STARTING ROTATION
Philadelphia is more experienced with Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton. And left-hander Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA, 196 Ks) might be the best pitcher left in the postseason. The Rays’ starters, though, have been brilliant. Inexperienced talents Scott Kazmir, James Shields and Matt Garza have been sensational during the postseason, and the Rays’ three-man rotation can control a seven-game series better than Hamels and Co.
Advantage » Rays
CATCHER
Philadelphia’s Carlos Ruiz (.219, 4 HR) may be the worst hitter in the series. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro finally tapped into his potential this season, as the all-star hit .295 with seven home runs and 54 RBI.
Advantage » Rays
FIRST BASE
Ryan Howard got off to a slow start, but finished with 48 home runs and 146 RBI. He’s prone to strikeouts — 199 this season — and isn’t as strong as Carlos Pena defensively. Pena also is no slouch with the bat, as he belted 31 home runs with 102 RBI during an injury-plagued year.
Advantage » Phillies
SECOND BASE
Akinori Iwamura has been a nice find for the Rays. But Philadelphia’s Chase Utley is among the National League’s best players. He batted .293 with 33 home runs, 104 RBI and 113 runs scored — and been just as good defensively.
Advantage » Phillies
THIRD BASE
Evan Longoria is been the Rays’ most valuable player. After hitting .272 with 27 home runs and 85 RBIs in a truncated rookie season, he’s drawn comparisons to a Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt. Philadelphia’s Pedro Feliz is an average third baseman with above-average power (14 HRs, 58 RBI), but isn’t nearly as strong as Longoria.
Advantage » Rays
SHORTSTOP
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon has called Jason Bartlett the Rays’ unsung hero all season. After coming over in a trade with the Twins, Bartlett’s defense solidified the team’s lineup. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins isn’t a slouch with the glove, but his superiority over Bartlett comes from his production at the plate. The reigning National League Most Valuable Player hit .277 with 11 HRs, 59 RBI and 47 stolen bases as the team’s catalyst — and the Phillies won nearly 75 percent of their games when he scored a run.
Advantage » Phillies
LEFT FIELD
Pat Burrell hit 33 home runs with 86 RBI in the final year of his contract. But Carl Crawford’s return from various injuries has injected some stability into the Rays’ lineup. The speedy Crawford was a mainstay atop the Rays’ batting order, but his experience has brought some semblance to the middle of the order, where he’s batted fifth throughout the postseason. His glove is far superior to Burrell, who has a better arm.
Advantage » Rays
CENTER FIELD
Cole Hamels aside, Shane Victorino (team-best 20 total bases, 11 RBIs) might be the Phillies’ best player during the postseason. His defense and base running are outstanding, but he hasn’t impacted games like B.J. Upton this fall. The former top draft pick hit .273 with nine homers in the regular season, but exploded this month with major league-record tying seven home runs and 15 RBIs.
Advantage » Rays
RIGHT FIELD
This one is almost a push, but ex-Orioles prospect Jayson Werth’s bat is more productive than the Rocco Baldelli-Gabe Gross platoon in Tampa. Werth hit .274 with 24 HRs and 20 SBs. The Rays can’t match Werth’s worth.
Advantage » Phillies
BULLPEN
Tampa Bay rookie reliever David Price — a left-handed superstar starter in the making —can go multiple innings, and proved in ALCS’s Game 7 he can close games. But the Phillies are 86-0 this season when leading after eight innings. Closer Brad Lidge has converted all of his 46 save opportunities and the rest of the relievers — highlighted by Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero — are strong.
Advantage » Phillies
MANAGER
Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel made it to the World Series as the hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians in 1995 and 1997. Tampa’s Joe Maddon was a member of Mike Scioscia’s staff that led the Angels to the title in 2002. Tiebreaker: Maddon has style, as evident by his thick, black-rimmed glasses and a mohawk.
Advantage » Rays
SEAN WELSH SAYS…
Tampa Bay was supposed to be good — just not this soon. But make no mistake: the Rays’ run is no fluke. It wasn’t a simple exorcism of “Devil” from its team name. The Rays’ emergence was a long process of high draft picks, player development and thrifty trades. Philadelphia enters tonight’s game with six days of rest, but their momentum can’t match that of the Rays. Give the Phils a win or two for the “Cole Hamels Factor,” but their ace opens the series in Tampa, against a lineup that includes a designated hitter.
PREDICTION » Tampa Bay Rays in six games.
