hunter in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers haven’t fielded a winning team since the 2014 season. It has been six years since the 2011 Brew Crew won 96 games and the NL Central Division crown. That was the most recent contending seasons for the club.

Thus far in the 2017 season, the Brewers are off to a .500 start at 16-16. They are still hanging around in the division race, a game and a half out of first place as we move through the second week of May.

Much of the credit for the Brewers’ more competitive start has rightly gone to surprising slugger Eric Thames. The first baseman signed as a free agent this past offseason after four years away from Major League Baseball, the last three of those playing in Korea.

Thames has given Milwaukee an offensive threat to team with Ryan Braun, the likes of which haven’t been seen on the banks of Lake Michigan since Prince Fielder left following that 2011 campaign.

But as any baseball fan knows, you can have all the hitting in the world, and your team will not win if it cannot compete on the mound.

Lewis Brinson Knocking on the Door in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers finished 16 games below the .500 mark in the 2016 season. That record left them a distant 30.5 games behind the NL Central champion Chicago Cubs.

Even the National League Wildcard spots were nowhere in sight. The Brewers were 14 games behind the playoff slots. It was a third losing campaign in the last four seasons for the Brew Crew.

While the Brewers have not been contenders for a while and don’t figure to contend in the coming 2017 season, there is hope for the future.

The Milwaukee farm system was ranked 6th by Keith Law in his most recent MLB organizational rankings back in January. The organization came in 8th at Baseball America in their rankings released three weeks ago.

In his evaluation, Law highlighted two primary reasons for the Brewers high organizational ranking: strong recent drafts and good returns in trades.

“The Brewers’ rebuild has been overshadowed by the presence of three contenders in the division, but they’ve done a good job restocking the system in the last 18 months with two strong draft classes and huge returns on trades of veterans.” ~ Keith Law

2016 Winter Meetings: Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers finished at 73-89 and in fourth place in the NL Central Division this season. That left the club 30.5 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs, a team they finished nine games in front of just two years ago.

As we prepare for the opening of baseball’s Winter Meetings in just one week, the Brewers could well be one of the big players in any horse trading.

One of the main reasons: left fielder Ryan Braun is actively on the trade block. The 33-year old Braun may be the most proven and prolific bat available in a deal.

Reports are that Milwaukee general manager David Stearns was very close to a deal to send Braun to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a couple of occasions last season.

“I get asked about it regularly,” Stearns said recently per ESPN through the AP. “…that’s a big story this offseason, but I’m very happy that Ryan is a member of the Milwaukee Brewers…expect him to be a member of the Milwaukee Brewers going forward.”

The Dodgers are one of six teams to whom the 33-year old slugger cannot block a trade. The Miami Marlins, near where Braun played his college ball, are another. Also on the list are a number of teams near his home: the Angels, Padres, Dbacks, and Giants.

Brewers 2016 POY: Ryan Braun

It was a fifth consecutive year out of contention for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2016 season. 

The club and its fans suffered through a second straight losing campaign.

It was also the second year in a row in which they finished more than 30 games back of the division leaders. 

The fourth place finish marked a seventh time in the last eight years that they finished no higher than third place.

The Brewers won the NL Central crown in the 2011 season. But that is an oasis in a veritable desert of failure. It marks the organization’s only division title in the last three and a half decades.

In their updated MLB organization rankings back in August, Bleacher Report rated the Brewers farm system as the second best in baseball.

While there may be some help coming from below, most of the better prospects are between 20-22 years of age. That help may not come for another couple of years.

MLB 2014: National League Central

Yadier Molina (pictured) is the best all-around catcher in the game, and the leader of one of the best teams in all of baseball.

The Saint Louis Cardinals have won four National League pennants in the past decade, and the NL Central crown 7 times in the last 13 seasons.

And they will win yet another division crown in 2014.

That is one of the easiest predictions for me at this early point. The Cards are the best team in this division. They are one of the 2-3 best teams in the entire National League, and one of a handful of the best in MLB entering the year.

Now anything can happen to derail things for the Redbirds, most especially injuries to key players. However, barring disaster, a deep, versatile lineup led by a pair of MVP candidates in Molina and outfielder Matt Holliday and an equally deep pitching staff should be able to hold up over the long haul.

Here are my predictions for the National League Central in 2014:

1) Saint Louis Cardinals
The defending National League and NL Central champs won the World Series back in 2011, and right now look to me like the healthiest, deepest, and overall best team among all the legitimate contenders in the league this season. The franchise has won an NL-best 11 World Series crowns and 19 NL pennants. They have been to the playoffs 3 straight years, 4 of the last 5, and in 10 of the last 13 seasons. There is no reason that string of excellence should not continue. The lineup is one of the deepest and most versatile in the game. The clear leaders in that starting lineup are the best all-around catcher in the game in Yadier Molina, and one of the best hitters in the game in leftfielder Matt Holliday. They can go with either Allen Craig or Matt Adams at 1st base, with Craig capable at 3rd and likely to start the season in rightfield as well. Exciting rookie Kolten Wong should add another weapon at 2nd base, and is a likely NL Rookie of the Year candidate this year. Jhonny Peralta signed a longterm free agent contract in the off-season, and has a strong bat for the shortstop position. At 3rd base it's more versatility from Matt Carpenter, who can also play 2nd. Newcomer Peter Bourjos will take over in centerfield and should upgrade their offense from that position. The bench is made up of the experienced group of Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma, Shane Robinson, and Mark Ellis. But despite the versatility in that lineup, it is the pitching staff that makes them true favorites. The rotation is led by a true Ace in Adam Wainwright. Behind him, Michael Wacha emerged in last year's playoffs as one of the exciting young arms to watch in the entire game. Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller, and Joe Kelly give the rotation depth, as does Carlos Martinez, who would start for most teams but will serve as setup man for now. The closer is the dominating Trevor Rosenthal. The bullpen also includes Kevin Siegrist, Randy Choate and Sean Maness. At some point, both Jason Motte and Jaime Garcia should return from injury to give them even more depth. If I haven't emphasized it enough, let me do so now. This is a big time NL central, NL pennant, and World Series contender.

2) Pittsburgh Pirates
For some reason, after reaching the playoffs last season for the first time in over two decades, the Buccos are not getting enough love as the 2014 season opens from many prognosticators. Well let me give them some. This is again a Wildcard contender, and they are building themselves into a longterm contender in the NL Central, just a couple players away from being a pennant contender. The Pirates are led by dynamic National League MVP Andrew McCutchen, one of the all-around best players in all of baseball. Flanking him in the outfield are powerful Jose Tabata and Starling Marte, the latter an emerging young star himself. Gaby Sanchez and Neal Walker give them an experienced right-side infield, and Jody Mercer is a good-looking young shortstop. Pedro Alvarez at 3rd base could be an NL MVP candidate, and if he is one he could elevate this team to a division crown. The catcher is one of the game's great leaders in Russell Martin. The bench does not have much proven depth beyond Travis Snider and Clint Barmes, and this could prove problematic if there are any major injuries in the everyday lineup. On the mound, Pittsburgh has last year's great comeback story in Francisco Liriano leading the way. Behind him is a future Ace in big, young righty Gerritt Cole. Veterans Charlie Morton, Wandy Rodriguez, and Edinson Volquez round out the rotation as they wait for top prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow to finish developing. Jason Grilli is a solid closer, Mark Melancon is an experienced setup man who could also close, and they have pen depth with Justin Wilson, Tony Watson, and Jeanmar Gomez. The rotation should get a bump from Jeff Locke when he is ready as well. If the Pirates stay healthy, they will contend for another playoff berth, and maybe more.

3) Cincinnati Reds
Just a couple of years ago, this looked like it was going to possibly be a team that would dominate the NL Central division for years to come. Now they have a number of questions that keep them from being predicted for the top, but enough possible answers to see them remaining a legitimate contender. In 1st baseman Joey Votto they have one of the best hitters in the game, and a legit MVP candidate. Outfielder Jay Bruce is one of the most feared sluggers in baseball. Despite a number of trade rumors, 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips remains and is still one of the top offensive producers at the position. The left-side infield combo of Zack Cozart at short and Todd Frazier at 3rd needs to step up production and show that they are as good in the longterm as they looked a couple of years ago. Those two are among the biggest questions, and if they do step up they could make the difference in returning the club to the top of the division. The other guy with that potential is new centerfielder Billy Hamilton. The speed demon has game-changing stolen base potential, and can run down anything in center. But can he hit and get on-base enough to remain in the lineup on an everyday basis? If he can, he will be an elite weapon at the top of the Reds lineup, a true offensive catalyst. Outfielders Ryan Ludwick, Chris Heisey, and Roger Bernadina and infielder Neftali Soto provide the depth, while Brayan Pena will get a shot at catching while Devin Mesoraco begins on the DL. The Reds pitching is talented and deep, but opens with some injury concerns. Both top starter Mat Latos and dominant closer Aroldis Chapman start out on the DL. Both should be back by May, so would provide a strong bump if the Reds can stay in contention early. The rotation for now is led by Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey, with youngsters Tony Cingrani and Mike Leake being counted on heavily. Alfredo Simon is likely to get the shot as 5th starter while Latos mends. The bullpen has not only Chapman, but also the big arms of Jonathan Broxton and Sean Marshall on the DL. Even with all that injury, they still have talent and depth in J.J. Hoover, Sam LeCure, Logan Ondrusek, and Manny Parra. Again, the keys will be staying in range early while the injured guys heal up, and then how the trio of Hamilton, Cozart and Frazier produce over the length of the full season. If they get the right answers, they can win the division and contend for an NL pennant and more.

4) Milwaukee Brewers
This is a team that was a dangerous Wildcard in 2008 and a division champ in 2011, but they have fallen into dangerous territory in a toughened NL Central. They are clearly not as good as the three teams above, and the team currently behind them is absolutely going to improve in the coming years. If the Brew Crew is not careful, they could fall into a longterm losing situation quickly. For now, staying in contention for the top half of the division will depend on a full comeback from 2007 Rookie of the Year and 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun, lost a year ago for the last couple of months due to a PED suspension. If he comes back fully and as productive as always, he'll team with 3rd baseman Aramis Ramirez, shortstop Jean Segura, catcher Jon Lucroy, and outfielders Khris Davis and Carlos Gomez to give Milwaukee a loaded offensive lineup. Scooter Gennett is likely to get his first full shot as the 2nd baseman, with Rickie Weeks struggling to return to former All-Star form. Lyle Overbay and Jeff Bianchi will be the leaders off the bench. On the mound, the Brewers rotation could be an underrated strength. Yovani Gallardo is a key, and he must show that he is the Ace-level youngster that the team has hoped he would become. Matt Garza was signed as a free agent, and with Kyle Lohse, Marco Estrada, and Wily Peralta gives the Brewers a good option in every slot. Jim Henderson is the closer, supported by the experienced Francisco 'KRod' Rodriguez. Arms such as Tyler Thornburg, Brandon Kintzler, and Will Smith fill out the pen. If the Milwaukee rotation stays healthy and pitches to their talent levels, and if Braun is an MVP candidate again, this club could surprise and be a contender once again. More likely, they find that it gets increasingly tough to avoid the NL Central basement, especially as the next couple seasons advance.

5) Chicago Cubs
The Cubbies have not won a world title since 1905, with that 108-year titleless streak now the longest such streak of any professional sports franchise in North America. They have not even been to a World Series since 1945. Think about that: the last time the Cubs reached the World Series was the same year that World War II ended. There has been some success in recent years, with a 1998 Wildcard playoff berth leading to regular contending status for much of the last decade, when they won the NL Central crown 3 times between 2003-2008. But for the last four seasons, the "Loveable Losers" have done an awful lot of that losing. Four straight last place finishes where they have hovered between 20 and 40 games under the .500 mark has sealed this franchise losing reputation with a new generation of their fans. Still, there is reason to see a change coming. New ownership came in 2009, and prior to 2012 they brought in Theo Epstein to run the baseball operation. The former Red Sox boy genius has improved the farm system measurably, and it is hoped that those prospects will begin emerging in the 2nd half of this decade to turn things around. Until they come, however, this is a last place team. When your outfield is made up of Justin Ruggiano, Nate Schierholtz, and Junior Lake, you have problems. 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starling Castro are good building blocks, and catcher Wellington Castillo may be a longterm piece as well. For now, Darwin Barney plays 2nd and some combo of Luis Valbuena and Mike Olt will play 3rd. The versatile Emilio Bonifacio could see plenty of time in both the outfield and infield, while Ryan Kalish also should see lots of outfield at-bats. There is much more mound talent than in the lineup. The rotation of Jeff Samardzija, Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel, Travis Wood, and Carlos Villanueva is underrated. The bullpen of closer Jose Veras and supporters Hector Rondon, James Russell, Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm, and Chris Rusin has potential, and Jake Arrieta still has the potential to return from the DL and be a real contributor in either role. It's a basemen team once again. They need to get 3-4 impact pieces into the starting lineup before that will change.

Look for the Cardinals to win the NL Central, possibly easily. I see the Pirates and Reds battling for 2nd place and for at least one of the NL Wildcard playoff spots. Milwaukee struggles to a 4th place finish, and may turn out to be one of the games true disasters in the next couple of seasons. The Cubs are a disaster right now, and Epstein has to start moving that young minor league talent along so that their fans begin to at least smell a winning future.

MLB 2011: National League



Call them what you like, because they've had 'em all hung on them at one time or another over this past winter. The "Phab Four", the "Four Aces", the "Four Horsemen", whatever. Just as long as Charlie Manuel can call on them every fifth day, the Philadelphia Phillies will win their 5th straight N.L. East crown and their 3rd National League pennant in four years before falling in one of the best World Series in decades to the Boston Red Sox. At least that's the call here.

I'll cover the Fightin' Phils and all the specific reasons in my next article here in the coming days. Let's spend some time talking about who will be doing the chasing, and who can take their place should those injury woes become overwhelming. Last year I said that the Atlanta Braves might be the one team that could give the Phils a run for their money in the N.L. East, and I was right on there. In Bobby Cox' final season at the helm, Atlanta stayed with the Phils for most of the season, even leading the division for awhile, and made it into the playoffs as the N.L. Wildcard before bowing to the eventual pennant-winning Giants in a tough playoff series.

The Braves may have an intimidating lineup if everything goes right. If Chipper Jones stays healthy. If rookie 1st sacker Freddie Freeman is a Rookie of the Year contender. If their young rotation and bullpen arms all hold up and produce. With newcomer Dan Uggla and catcher Brian McCann joining last year's phenom Jason Heyward, the Braves should again contend for the division and playoff races.

MLB 2010: National League

In nearly every major publication and from most every prognosticator you will find that the 3-time defending NL East winning, 2-time defending National League champion, and back-to-back World Series participant Philadelphia Phillies are considered the odds-on favorites to repeat at least where that eastern crown is concerned.

In fact, many have them again winning the NL pennant and advancing back to the Series, some predicting they will win.

An admitted lifelong Phillies fan, this absolutely prejudiced observer is calling it that way. Phillies to win their 4th straight NL East crown, 3rd straight National League pennant, and then a 2nd World Series title in 3 years.

Did you expect anything else from me under the current circumstances? However, it will be a struggle, there will be highs and lows, they will be pushed. I will cover the Phillies specifically in detail in my next article here in the coming days.

In that NL East race, the team that will push the Phillies the most this year will be...the Atlanta Braves. In fact, some might even find a reason to pick Atlanta to Tomahawk Chop their way back to the top of the division and unseat the Fightin's from their lofty perch.

Atlanta's rotation of Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson & Kenshin Kawakami is talented and deep. The lineup is led by declining veteran and future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and perhaps the best offensive catcher in the NL in Brian McCann.

However, the biggest reason that the Braves will challenge the Phils will be the play of tremendous rookie right fielder Jason Heyward. If you haven't heard of him yet, you will, and soon. Bobby Cox has a strong bullpen as well, and in his final season as manager he should push for a playoff spot.

MLB 2009: National League

Unlike the American League, which I covered in yesterday's entry and which is dominated by three teams, the National League pennant race in MLB is wide open. This is both good news and bad for our own Phillies. The bad news is that there are a lot of pretty good teams in the NL that the Phils will have to battle if they want to repeat as National League champions. The good news is that the Phils are one of them, and there is no team that is clearly superior to our defending World Series champs. Tomorrow will be devoted specifically to covering those Phils, but in starting out with the NL East race, let's just say that the Phils match up well with every team, and are better than most. They and the Mets are fairly even, though I still like the Phillies top-to-bottom lineup, their bench, and the depth in their bullpen better than New York. Those Mets will be a strong contender with a lineup that features one of the best young players and leaders in the game in 3rd baseman David Wright and one of the game's most exciting players in speedy shortstop Jose Reyes. Veteran bats like the two Carlos', Delgado and Beltran, provide run-producing pop as well. The rotation is headed by all-world lefty Johan Santana, but has a bunch of question marks after him. The Mets arguably would have won the division the past two years, and possibly a World Series of their own, if they just were able to finish out close games with their bullpen. They finally met that need this off-season by signing record-setting closer Francisco 'KRod' Rodriguez, and yet another closer to back him up in J.J. Putz. If they stay healthy, the Mets will not blow many 9th inning leads this time around. But this time the race will not stop at just the Phils and Mets. It seems like every 5-6 years or so the Florida Marlins accumulate enough strong young talent to become serious contenders, and this is possibly one of those years. Their middle infield of 2nd baseman Dan Uggla and shortstop Hanley Ramirez rivals the Phils' own middle of Utley-Rollins as the best in baseball. They have a future all-star in Cameron Maybin about to burst on the scene in their outfield. And their young pitching has depth and talent that is the envy of every team outside of Tampa. The Fish are a couple bats short, and their bullpen is not good enough to overtake the Phils and Mets. But they will make it interesting much of the year, as will the Atlanta Braves. Perhaps no team but the Yankees improved their starting pitching rotation more than the Bravos this off-season. Atlanta added four solid veterans in Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami, and future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine. They team with youngster Jair Jurrjens to give the Braves the best rotation in the east, assuming these guys stay healthy. The Braves lineup has good young parts led by catcher Brian McCann, but the key to contending will be the health of veteran leader Chipper Jones (pictured). If the Braves get a full season out of him, and if both outfielders Jeff Francoeur and Garret Anderson produce, the Braves could seriously challenge the top two teams. I am going to call it in this order: Phils, Mets, Braves, Marlins, Nationals. In the NL Central, most prognosticators are picking the Chicago Cubs, as well as installing the Cubbies as favorites for the NL pennant and a trip to the World Series. There are plenty of reasons to like them starting with a talented and varied offense that includes Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Geovanny Soto. In the off-season the Cubs signed mercurial outfielder Milton Bradley. I am going to install him as a dark-horse MVP candidate, because if he can stay healthy he has the talent to be a difference-maker for this team. The Cubs have depth and talent in both their rotation and bullpen, but that rotation could easily be set back by injuries. If Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano hold up, the Cubs should win the NL Central. But hot on their heels could well be either or both of the Milwaukee Brewers, whose offense led by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun matches up with anyone, or the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards have the mighty Albert Pujols back and at full strength, and that is truly scary since he won the NL MVP a year ago during a season in which he was injured. They also get back from injury a pair of arms in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, and these guys staying healthy all year will be the key to the Cards staying with the Cubbies. Out in the NL West we can just refer to this as 'Manny Land', because the Dodgers' superstar and future Hall of Famer will be the key to this race. If his head is on straight and he is at full health, Manny will be Manny, and he will lead Joe Torre's troops to another division title. With a vastly improved middle infield of Orlando Hudson and Rafael Furcal, and with returning young bats in Russ Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, this lineup could contend even without Ramirez. Beyond young ace Chad Billingsley, who still has to prove he can carry that mantle, and strong closer Jonathan Broxton, the Dodgers pitching staff is uncharacteristically full of question marks. Right on their heels will be the Arizona Diamondbacks led by the pitching troika of Brandon Webb-Dan Haren-Randy Johnson. With strong young bats like Justin Upton, Stephen Drew, and Conor Jackson, and a deep pitching staff, this team could very well unseat the Dodgers. The pick here is for those Dodgers bats to hold off the DBacks pitching edge, but it could be very close. Behind the division-winning Phillies, Cubs, and Dodgers the other contenders in New York, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Arizona should lead the Wildcard charge, and I like the DBacks to take that race. The playoff battles are going to come down to the same keys as they do every year: who is healthy and who is pitching well come October. This is just too close to call right now, but since I went this far already I'll call it a rematch of Phillies-Dodgers for the pennant, and why not pick our Phils to win it again and advance to a World Series rematch with the Rays? They have just as good a shot as anyone else, better than most. Tomorrow's article will be devoted entirely to our World Series champions.