NLCS Preview

By Charles Curtis

The National League Championship Series that no one could have predicted begins tonight, as the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins square off in a battle between two teams that fought off division and Wild Card rivals to make the playoffs.

The Cubs won their first postseason series in 85 years and look to their pitching to shut down the Marlins' consistent offense. Everyone is buzzing about the Cubs top three pitchers, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano, who dominated a dangerous Atlanta Braves' lineup. Wood was the Cubs' MVP of the NLDS, winning both of his starts and whiffing 18 batters while just allowing a combined 7 hits and 7 walks in those two games. Prior also had a great series, pitching a complete game and allowing just one earned run in his start. While Zambrano and his teammate Matt Clement did not overpower the Braves, they are still dangerous pitchers against any lineup.

The Cubs' lineup has some pop in it even while Sammy Sosa continues to struggle in the playoffs. Moises Alou (.500, 10-20, 3R, 3RBI, 1SB) has shown why a veteran presence is necessary for playoff success, while Eric Karros and Aramis Ramirez provided clutch hits and huge home runs. The Cubs still hope their centerpiece Sosa can finally hop and skip again, as he watches balls fly out of the yard more in this series than the last. But with their lineup starting to catch fire and their solid starting pitching, the Cubs are a real threat.

However, the Florida Marlins have threats of their own. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez has returned to the days when he was an MVP in Texas, as he knocked in six runs and hit .353 in the series against the Giants. Pudge leads a lineup with clutch veteran hitters (end-of-the-season pickup Jeff Conine), base-stealing threats (the combination of Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo are enough to make Damien Miller and Paul Bako shake in their shin guards), and a sensational rookie, Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera took over for the Marlins' injured star third basemen Mike Lowell and had a great September as well as a nice series against the Giants (.286, 3RBI). Even though he struck out six times in fourteen at-bats, no one can stop talking about Cabrera being a factor in the Marlins' solid lineup.

The questions truly lie in Florida's starting rotation. Josh Beckett pitched a great opening game against the Giants, giving up one earned run on two hits in seven innings while striking out nine, even though he walked five batters. The rest of the Marlins' rotation was not overpowering in the division series, but all of their starters have shown flashes of dominance throughout the season, including fan favorite Dontrelle Willis. If the Marlins' staff shows how truly dominant they can be, it'll be a depressing walk home on Wayland Avenue after the series ends. 

Here are the five factors to watch during this series: 

1. Can anyone stop talking about the Big Three? Chicago's starting pitching completely took out the Giants. The Marlins don't have a complete threat like Barry Bonds, so can we expect even more dominance? And don't forget Matt Clement. He can throw nasty stuff when he's on.

2. It's all about clutch plays. How did a team one step away from another fire sale like the Marlins survive the regular season and a series against Barry Bonds? Big hits in big game situations. You might think that every team needs someone to deliver a clutch hit, but the Marlins thrive on winning close, exciting games.

3. The old-timers. Another subject of debate is Florida's youthful exuberance. Do they have experienced players to keep the kids from the glare of the Championship Series lights? The Cubs are led by three such players, Alou, Sosa and Karros.

4. Whose bullpen is better? Say what you will about both teams' lineups and starting pitchers. Their bullpens are evenly matched. Both teams' won their respective division series on the backs of their relievers, and like any playoff series, whichever bullpen falls apart will be in a hole.

5. Lasting power. As I mentioned before, both of these teams survived long, tough battles for their respective playoff spots, and that's what makes this series so intriguing. They weren't supposed to be in the NLCS, but now that they are, they can't both be underdogs. Expect to see back and forth baseball, one run games, and plenty of intensity from two teams who lasted the longest in the National League race.