The NLDS kicks off a little after 3 PM EDT this afternoon as the Phillies host the Brewers. Yovani Gallardo takes on Phillies ace Cole Hamels in game 1. Gallardo threw just 24 innings at the major league level due to injuries this season. He did strike out 20 in that time, in line with his 121 K in 134 1/3 major league innings in his career. Unless he's extremely efficient against a good Phillies lineup, I doubt he'll be allowed to go more than five innings.

Hamels showed improvement in his third season in the majors, dropping his ERA for the second year in a row. He dropped his home run rate without losing his ability to strike out batters. He did allow a 4.73 ERA to Milwaukee this season, however. Hamels is extremely effective against right-handed batters, as they hit just .215 against him with low OBA and slugging percentages to boot. The Brewers send out a fairly right-handed lineup.

Derek Lowe and Ryan Dempster matchup in Chicago as the Cubs start their drive to end their 100-year championship drought. Lowe comes into the series extremely hot. Opponents failed to score against Derek in his last eleven innings pitches. In his last nine starts, Lowe posted an 0.94 ERA. Somehow, he's only 5-1 in the stretch.

Ryan Dempster pitched superbly all season, setting a career high in wins and a career low in ERA. Lou Piniella started Dempster home a great majority of the time, where he won 14 of his 17 games. He allowed just six home runs in 129 innings at Wrigley, versus eight in 77 2/3 innings on the road. The Dodgers were the only club this season that walked more than they struck out against Dempster (5 BB, 4K).

On the west coast, Jon Lester faces John Lackey in the battle of the AL team with the best record against the AL team with the best run difference. Lester showed great improvement in his control this season. The previous two years he walked 74 in 144 1/3 innings. In 2008, Jon walked 66 in 201 1/3 innings. Lester has not been that good away from Fenway, however, posting a 4.09 ERA on the road.

Lackey looked like he might cost the Angels a playoff berth when he and Escobar went down with injuries early in the season. The Angels, however, received fine starts from Saunders and Santana to withstand the loss, and Lackey came back strong as ever. He's extremely effective against left-handed batters this season. They're hitting .221 against John, 80 points lower than righties.

While Lester tossed a no-hitter against Kansas City, Lackey took one into the ninth against Boston. It's an important game in this rivalry, as Manny Ramirez failing to hustle on a ground ball kept the no-hitter alive and was likely the final straw for the fans and Red Sox management. Manny did hit the Angels well this season, so we'll see how much he's missed in this series.

Enjoy!