Rockies, Dodgers Battle with NL West Crown On The Line

NFL News - October 2nd, 2009 - Written by John

The final playoff spots have already been locked in, but the race for the NL West is still alive and may have a big impact on the postseason. As it stands, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a two-game lead in the division over Colorado with three games left to play. The pair were brilliantly matched up for a season-ending series this weekend, that could shift the momentum of everyone in the playoffs.

Were the Dodgers to hold onto the lead and win one of the last three games, they would clinch the division and, more importantly, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They would then host either the St. Louis Cardinals or the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS

However, f Colorado instead sweeps L.A. and take the division lead for the first time all year, they would win the division, thus relegating the Dodgers to the role of Wild Card winner, and make Joe Torre's team go on the road in the Division Series.

What that means in the bigger picture, is that the other two teams in the postseason, St. Louis and Philadelphia, would have a shot at securing home-field advantage throughout and would have a better chance at advancing.

It would probably benefit the Cardinals the most to host the first round. The Phillies actually have a better road record and have a stable of left-handed pitchers that can counter Los Angeles' powerful Andre Eithier and Jim Thome.

St. Louis, on the other hand, is 17-16 against NL East teams and 19-15 against the West. And they could certainly use the comforts of home.

The Dodgers and the Rockies are headed in completely opposite directions ever since they both earned spots in the playoffs. Colorado is hot, winning four straight and seven of their last ten. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has dropped four in a row and is 4-6 in their last ten.

DSI Sportsbook has a current line for the National League pennant. The Phillies are actually the favorites, with a payout of +225. The Dodgers net a reward of +235 and the Rockies are the longshot at +300.

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