Who Will Prevail in the NLCS?

The Los Angeles Dodgers await the Phillies for the second-straight year in the NLCS but should fans expect the same result this time around?

This matchup between cross-country rivals actually marks the fifth time the two teams squared off in the championship series -- the Phils lost in 1977 and 78 but won in 1983 and last season.

Let’s take a look at who held the advantage in the rubber match.

ESPN.com’s “experts” were split down the middle five to five over who would win the series.

We won’t be so wishy-washy in our prediction later.

There were a few things to take into consideration when picking this series first being the records. The Dodgers won more games (95 to 93) than the Phillies in the regular season. They also edged the Phils four to three in head-to-head games.

The advantage would seem to go to the Dodgers but what about the lineups, the pitching rotations and the bullpens.

The Dodgers lineup held their own against the Phillies this season. They batted .276, slugged .413, knocked 22 extra-base hits and 26 runs in seven games against Phillies pitching. And, that was without Manny Ramirez who was suspended for all seven games against the Phillies.

The Phillies didn’t nearly put up the same numbers off Dodgers pitching. They batted .214 (their third-worst average against any team this season), slugged .332 (second-worst against any opponent), belted 17 extra-base hits and scored 25 runs against Dodgers’ hurlers.

Advantage clearly goes to the Dodgers batters especially considering that guys like Andre Either, James Loney, Matt Kemp and the late-season addition of Ronnie Belliard tore apart pitchers in the second-half of the season.

The Phillies counter with their own murder’s row of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins and others. But those guys just didn’t hit well against the Dodgers as a unit this season.

You would assume that Phillies pitchers would clearly be at the disadvantage compared to Dodgers pitchers but if you look at who started games for the Phillies against the Dodgers things swing the Phillies way.

Chan Ho Park, Jamie Moyer (twice) and Antonio Bastardo started games for the Phils against the Dodgers -- none will start in the NLCS.

The real question is how the pitching rotations shape up now that it’s October.

The Phillies top starters are far better than L.A.’s hurlers.

The Phillies put Cole Hamels on the mound in Game 1. He owns Hollywood -- he beat the Dodgers twice last postseason and posted a career 2-0 record with a scant 1.50 ERA while tossing 30 innings in four career regular-season starts.

Add, Hamels’ five-hit, complete-game shutout of the Dodgers this past June and you would give the Phillies the edge.

The Phillies also now have Cliff Lee pitching behind Hamels. The southpaw was nearly unhittable in two starts in the NLDS and he should be ready to go for Game 3 and the deciding Game 7 if needed.

Assume that Hamels and Lee could grab three wins in this series so that means the Phils would only need one big start from Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ or Pedro Martinez to take the series.

The Dodgers seemed likely to put Randy Wolf on the hill in Game 1. The former Phightin Phil posted a 1-1 record with a 4.42 ERA while lasting 18.1 innings in three career starts against his former squad.

But, The Dodgers opted for young lefty Clayton Kershaw to start the NLCS. Manager Joe Torre was probably hoping that the left-leaning Phillies bats wouldn't be able to handle the southpaw but the Phillies bats crushed Kershaw in four career starts. Kershaw went 0-3 with a 6.64 ERA in 20.1 career innings against Philly. 

We will take Hamels over Kershaw any day.

The rest of the Dodgers rotation (any mix of Chad Billingsley, Jon Garland, Jeff Weaver and former Phillie Vicente Padilla don’t really strike fear into opponents.

The Phillies should be able to outduel the Dodgers so that leaves the ball to the pen.

The Dodgers feature a shutdown closer in Jonathan Broxton (2.61 ERA) and quality set up guys in George Sherrill (1.70 ERA), Hong-Chih Kuo (3.00 ERA) Ronald Belisario (2.04 ERA) and Ramon Troncoso (2.72 ERA).

The Dodgers can counter the Phillies left-handed power hitters like Utley, Howard and Ibanez with lefties Sherrill and Kuo.

The Phillies don’t carry the same type of relief power. Closer Brad Lidge posted an astronomical 7.21 ERA and already blew two saves to the Dodgers. Add to him a rag-tag group of relievers including Scott Eyre (1.50 ERA), Chad Durbin (4.39 ERA), Ryan Madson (3.26 ERA), Kyle Kendrick (3.42 ERA) and Brett Myers (6.43 ERA as a reliever) and the Phillies bullpen doesn’t look very good.

But, there was some hope -- Park could be back in the pen for the NLCS. He was one of the Phils top relievers this season posting a 2.52 ERA in 38 games.

But even with Park the Dodgers pen was much more formidable.

So, the picking the winner really came down to x-factors.

The Phillies have Lee and of course Matt Stairs who propelled the Phillies to victory last NLCS by hitting a homer so hard off Braxton that we still aren’t sure if it ever landed.

The Dodgers though have a slugger of their own in former Phillie Jim Thome. But, the slugger struggled since he went to L.A. only managing four hits and three RBI with no homers in 17 at bats with the Dodgers.

This series is tough to call. But, it’s hard to ignore the Phillies big two pitchers (Hamels, Lee) -- they can overcome possible hiccups by the offense and bullpen to carry the team to the World Series.

Prediction: Phillies in six

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