* Offense: With Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell batting in the middle of their lineup, the Phillies can overpower any pitching staff in their small park, which is why they were second in the league in runs scored. But if sinkerball pitchers such as Derek Lowe can keep the ball out of the bleachers, Philadelphia's hitters suddenly becomes mediocre, which is why even the Pittsburgh Pirates had a higher batting average than the Phillies' .255 in the regular season. But the Phillies can also run, with Jimmy Rollins (47) and Jayson Werth (20) combining to steal 67 bases in 71 tries. The Dodgers are much more balanced offensively, especially with Rafael Furcal back at the top of the lineup. Yet it's Manny Ramirez's bat that makes them go. In the three-game sweep of the Cubs, he reached base nine times, scoring five runs and hitting a pair of homers. Edge: Dodgers.

* Defense: Fielding isn't particularly a strength for either team, both of which finished in the middle of the league in fielding percentage during the regular season. The Phillies, with Rollins, Utley and Shane Victorino up the middle, can be flashy at times. But they can also be brutal, especially at first base where Howard led the majors with 19 errors. And while the Dodgers are generally solid on the routine plays, Ramirez in left and Matt Kemp in center can sometimes turn the easiest fly balls into an adventure. Edge: Phillies.

* Starting pitching: The Dodgers' rotation falls off steeply after Lowe and Chad Billingsley, who have gone 10-0 with a 1.78 earned-run average and 64 strikeouts in their last 14 starts combined, including one victory each against the Cubs. The Phillies, conversely, are deeper following the midsummer acquisition of Joe Blanton. Cole Hamels and Brett Myers, the Phillies' No. 1 and No. 2 starters, combined to give up two runs and four hits in 15 innings against Milwaukee in the division series. But veteran Jamie Moyer, who made his big league debut two years before the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw was born, was the only Phillies pitcher to lose in the division series and he has failed to make a quality start five times in his last eight outings. That could favor the Dodgers if Philadelphia gives Moyer the start against Hiroki Kuroda in Game 3. Edge: Dodgers.