It's playoff time and the NL East Champion Phillies have drawn the Colorado Rockies as their NLDS matchup.  I was going to write a little preview on the matter and most likely will tomorrow, however to tide you over here is some great Phillies/Rockies stuff from around the net:

Reasons why the Phillies will and won't win it all this year from The Good Phight: They’re gassed. Rich Hoffman has noted it,  as has Ken Rosenthal. And you’ve seen it too: Chase Utley’s weak swings, Shane Victorino’s disappearing strike zone judgment, Pedro Feliz’s regression, Jayson Werth’s flails and corkscrews. No lineup in baseball has been worked as hard as this one, and it’s shown in their September hitting performances. A few days of rest and the adrenaline boost of the playoffs will help—but the accumulated fatigue of eight solid months of baseball can’t be argued away. Facing some of the best pitchers in the game, the Phils hitters might also have to battle the limitations of their own overtaxed bodies.

Series preview from Recliner GM:  Bottom Feeders Jayson Werth / Pedro Feliz / Carlos Ruiz vs. Brad Hawpe / Clint Barmes / Yorvit Torrealba This might look like a easy category for the Phillies as Jayson Werth was one of only 8 players in the NL with 35 HR and 99 RBI this season, but there is more to it than that. Not only did both Hawpe and Barmes drive in more than 75 RBI this season, but the Rockies have several players (seen below in the bench category) that can be inserted into these spots in the order based on match-ups. This gives the Rockies slightly better depth on any given day because they can play to the opposing teams’ pitchers’ weaknesses. For those looking to argue that Feliz also knocked 80+ RBI, keep in mind that that was primarily because of the number of people on base in front of him. His .694 OPS ranks 69th out of 76 eligible NL players. Slight edge to the Rockies.

The most extensive series preview you're going to find at Crashburn Alley:  Four of the Rockies’ top-five hitters are left-handed and the same goes for the Phillies if you count switch-hitter Shane Victorino. The Phillies will throw out two lefty starters against the Rockies’ lefties gaining the platoon advantage while the Rockies will use two righties against the Phillies’ lefty mashers. In the batter/pitcher match-ups, the Phillies have a nice advantage here.

20 Things about the Rockies from the Daily News: 1. The Rockies started the season a paltry 18-28, prompting general manager Dan O'Dowd to replace Clint Hurdle with Jim Tracy. The move paid immediate dividends as the team rallied around its new skipper. Colorado went an astounding 74-42 under Tracy, becoming the first team in major league history to go from 10 games under .500 to at least 20 games over, and making him the favorite to be named NL Manager of the Year.

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