By Ryan Fagan -


Sick of seeing the same old teams in the World Series every year? Then you're in luck. The Phillies carried their late-season momentum (17-8 in September) through the first two rounds of the postseason (7-2) to reach their first World Series since 1993. And Tampa Bay's rags-to-riches story has been well-documented.

Ironic, isn't it, that the winning pitcher in the All-Star Game was Rays southpaw Scott Kazmir and the losing pitcher was Phillies closer Brad Lidge? Might be important, considering the Rays were baseball's best team at home this season.

Here's how the teams stack up:

Offense: The Phillies were clearly the superior offensive squad in the regular season, with three sluggers -- first baseman Ryan Howard (48 homers), outfielder Pat Burrell (33) and second baseman Chase Utley (33) -- each hitting more balls over the fence than Rays first baseman Carlos Pena, who led his team with 31 homers.

But the postseason has been a different story. With their lineup healthy for the first time since July, the Rays have been mashing the ball. They've played two more games than the Phillies, and they have hit 12 more homers and have scored 24 more runs than the Phillies. Outfielder B.J. Upton's power has returned (seven homers, 15 RBIs in the postseason), and he is swinging the bat with more confidence than he has at any point this season. Burrell and outfielder Shane Victorino have been carrying the Phillies' offense with their clutch hits, and Howard and shortstop Jimmy Rollins finally started swinging the bat well late in the NLCS.

Neither team is afraid to go down swinging, which is something pitchers can take advantage of.

Edge: Rays

Defense: The Rays' defense, a strong point all season, was shaky at times in the ALCS against the Red Sox. An error by third baseman Evan Longoria led to the winning run in the ninth inning of Boston's epic Game 5 comeback, and shortstop Jason Bartlett has been uncharacteristically inconsistent in the postseason.

The key for the Phillies will be their ability to adjust to playing on the artificial turf and in the dome at Tropicana Field. Philadelphia has the better defense on the left side of the infield, with Rollins and third baseman Pedro Feliz, but Tampa Bay is better on the right side, with second baseman Akinori Iwamura and Pena. Right field has been shaky for the Rays in the postseason.

Edge: Phillies

Pitching: With a dominating performance this postseason, Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels has shown the rest of the country what Philadelphia fans already knew: He is one of the elite pitchers in the game. Hamels is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three playoffs starts, and the Rays will have to adjust quickly to his changeup, or risk dropping the first game of the World Series at home.

The Phillies' bullpen -- especially righthander Ryan Madson -- has been dominant. Thus far, Lidge has exorcised his playoff demons.

How's this for consistent: The four Rays' starters (Matt Garza, James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine and Kazmir) have ERAs between 3.32 and 4.02 in the postseason. Garza was amazing in the ALCS Game 7 clincher, and Tampa Bay unveiled a devastating weapon to close out the Red Sox in lefty David Price. Price is sure to play a bigger role in the World Series after striking out three batters in 1 1/3 innings to end Game 7.

Edge: Rays

Bench: Matt Stairs came through with the best bench performance of the postseason thus far, crushing the game-winning homer off Jonathan Broxton in the Phillies' Game 4 win at Dodger Stadium in the NLCS. Greg Dobbs is versatile off the bench for the Phillies, and he has six hits in his 11 playoff at-bats.

The Rays have power (Willy Aybar, Rocco Baldelli) and speed (Fernando Perez) that manager Joe Maddon can use. If he isn't in the DH slot, Cliff Floyd is a veteran lefthanded bat who could be useful in the late innings against righthanders Madson and Lidge.

Edge: Rays

Managers: Charlie Manuel has done a fantastic job in Philadelphia. He has gotten his team to peak in September two years in a row, and he has guided the Phillies into the World Series in a season in which most folks picked the Cubs or Dodgers to represent the N.L. in the World Series.

But Rays manager Joe Maddon has turned in one of the best managerial jobs in the history of the game this year with Tampa Bay. His ability to trust his instincts and go against conventional baseball wisdom has led the Rays to the biggest stage in baseball.

Edge: Rays

Prediction: Rays in six.

Source- Yahoo News.

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