Putting the NL playoff teams in their place

THEY PLAYED 162 games to eliminate 12 teams. So here are the four remaining National League clubs and where they rank as the road to the World Series begins.

1. Dodgers

2. Phillies

3. Cardinals

4. Rockies (wild card)

1. Dodgers 95

2. Phillies 93

3. Rockies 92

4. Cardinals 91

1. Dodgers .270

2. Cardinals .263

3. Rockies .261

4. Phillies .258

Insight: The Dodgers led the National League. Juan Pierre (.308), who saw most of his action when Manny Ramirez was suspended, was the only Dodgers regular to hit over .300 ... Albert Pujols, of the Cardinals, hit .327 and finished third in the NL batting race. His .327 average actually was the third-worst of his 9-year career ... Colorado's Todd Helton finished fourth at .325. When the Rockies swept the Phillies in the 2007 Division Series, he went just 1-for-12 (.083) ... The Phils' Jimmy Rollins hit .272 after the All-Star Game after struggling at .229 before the break.

1.Phillies: 224

2. Rockies: 190

3. Cardinals: 160

4. Dodgers: 145

Insight: Of the five teams with 200 homers, the Phillies were the only NL club. The Phils had four players with at least 30 - Ryan Howard (45), Jayson Werth (36), Raul Ibanez (34) and Chase Utley (31). None of the other three NL playoff teams had more than one. The Cardinals' Pujols topped the NL with 47. Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had 32. Dodgers rightfielder Andre Ethier had 31 ... Citizens Bank Park (207) and Colorado's Coors Field (172) saw the most homers hit. Dodger Stadium had 127 and St. Louis' Busch Stadium had 120.

1. Cardinals, Albert Pujols

2. Phillies, Ryan Howard

3. Dodgers, Manny Ramirez

4. Rockies, Todd Helton

1. Rockies

2. Dodgers

3. Cardinals

4. Phillies

Insight: Rockies pinch-hitters hit an NL-best .287. Dodgers' PHs hit .253 while St. Louis was .221. The Phillies .186 mark was the second-lowest in the league after Milwaukee (.175) ... When Colorado lefthander Seth Smith isn't starting, which he likely won't in at least a few games against Phillies lefty starters, he's one of the top pinch-hitters in the league. He hit .472 off the bench ... Veteran infielder Ronnie Belliard, acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline, had been nagged by a groin injury but seems OK now ... Lefty Matt Stairs, who hit a memorable bomb off the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton in last year's NLCS, is the only real power off the Phillies' bench.

1. Dodgers 28-22 .560

2. Rockies 23-20 .535

3. Cardinals 24-21 .533

4. Phillies 24-21 .533

1. Rockies, Jim Tracy

2. Cardinals, Tony La Russa

3. Phillies, Charlie Manuel

4. Dodgers, Joe Torre

Insight: The Rockies were 14 games back and were in last place when they plucked Tracy to replace Clint Hurdle on May 28. Colorado went 74-42 under Tracy and nearly caught the Dodgers for the NL West title.

1. Cardinals, Tony La Russa

2. Dodgers, Joe Torre

3. Phillies, Charlie Manuel

4. Rockies, Jim Tracy

Insight: Torre has won more titles, but La Russa gets top billing here because of his success with the White Sox and Athletics and for winning the World Series (2006) more recently. Torre's last championship was in 2000 and he has lost two World Series since ... Manuel manages the clubhouse as well as anyone, but his loyalty to Brad Lidge likely cost the Phils the No. 1 overall seed ... Tracy's only other postseason berth was in 2004 when he was the Dodgers' skipper.

1. Phillies 11-5 .688

2. Dodgers 12-9 .571

3. Cardinals 5-6 .455

4. Rockies 4-5 .444

1. Rockies 20-11 .645

2. Dodgers 17-13 .567

3. Phillies 18-16 .529

4. Cardinals 14-16 .467

1. Phillies $113 million

2. Dodgers $100 million

3. Cardinals $78 million

4. Rockies $75 million

1. Cardinals

2. Phillies

3. Rockies

4. Dodgers

Insight: The Cards edged out the Phillies here because Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have been more consistent ... The Phillies' Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels can be dazzling or they can be ordinary ... Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa went 14-2 since June 21, but left his most recent start on Saturday with groin tightness. The Rockies' rotation was bolstered by return of All-Star Aaron Cook, who missed a month with a shoulder injury ... Former Phillie Randy Wolf is starting Game 1 for the Dodgers.

1. Dodgers, Jackie Robinson

2. Phillies, Mike Schmidt

3. Cardinals, Stan Musial

4. Rockies, Todd Helton

1. Cardinals

2. Dodgers

3. Phillies

4. Rockies

Insight: The Cardinals' 10 World Series titles are second to the Yankees. They've also won 17 NL pennants ... The Dodgers were bums for most of their time in Brooklyn (1883-1957) and have won five of the franchise's six championships since moving to LA ... No sports franchise has lost more than the Phillies, though that is sooo last century. This is arguably the golden era for the Phils, who also began play in 1883 ... This is just the third postseason appearance for the Rockies, who debuted in 1993. Colorado was swept by the Red Sox in 2007 in its only World Series appearance.

1. Rockies 51

2. Dodgers 50

3. Cardinals 46

4. Phillies 45

1. Phillies 48

2. Cardinals 45

2. Dodgers 45

4. Rockies 41

1. Dodgers

2. Rockies

3. Phillies

4. Cardinals

Insight: LA has plenty of depth, especially after the deadline acquisition of George Sherrill, who was the closer for the Orioles ... Though most of the guys in the Rockies' bullpen weren't with the club out of spring training, the unit has been solid lately ... The Phillies would be fine if baseball didn't require a ninth inning ... The Cardinals will rely on some kids who've never been in the postseason.

1. Dodgers, Jonathan Broxton

2. Rockies, Huston Street

3. Cardinals, Ryan Franklin

4. Phillies, Brad Lidge

Insight: Broxton is having the best season of his career and hasn't allowed an earned run in 22 of his last 23 outings ... Street would get the nod for No. 1, but he's battling elbow tendinitis and still doesn't quite look 100 percent ... Franklin struggled down the stretch ... Wonder if Charlie Manuel's gesture to Brad Lidge to get the final out of the division clincher will have any residual effect for Lidge's confidence.

1. Phillies

2. Rockies

3. Dodgers

4. Cardinals

1. Dodgers 46,440

2. Phillies 44,453

3. Cardinals 41,275

4. Rockies 32,902

Insight: The Dodgers led all of baseball and the Phillies and Cardinals were third and fourth, respectively. The Yankees were second ... LA drew a major league-best 57,099 for its home opener on April 13 against the rival Giants ... The Phillies' road average of 30,760 was the smallest of the four NL playoff teams.