PHILADELPHIA -- The National League Championship Series doesn't start until this evening, but Dodgers Manager Joe Torre has already made it clear that he'll be making some changes.
Hong-Chih Kuo, who missed the Dodgers' division series sweep of the Chicago Cubs because of elbow problems, will be on the roster to face the Philadelphia Phillies in this round. The Dodgers' other two left-handers, Clayton Kershaw and Joe Beimel, will probably pitch. Kershaw could even start.
"They're certainly different from Chicago, as far as their damage guys are concerned," Torre said.
How so?
"There's no question, their left-handed hitters are better than Chicago's," Dodgers pitcher Greg Maddux said.
And more plentiful.
The only notable left-handed bat in the Cubs' lineup was Jim Edmonds.
The Phillies' leadoff hitter, Jimmy Rollins, is a switch-hitter. So is Shane Victorino, who hits second. Chase Utley and MVP candidate Ryan Howard, who hit third and fourth, are left-handed.
"We obviously have to use more left-handed pitching," said Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti, noting how not a single pitch by his team in the previous round was thrown by a left-hander.
No National League team hit the Dodgers better in the regular season than the Phillies.
The Dodgers split eight games against the NL East champions -- the Dodgers swept the Phillies at Dodger Stadium and the Phillies did the same to them at Citizens Bank Park -- but their team earned-run average in those games was 5.48, higher than it was against any other NL team.
"They do damage and they do it quick," Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa said.
The Phillies led the National League with 214 home runs -- including 48 by Howard and 33 apiece by Utley and Pat Burrell -- and were fourth with 136 steals -- 47 by Rollins.
But Torre will only do so much to combat that.
Right-handers Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda will start the first three games of the best-of-seven series, in that order, as they did in the division series.
"The way they pitched in the Cubs series, I don't think it matters who they pitch to," Torre said of the trio that had a combined 1.42 ERA in the opening round.
Lowe could pitch Game 4 at Dodger Stadium on Monday on three days' rest, or that turn in the rotation could go to the 20-year-old Kershaw or 42-year-old Maddux.
