Los Angeles Dodgers Vs. Chicago Cubs
This season, the Chicago Cubs (97-64) finished atop the NL Central, winning more games than any other NL club. They led the majors in RS/RA differential with a plus-184 mark. The Cubs have scored more runs—855—than any other team in the majors. Their hit totals, OBP and SLG percentages are all in the top five in MLB. The Los Angeles Dodgers (84- 78) took the NL West, beating out the Arizona Diamondbacks by four games. The Dodgers won the West with just 84 wins—the fewest of any division champ. The bad news is they scored just 700 runs and had a RS/RA differential of plus-52. Both are the lowest in the majors. The good news is that they also possess the lowest runs allowed total—648. That bodes well for the playoffs where good pitching tends to rise above fine hitting.
In the area of NL pitching, Chicago is third to Los Angeles in ERA with a team mark of 3.87. Opponents are hitting just .242 against them, ranking them first in the league in that category. Their 1,264 Ks are also tops. For the Dodgers, the pitching staff has been solid, especially in the second half, with two starters posting ERAs under three—Chad Billingsley (3.14) and Derek Lowe (3.24). Hiroki Kuroda has also been impressive with a post-All-Star ERA of 3.43. Overall, the staff leads the league in ERA (3.68) and is second in batting average against (.251).
Chicago has four starters with double digit wins. Ryan Dempster (17-6, 187 SO, 2.96 ERA) is first in wins and earned run average. He’s allowed just 14 home runs. Dempster’s big pitch is the fastball, while he also ably utilizes a fine slider and effective change up. Ted Lilly (17-9, 187 SO, 4.09 ERA) and Carlos Zambrano (14-6, 130 SO, 3.91 ERA) have also been fine. Lilly, a lefty, uses an array of pitches, including a dominant fastball that is offset by a curve, a slider and change up. Zambrano, who was injured part of the season, is a fastballer with a tough slider. Closer Kerry Wood (34 SV, 3.26 ERA) has been solid, making 34 of 40 saves and striking out 84 in 66.1 IP. He’s allowed just three home runs.
The Dodgers’ Billingsly (16-10, 201 SO, 3.14 ERA) is the club’s ace. Primarily a fastball pitcher, he keeps batters off balance by peppering his delivery with sliders and curves. Opponents are hitting .227 against him. Derek Lowe (14-11, 147 SO, 3.24 ERA), the club’s titular ace, is also an effective force. Lowe uses two pitches—the fastball and slider. He also utilizes an occasional change up. Although not as effective as Billingsly or Lowe, third starter Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 116 SO, 3.73 ERA) has a sound delivery. The closing duties are handled by Jonathan Broxton (14 SV, 3.17 ERA) and Takashi Saito (18 SV, 2.49 ERA). Saito has been more effective than Broxton.
On offense, the Cubs’ .278 batting average is second in the league and better than any other NL playoff club. Shortstop Ryan Theriot leads off with a .306 batting average, 19 doubles and 22 stolen bases. Alfonso Soriana, with 29 homers and a batting average of .282 offers consistent power. Chicago’s Aramis Ramirez (3B) and Derrek Lee (1B) enter the post-season with 111 and 90 RBI respectively. Ramirez has stroked 27 homers and Lee 20. Mark DeRosa (.285 BA, 21 HR, 103 RS) and Geovany Soto (.285 BA, 23 HR) are both solid hitters. When it comes to the home run, the Cubs are not as massive as the Dodgers, but they are powerful, stroking 182 homers (fifth-best in the NL).
Offensively, the Dodgers are fifth in batting average (.264), 13th in homers (133) and sixth in on base percentage. Since coming to the Dodgers in the three-way trade, Manny Ramirez is hitting .393 with 17 homeruns and 53 RBI. Andre Ethier’s average is .303. He leads the club with 20 homers. James Loney, who is tops on the team with 35 stolen bases, has a solid .292 average. Matt Kemp, with 18 round trippers and a .293 BA, offers good pop off his bat. The Dodgers won’t kill you with hitting, but they do offer enough support to their dominant pitching staff.
The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908 and the NL Pennant in 1945. Despite the fact that under new manager Lou Piniella they went from worst in 2006 to first in 2007, last season’s Central Division title was a huge disappointment. The Cubbies and their fans want to go all the way. And Piniella is just the guy to get them there. For the Dodgers, it’s ironic that in his first year at the helm former Yankee skipper Joe Torre is back in the playoffs, while his former team, Bronx Bombers, finished in third place. Torre knows baseball and baseball players. The seasoned vet manager is a big plus when it comes to post-season play.
Tags: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
