Adam Wainwright

Just like the American League, the National League playoff contenders will need strong starts from three starting pitchers. Who has the best three-man rotation? Let’s take a look.

St. Louis Cardinals: Chris Carpenter (rhp), Adam Wainwright (rhp), and Jaime Garcia (lhp). This group offers two aces and a rookie that doesn’t throw hard but knows how to pitch. These three just proved how good they are as they swept their division rival, the Cincinnati Reds, and moved into first place in the Central. Wainwright is tied for first in baseball with 17 wins, is third in the league in strikeouts (158), and has the second best ERA (1.99) and may have moved ahead of Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez as the favorite for the CY Young award. Garcia has been overshadowed by all the big name rookies but may be the best (10-5 with a 2.71 ERA and has allowed just 6 homeruns in 22 starts). Carpenter hasn’t been as dominant as in 2009, but has been good (13-3 with a 2.89 ERA), though his good is most people’s dominant.

Tim Hudson

Atlanta Braves: Tim Hudson (rhp), Jair Jurrjens (rhp), and Derek Lowe (rhp). Hudson has completely regained his pre-surgery form and is a favorite for the CY Young award. He holds a 2.24 ERA and opponents are hitting just .217 against him. Hudson joins fellow ground ball machine Lowe, who has not been great but gives the Braves innings and keeps them in the game. Jurrjens has returned from the DL and been the pitcher he was prior to the beginning of the season. In six starts after the All-Star break, he is 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA and he keeps the ball in the ballpark (he has allowed just 7 homeruns all season).

Roy Halladay

Philadelphia Phillies: Roy Halladay (rhp), Cole Hamels (lhp), and Roy Oswalt (rhp). Halladay has never been to the postseason in his career but has pitched well against NL playoff contenders. Hamels has returned to his 2008 form and could be just as dominant this postseason. Hamels has been better at home than on the road. Oswalt was acquired by the Phillies to help with their postseason push. Oswalt has struggled in his career against the NL East, though he did just dominate in his Citizens Bank Park debut on Wednesday night.

Mat Latos

San Diego Padres: Jon Garland (rhp), Mat Latos (rhp), and Clayton Richard (lhp). Pitching has been the reason that the Padres have held onto first-place in the NL West for most of the season. Many teams passed on Garland this offseason and he has pitched well for the young Padres, going 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA so far. He has been better at home and seems to have recovered from his June and July struggles. Latos is 7-1 with a 1.42 ERA in his last 10 starts. Richard, since coming over from the White Sox in the Jake Peavy deal, has made a huge impact. He has struggled as of late.

Cincinnati Reds: Bronson Arroyo (rhp), Johnny Cueto (rhp), and Edinson Volquez (rhp). The Reds have held their own this season to stay with the heavy favorite Cardinals. They have done so with pitching and defense and the two youngest starting pitchers, Mike Leake and Travis Wood, have been impressive.These two may be pushed aside in favor of more seasoned pitchers like Arroyo, Cueto, and Volquez (and even Aaron Harang) for the postseason. Arroyo has quietly racked up 12 wins with an ERA under 4.00 while opponents are hitting .230 against him. Cueto has also put up solid numbers (11-3 with a 3.38 ERA) though he has struggled against the Cardinals and some playoff contenders (Atlanta and SF). Volquez has returned from Tommy John surgery and his 50-game suspension and could be like a July trading deadline piece (and he is rested). He has gotten better in his last two starts.

SF Giants: Tim Lincecum (rhp), Matt Cain (rhp), and Barry Zito (lhp). The Giants are carried by their pitching staff. Lincecum has not been as dominant as in season’s past yet he still made the All-Star team and still has solid numbers (11-6 with a 3.41 ERA). He is second in the league in strikeouts with 163. Cain has quietly put up a solid season with a 3.06 ERA though his record is just 9-9. Cain has also pitched well against playoff contenders. Zito is having his best season since joining the Giants and has pitched well within the division.

LA Dodgers: Vicente Padilla (rhp), Clayton Kershaw (lhp), and Ted Lilly (lhp). Padilla missed the month of May, which makes him a well-rested ace who dominates when the games are on the line. The young lefty Kershaw has struggled against the Phillies (though he pitched well Thursday night) and who knows they might match up for the third straight postseason. The Dodgers traded for Lilly to fill out their rotation, which would most likely push Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda to the bullpen.

Colorado Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez (rhp), Jeff Francis (lhp), and Aaron Cook (rhp). The Rockies are 8 games back (as are the Dodgers) but we all know the type of run that the Rockies are capable. Jimenez has struggled as of late and maybe that has to do with all the innings he has accumulated. Francis has pitched well after missing all of 2009. Cook is currently on the DL so they could go to Jason Hammel or Jorge De La Rosa.

The Rockies have struggled lately going 5-5 in their last ten, after being one of the hottest teams in baseball. The starting pitching, which was a strength during the hot streak, has cooled off. Jason Marquis, a potential CY Young hopeful at midseason, has only won once in his last 7 starts (1-4) and has seen his ERA rise to almost 4.00. Jorge De La Rosa has been inconsistent, one game pitching 8 shutout innings against the Giants and then the very next start only going into the 3^rd inning giving up 6 runs to the San Diego Padres. Aaron Cook has been out since August 22^nd with a right shoulder strain, though he returned Friday night to pitch 5 shutout innings against the Cardinals in a no-decision. Young starter Ubaldo Jimenez has been the surprise workhorse and has become the ace as of late. He’s won 7 out of his last 10, and has lowered his ERA to 3.47. The Rockies offense has also struggled, with a few key players battling injuries (Dexter Fowler, Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Stewart, and Troy Tulowitzki). If the Rockies are going to survive the last week of the season and enter the postseason, they are going to have to overcome the toughest schedule out of the remaining Wild Card contenders and become consistent across the board. Colorado has 2 more at home with St. Louis, 3 at home with Milwaukee, and the final 3 at the Dodgers. The walk-off win Friday night against the Cardinals didn’t hurt.

The Braves have won four in a row and 8 out of 10. They have the deepest pitching staff of the playoff contenders, with Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, rookie Tommy Hanson, newly healthy Tim Hudson, and Javier Vazquez, who is quietly having a CY Young type season. Their bullpen is always a question mark, but if Pete Moylan, Mike Gonzalez, and Rafael Soriano can shut down the 7-8-9 innings, the Rockies are in trouble. The offense has been the most inconsistent for the Braves. They don’t have a ton of power and Chipper Jones is having a down year, but if shortstop Yunel Escobar comes up with men on base, be sure that they will score (he leads the NL in average with RISP). The Braves offense is built on gritty players like Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz, Brian McCann, and Martin Prado, and hoping that veterans Adam LaRoche, Chipper Jones, and Garrett Jones can drive them in. Atlanta has 2 more at Washington, 3 at home vs. Florida, and 4 at home with Washington.

The Marlins are young and gritty. It seems that every year they are wreaking havoc on the NL and this year is no exception. They have a young pitching staff led by CY Young candidate Josh Johnson, and an offense led by shortstop Hanley Ramirez, an MVP hopeful and soon-to-be batting champ. The only question is: can the Marlins sustain the success for an entire season? When they are going bad, they can’t beat anyone, but when they are going good, they can beat anyone. Florida has 2 more at home vs the Mets, 3 at Atlanta, and the final 3 at Philadelphia. Starting on Monday, they play the Braves in Atlanta to determine who will give the Rockies a run for the Wild Card going into the final weekend. The pitching matchups for the 3 games are:

Monday 9/28: Anibal Sanchez @ Jair Jurrjens

2-2, 4.15 ERA (4 starts)          4ER, 10H in 13 IP

vs. the Braves in 2009             vs. the Marlins in 2009

Tuesday 9/29: Rick VandenHurk @ Tim Hudson

0-0, 3.27 ERA (2 starts)          1-0, 3.39 ERA (1 start)

vs. the Braves in 2009             vs. the Marlins in 2009

Wednesday 9/30: Rickey Nolasco @ Javier Vazquez

1-0, 4.67 ERA (3 starts)          0-2, 5.68 ERA (4 starts)

vs. the Braves n 2009              vs. the Marlins in 2009

The Giants were so close not too long ago, but can the pitching staff carry them to the playoffs? As Mitch Williams said last night on MLB Tonight, the pitching staff has to pitch like a closer with no net; no one will pick them up. That puts tons of pressure on the entire pitching staff to put up zeros every inning to win a game. The pressure may also be felt on the lone consistent offensive force in the lineup, Pablo “Kung Fu Panda” Sandoval. He has seen his average drop into the .320’s when it hovered in the .330’s for most of the season. But someone around him needs to start hitting. If Eugenio Velez and Andres Torres can get on base and Bengie Molina, Juan Uribe, and Aaron Rowand can drive them in, the Giants have a chance. The Giants have 2 more left against Chicago, 3 at home vs. Arizona, and 3 at San Diego. The Giants may have the easiest schedule left, but being 5 games out and if the offense cannot generate some support for Lincecum & Co., their postseason chances are slim to none.

I think the Colorado Rockies will hold onto the Wild Card and make the postseason, but this final week will be exciting.