The Philadelphia Phillies host the Colorado Rockies this afternoon in the opening game of the 2007 Major League Baseball Postseason. This series looks to be exciting as both teams seem to be virtually even on paper.

The Rockies finished the regular season with 14 wins out of their last 15 games to set up a one-game playoff with the Padres. In the end, the season came down to a three-run rally in the wild-card tiebreaker’s 13th inning to clinch the final playoff spot. It’s the club’s second wild-card title and second postseason berth.

After a slow start, and calls for manager Charlie Manuel’s firing, the Phillies clinched the NL East and advanced to the postseason for the 10th time in club history. While injuries plagued the pitching staff, they remained consistent and solid on offense to clinch the title on the last day of the season.

The Phillies have a slight edge over the Rockies in the infield with the Phillies having three possible MVP candidates in their lineup. Most of the Phillies’ power comes from the infield. MVP candidate Jimmy Rollins has done his part — leading the team in runs and hits. He’s also one of four players in big league history with at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season. Ryan Howard was another consistent bat all season. He finished second in the NL in homers and lost a tight race for the RBI lead to Matt Holliday. Chase Utley was another important piece of the puzzle for Philly. He provided power and speed at the top of the lineup. Abraham Nunez’s strength is defense. 

Colorado answers with Troy Tulowitzki. Homegrown prospect Troy Tulowitzki took over and finished the season leading all NL shortstops in RBI (99). The Rockies needed the young players to step up and Tulo did — offensively and defensively. The Rockies’ were disappointed by the offensive production of Todd Helton. His power numbers were down but on the flip side he was steady. 3B Garrett Atkins was steady and key in the stretch run. He had a .349 ERA the second half of the season.

The rest of the matchups – outfield, starting pitching, and the bullpen are dead draws. The Rockies might have a slight edge in the outfield though as they have their own MVP candidate roaming the outfield in Matt Holliday.  Holliday won the NL batting title with a .340 average. He also finished first in RBI (137) and fourth in runs (120). Also notable is Brad Hawpe who finished with a 100-plus RBI season. In the first half he struggled against lefties but improved down the stretch.

The Phillies counter with outfielder Aaron Rowand. Even though he had a career year offensively, his defense remains his strength. Shane Victorino and Jason Werth are the strongest arms off the bench and Pat Burrell is the weakest, but he still brings in the runs. With his 218th career homer, Burrell moved into fifth-place on the Phillies’ all-time list.

Given the Rockies’ dramatic finish to the season, they could have some momentum going into the postseason but did the stretch run wear them out? This one will be an exciting series — the Phillies and the Rockies are first and second in the NL in runs and RBI — with the Phillies having a slight edge here. This will be another fight to the finish for both teams.  This series will go the Phillies in four games.