Chad Billingsley and Brett Myers are set to square off in an afternoon affair. I’m not quite sure why the Phillies and Dodgers should draw the day game. After all, it’s 1:35 on a Friday in Los Angeles, and therefore, no Dodgers fans can really watch this game. Meanwhile, you have the biggest West Coast market and second-largest media market in the nation playing a team from the East Coast’s second most populous city. This should really be the night game. For this one, you’ve got your usual storylines. Manny Ramirez is hitting .500 in the playoffs while the rest of the Dodgers are hitting .213. The Phillies have scored most of their runs via the long ball. Can these trends continue? All this and more at 4:37 p.m.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Both League Championship Series this year are a lesson in player development. The Dodgers flat-out dominated the Cubs using a lineup featuring four homegrown players and a pitching staff again centered around in-house arms. The Phils are built very much in the same way, with five homegrown position players starting for them, as well as staff co-aces Cole Hamels & Brett Myers.

Don’t even get me started with the Rays and Red Sox. Stay the course, built from within. Looks where it gets you.

Just a quick roster note, the Dodgers removed ex-closer Takashi Saito from the playoff roster and replaced him with lights out lefty reliever Hong-Chih Kuo. Saito’s status was questionable because of ongoing elbow troubles, and Kuo (who had a ridiculous season) gives them a third southpaw in the pen (Kershaw & Beimel are the others) to battle Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:22pm; Joe Buck & Tim McCarver have the call on FOX. Talk it up here.

Los Angeles
1. Rafael Furcal, SS
2. Andre Ethier, RF
3. Manny Ramirez, LF
4. Russ Martin, C
5. James Loney, 1B
6. Matt Kemp, CF
7. Casey Blake, 3B
8. Blake DeWitt, 2B
9. Derek Lowe, P (14-11, 3.24)

Philadelphia
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Pat Burrell, LF
6. Jayson Werth, RF
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Cole Hamels, P (14-10, 3.09)

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The Angels lived to fight another day last night, and now they’re right back at it ready to do it again. Even though the game went 12 it should have never been that close to start with, except that Howie Kendrick/Torii Hunter’s brain fart led to the first 3 RBI single in postseason history.

The last time John Lackey pitched in Fenway, he did pretty well, but he still sports a 6.34 career ERA in the little league field. Jon Lester has been close to unbeatable at home this year, going 11-1 with a 2.49 ERA at the Fens. I dunno though, those stats are so one-sided that this game might have reserve lock written all over it.

In what must be a new rule, the Sawx dropped Mikey Lowell off their postseason roster and replaced him with some guy named Gil Velazquez. As Chip Caray has reminded us numerous times last night, Lowell has a torn labrum in his hip and has basically been useless on both sides of the ball. This has to be a brand spankin’ new rule, because the only time you were allowed to change the roster was between rounds as recent as last season. If a guy got hurt, too bad, you were stuck with him.

Anaheim
1. Don’t Call Me Sean Figgins, 3B
2. Garret Anderson, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Vlad Guerrero, DH
5. Torii Hunter, CF
6. Mike Napoli, C
7. Juan Rivera, RF
8. Howie KKKKKKKKendrick, 2B
9. Erick Aybar, SS
- John Lackey, P (12-5, 3.75)

Bahstin
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. JD Drew, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Mark Kotsay, 1B
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. All Star Catcher Jason Varitek, C
- Jon Lester, P (16-6, 3.21)

The winner of this series will take on the Rays, who sent the ChiSox packing earlier tonight.

Popularity: 19% [?]

After they’re finished hitting each other in the face with bats, the Rays will look to close out the first playoff series win in franchise history tonight. Chicago escaped certain doom yesterday, pouncing on Matt Garza’s mistakes and getting timely hits, but will they be so lucky tonight? Andy Sonnanstine doesn’t strike fear into the heart of anyone, but the dude’s one ballsy pitcher. Gavin Floyd’s been a bust since age 22, so I’m sure he won’t be effective tonight, or ever in the future.

Comment away on the game here, although I’m sure we’re all saving our energy for tonight’s Lester-Lackey deathmatch in the Fens.

Tampa Bay
1. Akinori Iwamura, 2B
2. Bossman Junior, CF
3. Carlos Pena, 1B
4. Don’t call me Eva Longoria, 3B
5. Carl Crawford, LF
6. Clifford Floyd. DH
7. Dioner Navarro, C
8. Gabe Gross, RF
9. The Team MVP, SS
- Andy Sonnanstine, P (13-9, 4.38)

Chicago
1. Orlando Cabrera, SS
2. AJ Pierzynski, C
3. Jermaine You Dye Now!, RF
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. The Kid, CF
7. Alexei Ramirez, 2B
8. DeWayne Wise, LF
9. Juan Uribe, 3B
- Gavin Floyd, P (17-8, 3.84)

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Please, all I ask is that they put up a fight tonight. (Lineups)

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A day after Joe Torre’s Dodgers completely housed the Cubbes and sent them packing, Ozzie Guillen looks to avoid the same fate with his Chicago team. It’s supposed to rain for another few hours in the Windy City, which is rather fitting. Carlos Pena returns to the lineup for Tampa, and feel free to use this as an open thread to talk about whatever while we wait for this one to start. (Matt Garza vs John Danks, lineups)

Popularity: 5% [?]

HWB Waikiki (7-6 loss to North Shore, walk-off style)
Damon Sublett: 1 for 5, 1 R, 3 K
Jeremy Bleich: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 7-1 GB/FB - 39 of 69 pitches were strikes (56.5%) … threw first pitch strikes to 12 of the 19 batters he faced … all three runs scored on RBI groundouts

Remember how I’ve been saying the Arizona Fall League starts on Monday? I’m wrong, turns out it starts Tuesday. My bad. Phil Hughes is one of the league’s top plot lines this year.

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We’ll have some Yankee content later, but with three playoff games on tap and the Giants set to play the Seahawks, baseball is far from the minds of New Yorkers. In an hour, the Phillies will try once again to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Joe Blanton faces Jeff Suppan. Feel free to turn this thread into an open thread. Nothing is taboo.

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Torre’s boys are looking to sweep. Can they pull it off? Rich Harden will try to stop ‘em. Comment away here while we find out. (Lineups)

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In what will be the first of four attempts at Division Series sweeps, the Phillies and Brewers are set to square off tonight. The Phillies haven’t won a playoff series since they won the 1993 NLCS. Jamie Moyer, the inspiration of Mike Mussina, will throw tonight for the Phils while David Bush goes for the Brewers.

For all of your Yankee needs, we looked today at Bobby Abreu’s contract, a rebound start by Andrew Brackman and Kevin Maas.

Game time is 6:37 p.m.

Phillies
Rollins SS
Werth RF
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Burrell LF
Victorino CF
Feliz 3B
Ruiz C
Moyer P

Brewers
Cameron CF
Hall 3B
Braun LF
Fielder 1B
Hardy SS
Hart RF
Weeks 2B
Kendall C
Bush P

Popularity: 5% [?]