SarroSports

 SECOND PLAYOFF POST OF THE DAY! TO SEE RED SOX POST SCROLL DOWN.

In a about a week I may look like a fool for picking the Dodgers over the Cubs, who are undeniably the best team in the National League.  Then again, many have been burnt by picking the Cubs over anyone during their 100 year drought since their last championship.  I understand that the Cubs have the best starting pitching in the NL and boast a line-up that would scare any big league staff.  I have also noticed that their bullpen is full of pitchers who light up the radar gun and punch out batters.  Even though many say this is the Cubs year (I could swear I herd that before), I’m picking the Dodgers in 5.  Why not, they have the hottest pitcher on the planet in Derek Lowe, who scouts say is throwing his best sinker at any point in his career.  Lowe has shown he can pitch in big games, just take a look back four years ago with the Red Sox.  Lowe won every clinching game in the playoffs after suffering through a dreadful regular season.  hes 5-1 with a 0.94 ERA in his last nine starts.  Game two starter Chad Billingsley has been impressive all season and arguably the staff ace. 

Billingsley will be opposing one of my personal favorite starters Carlos Zambrano.  We all know how great Zambrano is on the mound, but lets admit this guy is completely nuts and comes from the mold of an NFL linebacker.  He gets way too amped up and often loses composure in big games.  This could be the reason for manager Lou Pinella choosing Ryan Dempster to start game 1 instead of long time staff ace Zambrano.  An unidentified cubs player agreed with this statement yesterday stating, Zambrano cant control his emotions on opening day, hows he gonna react to getting the ball in game 1 of the playoffs.

The Dodgers have a bullpen that matches up with any in baseball when healthy and will receive a boost when former closer Takashi Saito returns to form after an elbow injury.  Speaking of injuries, Rafael Furcal is starting at short and many forget this guy is hitting .357 on the season (143 AB).  Also Jeff Kent is healthy and adds to a line up that is suddenly pretty dangerous.  If all of this dosn’t convince you that the Dodgers have a chance at giving the Cubs their usual post-season fate, I havn’t mentioned the two x factors yet.

If the Cubs even think about pitching to Manny Ramirez at any point during this entire series, they deserve to lose.  Look for Ramirez to get the Barry bonds treatment by Cubs pitching, which puts a lot of pressure on young players like Andre Ethier James Loney who hit behind Manny.  Also if there is no manager in baseball today, that I would want running my team in the post-season than Joe Torre.  Four World series rings later and hungry for a fifth, Torre looks poised to take his team deep into the post-season.  Yes folks that means they’ll beat the Cubs in 5.

-Sarro