CAN HEAR CLEARWATER CALLING
Cole Hamels will start Game 1 of the NLCS for the Phillies, as expected. After that, however, manager Charlie Manuel was not saying during his press conference tonight at Dodger Stadium.
Manuel did say that both J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton will be available out of the bullpen in Game 1, which could mean he was leaning toward Pedro Martinez. Another possibility would be bringing Cliff Lee back on short rest, although that seems unlikely. Lee pitched Monday night in the clincher of the NLDS in Denver.
Manuel said the Phillies have not finalized their roster or talked to the players yet who were being left off. That could help explain his delay in announcing the rotation.
Rosters do not have to be finalized until tomorrow morning.
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For the Dodgers, lefthander Clayton Kershaw will Game 1.
He will be followed by former Phillie Vicente Padilla in Game 2, Hideki Kuroda in Game 3 and Randy Wolf in Game 4. Kuroda was not on the division series roster with a neck issue but threw in Arizona to stay sharp.
The 6-3 Kershaw is only 21 years old. He went 8-8 this season with a 2.79 ERA.
His last outing was in Game 2 of the Division Series against St. Louis last Thursday. He got a no-decision, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
He has faced the Phillies one this year, taking the loss. He allowed two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings at Citizens Bank Park in May.
Many expected Randy Wolf to make the start against his former team since Wolf started in Game 1 of the NLDS for the Dodgers.
Kershaw is expected to oppose Cole Hamels.
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