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Starting pitching:

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has a dilemma — who to include in his first-round playoff rotation. But his starting staff seems ideally suited for a short series.

It's a no-brainer to start with left-handers Cliff Lee (the 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner acquired from the Cleveland Indians at midseason) and Cole Hamels (2008 World Series MVP). Manuel likes his chances using lefties against the Rockies' lineup.

Manuel's Game 3 starter is likely to be right-hander Joe Blanton. That could leave National League rookie of the year candidate J.A. Happ and three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez in the bullpen for a five-game series.

A big problem for the Rockies is the groin injury that will force Jorge de la Rosa (16-9) to miss the NLDS. He left Saturday's start against the Los Angeles Dodgers after three perfect innings. De La Rosa held lefties to a .204 average, a factor that would have played well with the Phillies dependent upon left-handed hitters Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez.

Manager Jim Tracy will start Ubaldo Jimenez in Game 1, Aaron Cook in Game 2 and Jason Hammel in Game 3. That relegates 15-game winner Jason Marquis to the bullpen for now.

Hot and cold:

The Rockies were baseball's hottest team in the second half, putting things together after Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle as manager. Colorado, which started 18-28, went 74-42 under Tracy, an NL manager of the year candidate.

Conversely, the Phillies lost three consecutive games after clinching the NL East and dropped nine of their last 16.

The Phillies have concerns in the bullpen. Operating without Chan Ho Park (strained hamstring), they're also short on left-handers with J.C. Romero (forearm strain) and Jamie Moyer (abdominal surgery) sidelined for the playoffs, and Scott Eyre dealing with an apparent bone chip in his elbow.

Marquis made the All-Star team but was particularly ineffective the last six weeks, going 1-5 with a 6.25 ERA in his last eight starts. In his final nine outings, left-hander Franklin Morales gave up 14 hits, eight walks and 12 runs (10 earned) in 4⅓ innings. Rafael Betancourt figures to be Colorado's primary setup man.

Colorado's hottest hitter is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who hit .254 and slugged .489 in the first half but hit .342 and slugged .619 after the All-Star break. He hit .344 with 12 homers in 195 at-bats from the cleanup spot.

Closing games:

A year ago, Phillies closer Brad Lidge was perfect in 41 regular-season save opportunities and successfully converted all seven chances in the postseason.

This year has been quite the opposite for Lidge, who has 31 saves but is 0-8 and leads the majors with 11 blown saves.

The Rockies' Huston Street has been among the NL's best closers in 2009, converting 35 of 37 save chances. He did have a recent hiccup, surrendering a three-run homer to the St. Louis Cardinals as the Rockies were attempting to catch the Dodgers for the best record in the NL West.

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Phillies want Hamels to be rested

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel opted to have Cliff Lee start Game 1 today to assure that Cole Hamels has enough rest.

"We didn't want to bring (Hamels) back a day short mostly because he's over 200 innings," Manuel said.

Lee said he was honored but doesn't really care which game he pitches in his first playoff series.

"I knew I was going to pitch one of the games, so it really didn't matter," he said. "They're equally important."

Not forgotten:

Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins said Clint Hurdle, who managed the 2007 Rockies to the World Series but was fired in early June, remains part of the reason the Rockies are in the playoffs for a second time in three years.

"He picked a team in spring training and most of the guys are in here," Atkins said. "He's not here, but he's a big part of the reason a lot of us are still here."

Colorado manager Jim Tracy said he didn't make wholesale changes after June 3. "There is some continuity to this club," he said. "Day in, day out, it's a fairly similar ballclub that was playing against the Phillies in our home opener back in April."

Left out:

Manuel had difficult roster decisions to make. Among those not on the Phillies' NLDS roster is utility player Eric Bruntlett, who homered in Game 2 and scored two winning runs in last year's World Series. The Phillies opted to keep veteran infielder Miguel Cairo, who hit .267 in 27 games. Cairo is a .328 hitter in 19 playoff games.

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Season series

The Phillies won four of six games, taking two of three in Colorado in April and two of three at home in August. Cole Hamels lasted 3⅔ innings at Colorado, but fellow lefties Cliff Lee (nine strikeouts, seven innings) and J.A. Happ (7-0 shutout) kept the Rockies in check at Philadelphia. Dexter Fowler batted .429 (9-for-21), and Garrett Atkins hit .304 with three homers and eight RBI against the Phillies, while Chase Utley (8-for-19, .421) and Jayson Werth (9-for-23, .391, eight RBI) were Philadelphia's best hitters against Colorado this season.

Playoff pedigree

These Rockies look remarkably similar to the 2007 team that stormed into the postseason by winning 14 of their final 15. That team swept the Phillies out of the playoffs and cruised into the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox. This year's version, 20-32 on June 3, played inspired ball in the second half.

Many of the same players, including infielders Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Atkins and Clint Barmes as well as outfielder Brad Hawpe are holdovers from the 2007 club. If there's a difference, it could be that the pitching staff, led by Ubaldo Jimenez, closer Huston Street and Aaron Cook, appears better-prepared for the postseason.

Prediction

Philadelphia tends to score runs in bunches with an offense that relies on the long ball. Colorado, however, has the kind of offense that can manufacture runs with speed. If the Phillies have an Achilles' heel, it could be the back end of the bullpen, which has been inconsistent.

Phillies prevail in four games.

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Projected lineups

Colorado Rockies

Player	Avg.	HR	RBI	Notable
LF Carlos Gonzalez	.284	13	29	16-for-20 on steals
CF Dexter Fowler	.266	4	34	27-for-37 on steals
1B Todd Helton	.325	15	86	.353 with two outs, RISP
SS Troy Tulowitzki	.297	32	92	Batting .344 in cleanup spot
RF Brad Hawpe	.285	23	86	.240, nine homers after All-Star break
3B Ian Stewart	.228	25	70	20 homers vs. right-handers
C Chris Iannetta	.228	16	52	4-for-9 with bases loaded
2B Clint Barmes	.245	23	76	Nine homers in seventh inning or later

Philadelphia Phillies

Player	Avg.	HR	RBI	Notable
SS Jimmy Rollins	.250	21	77	Stole 31 bases, scored 100 runs
CF Shane Victorino	.292	10	62	25 steals, 102 runs, 13 triples
2B Chase Utley	.282	31	93	Finished season with 0-for-16 slump
1B Ryan Howard	.279	45	141	RBI total leads majors
LF Raul Ibanez	.272	34	93	Hit .232 after All-Star break
RF Jayson Werth	.268	36	99	Stole 20 bases, scored 98 runs
3B Pedro Feliz	.266	12	82	.208 vs. lefties, .336 with RISP
C Carlos Ruiz	.255	9	43	Hit .310 after July

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Schedule

All times Eastern; games televised on TBS

•Game 1: Colorado (RHP Ubaldo Jimenez 15-12) at Philadelphia (LHP Cliff Lee 14-13), Wednesday, 2:37 p.m.

•Game 2: Colorado (RHP Aaron Cook 11-6) at Philadelphia (LHP Cole Hamels 10-11), Thursday, 2:37 p.m.

•Game 3: Philadelphia (TBA) at Colorado (RHP Jason Hammel 10-8), Saturday, 9:37 p.m.

•Game 4*: Philadelphia at Colorado, Sunday, time TBA

•Game 5*: Colorado at Philadelphia, Oct. 13, time TBA

*if necessary