Game 1: Cardinals at Dodgers

Baseball's second season begins tonight for these two storied franchises, and both teams couldn't be happier about putting the last few weeks of mediocrity behind them.

The Dodgers went 17-13 in the last month of the season, which isn't bad, but losing 5 in a row during the last week of the season isn't how you want to finish. The Cardinals come off a (meaningless) sweep by the Brewers, but no one wants to enter the postseason with that losing taste in your mouth.

This series is going to hinge, I think, on the the starting pitching of the St. Louis Cardinals. If Carpenter and Wainwright deliver like the Cy Young candidates they are, then the Cards should have no trouble disposing of the Dodgers. If the Ethier, Kemp and Manny can find a way to get to the those guys, then the Cardinals could have some serious trouble.

Tonight's matchup? Chris Carpenter faces off against Randy Wolf. Forgive me, but I think I'll pick the Cardinals in that one (no offense to Wolf, he's a solid pitcher, but he's no Carp). Pujols is on base all night and Holliday gets a big hit. Manny breaks out of his struggles with a 2-run HR for the Dodgers, but it won't be enough to affect the outcome of this game.

Final score: Cardinals 5, Dodgers 2.