NEW YORK - Even in defeat, Pedro Martinez came out looking like a winner.

The veteran right-hander shined for six innings in the 3-1 loss to the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series but took the loss. After the game, he was showed why he will never be considered a loser.

"Regardless of what happened, the fact that I was the loser today for the game, I'm extremely proud and happy being able to participate, compete against a real, real good team, a very solid team, be able to put my team in position to catch up or win that game," he said. "At the same time tell myself that I made the right decision by coming back and getting this opportunity, putting myself in the position to get an opportunity to pitch in the World Series."

He also showed why many consider him one of the classiest players in the game. On his way out of the game in the eighth inning, he smiled at the fans. He talked about how he addressed a loud Yankees fan.

"It's a new Yankee Stadium, but the fans remain the fans," he said. "I remember one guy sitting right in front of the front row with his daughter, sitting with his daughter, and his daughter in one arm, and a cup of beer in the other hand and saying all kinds of nasty stuff.  I just told him, 'Your daughter is right beside you.  It's a little girl.  It's a shame you're saying all these things.'"

That's simply Pedro being Pedro. He speaks his mind and he pitches with heart.

Unfortunately for the Phillies' fans he is not receiving much run support. Thursday marked the second time in a row that Martinez did not have strong run support from his offense. He threw seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, but the Phillies scored once and lost, 2-1.

He was the tough-luck loser again Thursday.

"I felt like Pedro did a tremendous job," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He changed speeds, and he definitely moved the ball around, and he was aggressive.  He wasn't afraid to throw inside to some of their big hitters, and he pitched a good game.  Pedro got hurt by the long ball off lefthanded hitters, and that's kind of  it was a heck of a game.  It was a very close game, and we couldn't pull it out."

Martinez's mistakes Thursday came with first baseman Mark T eixeira and Hideki Matsui at the plate. Each Yankees' slugger hit a solo home run,

"When I made a couple of mistakes, I paid for them," he said. "Teixeira's home run to me, seems like he hit a good pitch.  I just have to tip my hat and kind of let it go.  Matsui I was disappointed. I was just into a groove and pitching and throwing pitches, and just flip a curveball there, kind of paid for it."

There's a chance Martinez could pitch at Yankee Stadium once more if his turns comes up again. There's also a chance he never pitches in a big league game again.

."If we win the World Series, I'd suggest you fly to Dominican and come and ask me," he said. "If we don't win it, I'll probably give it another shot. " 

NEW YORK - Yankees mystique and aura yielded to reality Wednesday night in the Bronx.
 The Phillies are the defending champs and that's not an accident.

It took a 6-1 loss in Game 1 of the World Series to remind everybody in the Yankees nation that this is not going to be an easy series. The Phillies are for real and the Yankees have a real fight on their hands.

"Obviously, they are the defending champs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "They earned their World Series last year, and they earned their right to get back here this year.  They've played extremely well."

On Wednesday, Phillies Cliff Lee allowed one run for a complete game victory. It won't get any easier for the Yankees. On Tuesday, the Phillies will have Pedro Martinez to the mound for Game 2. The Yankees will counter with A.J. Burnett.

"A loss is going to happen," Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher said. "We have lost a game before and we know what to do. We are going to come back t the same time and be ready to go."

Expect both teams to be ready to go. As it turns out, neither team should really be considered the favorite in this series because it's too close to call.

Maybe Yankees fans already knew that fact. Maybe they didn't. The Yankees know how good the Yankees are.

Just ask anybody in the home clubhouse.

"We're a good team, too, and that's why you play a series," Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon said. "They won today and hopefully A.J. comes out and throws the way we know he can. Hopefully, our bats will be better.  We don't like this situation and we can't lose three more. We want to win four. It's one game, one loss and it's over with."
On Wednesday, the Yankees managed six hits against Lee. Six hits against Martinez and the Phillies might not be enough for a victory in Game 2.

Just ask anybody in the home clubhouse.

"The bottom line is we have to swing the bats better than we have," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "You move on further in the playoffs and it gets more and more difficult.  Pedro knows how to pitch. He's been pitching for a long time and he mixes it up.  He'll be ready. 

Every game at this point is critical."

The Yankees will be ready for Martinez. He is 11-11 with a 3.20 ERA in 32 career starts against them in the regular season, and was 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 career starts at the old Yankee Stadium.  He is 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in six postseason appearances against the Yankees, and is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in his past five.

Yes, the Yankees would have preferred to lead the series but will settle for a spilt in the first two games at Yankee Stadium. They definitely don't want to go into Philadelphia this weekend trailing, 2-0.

"You like to win the first one at home but it didn't work out the way we wanted," said Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who struck out three times Wednesday. "You have to have a short memory. Pedro is going to be ready to pitch so we will be ready for him."

The Phillies won by playing Yankees-style baseball. The pitching was strong, they hit home runs and they drove in runners with two outs.

Martinez will be waiting for them. He has something to prove to Yankees fans and New York media.

"I think in every aspect, the way you media guys have used me and abused me since I've been coming to Yankee Stadium , just because I wore actually a red uniform just like this one while playing for Boston. I remember quotes in the paper, "Here comes the man that New York loves to hate."  Man?  None of you have probably ever eaten steak with me or rice and beans with me to understand what the man is about.  You might say the player, the competitor, but the man?  You guys have abused my name.  You guys have said so many things, have written so many things."

"There was one time I remember when I was a free agent, there was talk that I might meet with Steinbrenner," Martinez continued. "One of your colleagues had me in the papers with horns and a tail, red horns and a tail.  That's a sign of the devil.  I'm a Christian man."

Martinez is also a warrior, something Yankees fans already knew. Now, everybody knows how good the rest of his team is.

NEW YORK - Sitting on a podium in front of reporters at Yankee Stadium one day before the start of the Fall Classic, Phillies starter Pedro Martinez was asked about facing the Yankees lineup in Game 2 of the World Series.

He refused to comment.

Another reporter asked the veteran how he would adjust if the Yankees began to hit him hard or took an early lead in the contest.

The pitcher raised his eyebrows and gave the colorful equivalent of a "no comment."

Martinez was then asked about the Yankees fans, the same boisterous fans that chant "Who's your daddy?" every time he takes the mound in The Bronx.

Martinez smiled. This time, a "no comment" would not suffice.

"If there is a boo, it's out of respect. If there is a clap, it's out of respect," he said. "Anything they do, it's acknowledging that I am there and I take it all as a positive regardless of what happens. The fans are here to have fun and as long as they cross the line, I will be pleased with whatever."

Martinez has a long history against the Yankees. He is 11-11 with a 3.20 ERA in 32 career starts against them in the regular season, and was 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 career starts at the old Yankee Stadium.  He is 1-2 with a 4.72 ERA in six postseason appearances against the Yankees, and is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in his past five.

As a member of the Red Sox in 2004, Martinez struggled against the Yankees and playfully called them "my daddy" in a postgame interview. During the 2004 ALCS and in every game ever since, Yankees fans have reminded him of his words by chanting them.

"They've never been nice to me here (at Yankee Stadium)," he said. "I'm just going to keep doing what God has meant for me to do and I'm going to try to execute. I enjoy every single moment I have in baseball, not just at Yankee Stadium. ... I pitch here just like every other field and I take a lot of pride and joy in doing it but I don't think this is my house."

Home, it seems, is in Philly.

A late-season addition in Philadelphia, Martinez went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts for the Phillies. In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, he gave up two hits in seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers.

He's already made quite an impression.

"I used to think he was kind of cocky and arrogant, and he's a little cocky, but he's definitely not arrogant," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. " He's a baseball guy.  He has a tremendous feel for the game, and he knows a lot about it, and he loves to compete.  The bigger the moment, the bigger the stage, I think the more he likes it.  He's been very good for our club, and he fits real well. "

Near the end of his media session, Martinez was again pressed about his strategy against the Yankees and the crafty veteran finally answered the question.

Sort of.

 "The whole game is about adjustments," he said. " When you're high, you come low. When you're away, you try to come in. I'm a person that will say I do make adjustments in the middle of the game. I invent little things in the middle of the game to try to get an edge and win the ball game. If it's legal I will try to do it."

NEW YORK - Given the choice of being interviewed in English or Spanish at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz said he would rather do it in German.
He then asked the reporters around him if they spoke French. English is too easy, he said.

Ruiz was joking.

If Ruiz is nervous about Wednesday's matchup against the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series, he isn't showing it. The Panamanian star is comfortable on the big stage the playoffs provide and has the numbers to prove it.

As it turns out, "Chooch" is also quite the comedian.

"To be here is really something special for me," he said. "This is what you dream about when you are a child and to have the opportunity is a dream come true. But you also have to have fun. This does not happen every year so you have to enjoy the time."

Since 2007, Ruiz has a .296 batting average in 26 postseason games.  This season, he boasts a .346 batting average in nine playoff games. During the regular season this year, Ruiz hit .255. He has a career-batting average of .246.

He hit .375 during the World Series to pace the champs last year.

"I think I just feel more comfortable because of experience," he said. "I am relaxed and I understand what I have to do. I'm not anxious anymore. I am patient at the plate."

The game does not make Ruiz nervous but facing Mariano Rivera does give him butterflies. Like Ruiz, the Yankees closer is from Panama.

"I watched him every time he won the World Series, every out and every game," Ruiz said. "He's represented our country very well and I know Panama will be watching. Maybe half of the country is going for him and half of the country is going for me but that does not bother me. To have two Panamanians here at this level is a great moment and a source of pride for our country."

Ruiz even wished Rivera luck in the series, but not too much luck.

"Once we get on the field we have to do my job and he has to do his job," Ruiz said. "If I get  a chance to win the game with him on the mound, I'm going to do it but at the same time, I know this is a special time for our country right now."

NEW YORK - Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was surrounded by his teammates and hordes of media Tuesday and this time around it felt much better to be the center of attention.

"Standing here in this booth has reminded me of Spring Training with my press conference and having all of my teammates and the organization sit behind me and literally sit right there when a lot of people were running the other way," he said. "It makes me feel really happy to be contributing and hopefully bring back a championship to the Steinbrenner family."

Times have changed for Alex Rodriguez.

During Spring Training, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids to a national audience during a press conference. Later, he missed a month of the season because of hip surgery. Today, he admitted to having a great time and enjoying the fact that his Yankees are in the World Series against the Phillies.

"It certainly feels good. I definitely rediscovered the joy of playing baseball and that's for sure," Rodriguez said. "It feels good to be on a great team and contribute."

Rodriguez's contributions are a big reason why the Yankees are four wins away from a World Series title. In New York's nine postseason games against the Twins and Angels, Rodriguez hit .438 with five homers, 12 RBIs and nine walks.

It has already been quite a turnaround for Rodriguez. He never imagined he would feel so good at the end of the season after feeling so low to start it.

"For me, it was obvious that in Spring Training that I hit rock bottom," he said. "You can only hit your head against the wall so many times before you figure out there is another way to get on the other side of the wall. For some of us, it has taken a little longer. "

"For me, the goal is to win and be a part of a championship team," he continued. "That's why I came to New York. Winning is the only thing that matters. For me, that's been the big difference. I've focused on one stat and that's wins and losses. I also knew I had tremendous limitations this year with my hip. I didn't know what I would be able to contribute. That put me in a great frame of mind from Day 1."

Rodriguez said a conversation with his closest friends before the season help save his career and possibly his life. In what was described as "tough-love" session, Rodriguez's friends made him think about his life as man and a player.

He listened. Maybe, for the first time.

"I knew I couldn't change a lot of the mistakes I had made off the field and my short-comings on the field in October and the regular season," Rodriguez said. "I knew I had the opportunity with nine years ahead of me to do things right on and off the field. I just surrounded myself with good people, starting with my teammates.  I think that approach overall has made me feel liberated and made me feel different."

 The result has been consistent play and a lot more laughter. The Rodriguez on the field now is a happy Rodriguez.

"One of the things that to me is misunderstood about Alex is that Alex is a good guy," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He is a good teammate.  He's a teacher in that room.  He helps the young kids out.  He takes care of the young kids.  He's very smart when he's on the baseball field, and sometimes when you have the expectations of what Alex has around him, the only thing that's focused on is his numbers.  But he does a lot more for the club."

Rodriguez's journey continues in Game 1 on Wednesday.

LOS ANGELES - From depths of rejection to heights of acceptance, Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla is on the verge of turning a forgettable year into one to remember.

The one-time Rangers' cast-off will start the biggest game of his career on Saturday when he takes the hill for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Cardinals in St. Louis with his team up two games to zero in the best-of-five series.

"This is a second life that I have been given, and I'm grateful for it," Padilla said. "I'm going to do my best (Saturday). We'll hope for a little luck and see what happens."

Nobody could have predicted what has happened to him so far this season.

The right-handed pitcher was released by Texas in early August because the club felt he no longer fit in. The Dodgers picked him up 10 days later for the prorated portion of the minimum salary, about $100,000.

The bargain shopping paid dividends. Padilla went 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in eight games/seven starts with the Dodgers after signing with the club Aug. 19.

 "He's pitched well for us so you never know what's going to happen, you never know who you're going to need or when you're going to need him," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "So part of our plan all year long is to have enough to get us through whatever we needed. And if it meant having Padilla it was adding Padilla."

Padilla's arrival in Los Angeles was preceded by his reputation. He's enigmatic, they said, and a bad teammate to boot.  Some of his former Rangers teammates bad-mouthed him on his way out the door, and others wondered how he would adjust to the Dodgers' clubhouse.

"The way a person treats me is how I understand who a person is," Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez said. "I can't talk about what happened with Vicente in Texas or anywhere else because I wasn't there.  He's treated me with respect and he's treated others here with respect. What else do you want?  Who am I to judge another person?  Let him be who he is.  have no problem with him."

By all accounts, Padilla has fit in fine. Part of the reason for the smooth transition, Padilla said, is because the team is loaded with veterans and he's made fast-friends with the Latin players in the clubhouse.  He lockers in a corner of the Dodgers' clubhouse and is comfortable in his solitude, which sometimes makes others uncomfortable.

He speaks to Spanish media when he's approached and he speaks "baseball-related English," which is sometimes confused as fluent English, to non-Spanish speaking reporters. Padilla often uses a translator for fear of having his words misconstrued or embarrassing himself with poor English.

Some argue Padilla is simply on his best behavior because he is a free agent at the end of the season. Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf, Padilla's teammate in Philadelphia, said his old friend just needed a fresh start.

"When he came over here, I told some of the people here in LA that I thought he was going to be a big addition for us," Wolf said. "I think a change of scenery was going to be big for him.  I think the way our team is, I think we're very laid back.  We let guys do what they need to do."

Whatever the Dodgers did, it worked.

"He's been fine," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "He doesn't say much. I don't think there are any issues at all."

There were issues in Texas. Padilla went from Rangers Pitcher of the Year in 2008 to bad teammate of the year in less than 12 months, but he insists he's always been the same person. Yes, he throws inside because that's what he believes he has to do in order to establish his fastball. And if he happens to hit a batter along the way, well, that's the hitter's fault for not moving out of the way.

The way Padilla sees it, home plate is the battle field between the hitter and the pitcher, so he'll throw his fastball, sinker, curveball and even his 55-mph eephus pitch to get the upper hand.

It's not personal, and he wonders what all of the fuss is about. Padilla has hit 49 batters in the last four seasons but has not hit a batter since joining the Dodgers.

"If you don't throw inside in this league, you will have problems with good hitters ," Padilla said. "I've always thrown that way."

The right-hander has already come a long way.

Padilla signed with the D-backs in 1998 out of Nicaragua because baseball provided the opportunity to pay the bills and see the world. As one story goes, he showed up for his tryout with the D-backs on a donkey. He said he never dreamed of being the next Nicaraguan pitching sensation like Dennis Martinez or as famous as countryman Alexis Arguello, a former world champion boxer.

Padilla  just wanted to pitch, make a living and help his family. He was raised in poverty by his grandparents 90 minutes outside of Managua under the watchful eye of the Marxist-based Sandinista regime in the war-torn town of Chinandega, so he understands real pressure - and oppression.

Baseball does not elicit real pressure.

"Pressure doesn't help anybody. Why feel pressure?" Padilla said. "You do the work to prepare and you go do the job. You can't control anything but working hard and preparing. You try to do more than you can and things go wrong."

It should come as no surprise that Padilla and Ramirez have quickly become friends. Like Ramirez, Padilla loves the game and understands the business side of baseball. But the duo also share the belief that winning or losing is never a matter of life and death.

Death to Padilla is real. It's as real as the sudden passing of the grandparents that took him in as child and as real as finding his estranged father in bed after a fatal heart attack. When Padilla recounts how he narrowly avoided being recruited as a child soldier by Sandinista guerrillas to fight the US-backed Contras and how many of his boyhood friends ended up dead, he thinks about how fortunate he is to be alive.

The love of family, not sport, drives Padilla. His mother, Flora, is traveling from Nicaragua to St. Louis for Saturday's game.

"People take everything so seriously," Ramirez said. "You can't do that. You only get one life, and it's short. You play hard, and if it doesn't work out, you come back the next day."<p>
Padilla's outlook could have been part of the problem in Texas.  He angered some of his former teammates because opposing pitchers would retaliate after he hit a batter and it appeared as if Padilla didn't care.

He said he cared. It didn't matter. The Rangers tried to send Padilla a message earlier in the season by placing him on waivers after he hit former Rangers teammate Mark Teixeira twice in a game against the Yankees in June. He hit Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki in what turned out to be his final start for the Rangers, and the A's responded by hitting Michael Young. <p>
Fed up, the Rangers designated him for assignment two days later.

Shortly after his departure, a few former Rangers teammates criticized Padilla for missing meetings and not being a team player. Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd, Padilla's teammate in Philadelphia, was the most vocal critic.

"I'll say it again, nobody ever came up to me and told me anything in Texas," Padilla said. "If I was such a bad teammate, why didn't anyone come say something to me? We could have talked about it. I loved my teammates and Texas. I just work hard and do my job. "

Ramirez, who left the Red Sox amid criticism two seasons ago, can relate. He also arrived in Los Angeles with a reputation as a bad teammate and questions about his character.<p>
"In this game, you find out who your real friends are when you leave a team," he said. "But you just have to let it go and keep playing. Don't worry about that."

It seems Padilla is heeding Ramirez's advice.

"Everybody wants to make me this bad guy, but what can you do? I can't control that." he said. "I am who I am. I'll just keep working hard and pitch."

PHILADELPHIA - Vicente Padilla is making his mark and could pitch Game 5 of the NLCS.<

On Sunday, Dodgers manager Joe Torre said that he is considering bumping Clayton Kershaw, who started Game 1, a spot in order to give Padilla the start Wednesday.<p>

"Padilla was obviously impressive his last outing and there's the experience-wise," said Torre. "At this point in time, I don't know what will tip the scales, what the breakdown would be in the first four games for either one to pitch."

Because of the days off Saturday and Tuesday, Kershaw would be pitching six days after his first start, while Padilla would be on a regular five-day cycle.  In his last start, Padilla allowed one run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings against the Phillies in Game 2.

Kershaw pitched four scoreless innings in Game 1 but gave up five runs in a game the Dodgers lost 8-6. The manager said the outcomes of Game 3 and Game 4 will factor into his decision.

"Off-days certainly help with the pitching decisions," Torre said. "They allow you to do things in the bullpen you'd be hesitant about."

PHILADELPHIA - In a matter of just a few games, Carlos Ruiz has gone from anonymous to famous. He's gone from being a streaky hitter to one of the best batters on the team.

On Sunday against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS, life got even better for the Panamanian as he sat behind the plate while Philadelphia Cliff Lee dominated the Dodgers in an 11-0 win at Citizens Bank Park.

Yes, life is good for the man they call "Chooch." Some have gone as far as to call this month "Choochtober."

"It is a lot of fun," Ruiz said. "But at the same time it has not been easy. It's a good feeling to come out and win."

There are a lot of people feeling good in the City of Brotherly Love and Lee and the Phillies offense have made it all possible. Lee allowed only three hits in eight scoreless innings. He struck out 10 hitters.

"When you've got the offense that we've got, I don't want to go out there and walk guys and have long innings and stuff like that,"Lee said. "I've got to go out there and attack hitters and throw strikes and give our offense a chance to score runs. Tonight we did that pretty early and made things a lot easier for me. "

The Phillies made it look easy. Philadelphia's offense attacked Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda and scored four runs in the first inning. The right-hander was pulled after only 1 1/3 innings.

He gave up six runs on six hits.

By contrast, Lee was almost perfect. He also picked up base hit in the eighth inning.

"When I saw Lee in the bullpen, I had a great feeling that today was going to be a good day," Ruiz said. "I thought it was going to be a fun game but at the same time I was thinking that we need to score some runs for him."

The Phillies provided the offense Ruiz wanted. Leading 6-0 after two innings, the Phillies tacked on two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth. Shane Victorino hit a three-run homer in the eighth to end the scoring.

Lee did the rest.

"His curveball and changeup were great," Ruiz said. "I knew whatever I put down that he was going to throw for a strike.  That was the key.  He mixed it up with speeds."
Ruiz has also put on a show during the postseason.  He went 2-for-3 in the victory and is hitting .625 in the NLCS. The key to his success is his ability to stay calm. Experience also helps.
"I feel good," he said.  "I put it in my mind that the postseason that I try to relax and enjoy the game."

Ruiz's work has not gone unnoticed. He has quickly become the team's leading hitter, rivaled only by Ryan Howard, who is hitting .400 and has picked up a RBI in seven consecutive postseason games this year.

Perhaps it really is Choochtober.

"Carlos Ruiz has really improved since last year, but he started improving the second half of the season last year, and he's come a long ways," Manuel said. "He handles the pitching staff good, he plays aggressive, and the pitchers like to throw to him.  They trust him.  He can stop the running game, and about the last two months his hitting has really picked up.  He's been doing a good job."  

LOS ANGELES - Dodgers manager Joe Torre expects big things from his left fielder.

He expects Manny to hit like Manny.

Sort of.

"You know, if he stays the line drive hitter the hitter he is, I know he's done a lot of damage with how many home runs he's hit in his career and his capabilities but he hits line drives and they go out of the ballpark," Torre said. "So I think if he just thinks line drive, I'm going to be comfortable with it.  We've seen both guys over the last week or 10 days.  Friday night wasn't very good.  Saturday was like night and day the next day.  So I think he's understanding of that."

In 104 games during the regular season, Ramirez hit .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. He was suspended for 50 games earlier in the season for violating the league's drug policy and has struggled to find his groove at the plate since his return.

Ramirez had five hits in his final 30 at-bats of the regular season and was booed by the fans at Dodger Stadium during the final weekend of games.<p>

Torre is not worried. Concerned? Maybe.

 "I think we forget and I don't remind people enough about missing 50 games and then no having Spring Training is not easy to start playing again, especially with the expectations that come with him," Torre said. "So I don't think he's ever been as comfortable as he would like to be."

The manager said he also expects his team to bounce back from inconsistent play to wrap up the regular season. The Dodgers endured a five-game losing streak during the final week of the season and did not clinch the NL West until the final weekend of play.

"This is a whole new ball game," Torre said. "It's the five‑game season and there's plenty of emotion and passion and excitement and all that stuff.  I think we all fall victim to the last week or 10 days that you peek up at the finish line and you get a little anxious.  But I don't think it was any more than that.  I don't think there will be any carry over."

LOS ANGELES - Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina heard that his team is the favorite against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

He's heard all about how pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright should dominate the Dodgers in the first two games of the series and how many believe his Cardinals will make it all the way to the World Series.

He's had enough. Molina doesn't want to hear it anymore. It's time for action, not words.

"In baseball, you never know what is going to happen," he said. "What you see on paper isn't always what happens when you are playing between the lines.  We have good pitchers but they have to pitch well. It's all about what happens on the field."

On the field, Carpenter and Wainwright combined for 36 wins during the regular season. Carpenter is 5-` with a 2.53 ERA in eight playoff games. Wainright pitched 9 2/3 scoreless innings during the 2006 postseason.

Pitching matters. But Molina said the secret to winning in the postseason is really not a secret at all.

"The secret to winning a playoff series is doing things the right way," Molina said. "You have to do the little things. You can't make errors. You have to execute hit and runs. You have to pitch. If we do all those things, we have a chance to win."

During the regular season, Molina hit .293 with six home runs and 54 RBIs. He has been battling a sore left knee but is expected to play the entire series.

 "This is what we have been waiting for," he said. "We're physically and mentally ready for this battle against the Dodgers. We know they are a really good team and it's going to be a tough series."

LOS ANGELES -- Vicente Padilla has managed to turn a forgetful season into a year to remember.

The hard-throwing Nicaraguan will start Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Cardinals on Saturday in St. Louis against Joel Pineiro.

""I'm really happy. I'm grateful for the opportunity," Padilla said. "It feels good to know they have confidence in me in this game."

He's been quite a pickup for the boys in blue. Since joining the Dodgers in August, Padilla is 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in seven starts. He was released by the Rangers because they believed he no longer fit in with the club.

He's seems to be a perfect fit for Los Angeles.
 
"This is a second life that I have been given and I'm grateful for it," Padilla said. "The Cardinals are a good team but we are a good team, too. It's close. Whoever has the best series will win."

Dodgers manager Joe Torre chose Padilla over Chad Billingsley, who will pitch in Game 4 if necessary. Maybe this is part of the reason: last year, Billingsley went 1-2 with an 8.49 ERA in three postseason starts.

The fact that Padilla struck out 10 in five innings Sunday didn't hurt his case.

"Here we are in the postseason and  Padilla to me has been throwing the ball really well," Torre said. "It really wasn't a big differential in probably matchup stuff which is what we look at a lot. But I was probably just a little more comfortable with where Padilla is right now, and I know Billingsley is getting there otherwise he wouldn't even be considered for No. 4 if I didn't think I was more comfortable watching him. "

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti was asked by a reporter if he thought Padilla would be starting for his club in the playoffs on the day he signed him.The GM answered the question with a straight-face.

"I didn't think we were going to the playoffs the day we signed Padilla. I didn't think we were going to the playoffs until the day in Pittsburgh about a week ago," Colletti said. "He's pitched well. He's won almost 100 games in the big leagues. Not everybody does that. He's pitched well for us so you never know what's going to happen, you never know who you're going to need or when you're going to need him. So part of our plan all year long is to have enough to get us through whatever we needed. And if it meant having Padilla it was adding Padilla."

As for Padilla, he said he's going to try to treat Saturday's matchup as just another game. Yes, he knows it's a big game but said he is not going to freak out about it.
 

Why would he?

"Pressure doesn't help anybody. Why feel pressure?," he said. "You do the work to prepare and you go do the job. You can't control anything but working hard and preparing. You try to do more than you can and things go wrong."
 

LOS ANGELES -  The statistics show Dodgers shortstop had a productive year at the plate.  He's hoping for a fantastic finish, starting with Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

"We started the season strong and we've been playing like that all year," Furcal said. "We have a complete team of young guys and veterans. Every time we go out on the field we believe we can win the game."

For the season, Furcal hit .269 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs. In 33 career postseason games, he has a batting average of .234 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. He hit .258 for the Dodgers in the playoffs last season.

"The good thing about the playoffs is that everything starts at zero," Furcal said. "You start over. There are no wins or losses or stats or anything. You play to win and that's all that matters. Every team in the playoffs wants to win it all so you have to be ready. In a short series, anything can happen."

"For me, I didn't have the best regular season but I already forgot about that," he continued. "I'm going out there to win. My mind is clear and I'm thinking positive."

Dodgers manager Joe Torre likes Furcal's approach to the game. The veteran manager is looking for leadership from his veterans, like Furcal, in the postseason.<p>
For his part, Torre said he is simply letting his players play the game they love and have fun.

"I think they understand where we are right now, and I let them go, because the one thing to me, I feel, and in my managing years I've always felt that the game belongs to the players," Torre said. "You want them to go out there and express themselves and be not necessarily free spirits but have the freedom to do a lot of things that make them good players.  So, again, we don't send them out there with no guidelines at all.  We sort of point of them in a direction and say go after it.

Randy Wolfe will take the mound for the  Dodgers in Game 1. The Cardinals will counter with Chris Carpenter.

"Wolf's excited.  He's going to wear his heart on his sleeves.  You'll see emotions.  You'll see him snatch the ball back from Russell Martin, and I think that's why he is who he is."

 Wolf proved to be the most consistent starter for the Dodgers during the regular season and provided stability when other members of the club's pitching staff struggled. Wednesday's start will be Wolf's first time to pitch in the postseason. He went 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA during the regular season.

"I grew up watching this team," Wolf said. " This was the big league stadium I went to when I was a kid, and for my first experience as far as the postseason to be in LA, my hometown, is pretty special."

And no, Wolf does not consider himself the team's ace.

"A guy like Chris Carpenter, you could consider him an ace," Wolf said. "He's the guy who is almost a perennial top five Cy Young voting guy, and for me I've been pitching well.  I've kept the team in the game.  And I happen to be pitching Game 1.  I think with this staff we could have an ace on any given day."

Furcal sure hopes so.

LOS ANGELES -- There's a reason why Dodgers second baseman Ronnie Belliard is smiling more  than usual: he's on a winning team and he's starting Wednesday in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cardinals.

"Coming from a losing team in Washington to a team that won a pennant is a big difference," Belliard said. "I'm happy now but I'm always happy. I'm always having a good time on the field."

Belliard has plenty to smile about. He hit .351 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 77 at-bats for the Dodgers. Belliard missed some time at the end of the season with a groin injury but impressed Dodgers manager Joe Torre enough to start him over Orlando Hudson, the Dodgers second baseman all season.

"When we got him from Washington, we didn't know exactly how much we were going to use him," Torre said. "We didn't know where we were going to use him. In fact, the first conversation I had with him I was getting on the bus  I forget where we were at the time  but I talked to him and asked him what positions he was playing.  I think we were in San Francisco.  He was telling me he played first, second, short, third, it was fine with me. And then just watching him come off the bench for us, play second base.  He doesn't have as wide a range as Hudson does but I think offensively he's maybe a little fresher right now."

Torre said the starter at second base will be a daily decision.<p>

"We'll go with Belliard and we'll see what we have," the manager said. "But I'm happy that he felt well enough to do this."

Torre isn't the only one feeling giddy.

"Right now, I am healthy and feeling good," Belliard said. "We have a good team. Everybody gets along. I believe we can win."

LOS ANGELES -- Don't expect to see Albert Pujols sporting his 2006 World Series ring this week during the National League Division Series. Don't expect him to inspire his teammates with tales from Cardinals' past glory.

Pujols lives in the present and hopes for another World Series title in the future.<p>
"That was 2006. This is 2009,"Pujols said. "What happened, happened. Now, we have to concentrate on the present and do what we can to win (Wednesday). Again, this is a new year. Whatever we learned in 2006 doesn't matter."

During the regular season, Pujols hit .327 with an NL-leading 47 home runs and 135 RBIs.  He's proud of those numbers, but he's not dwelling on them.  Regular season statistics won't help him against the Dodgers.

"It's simple," he said. "There are eight teams in the playoffs and the team that plays the best will win it all. The Dodgers are really good team. They have good young players, veteran pitching and a good bullpen. They have some good hitter, like our team."

Pujols said the key to winning in the postseason is to playing good defense and eliminating mental mistakes. Good pitching also helps.

The Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter to the mound Wednesday against Los Angeles's Randy Wolfe. On Thursday, Adam Wainwright will take the hill against Clayton Kershaw. Both are considered front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award.

"Our pitching, well, the numbers speak for themselves and I don't have to say a word," Pujols said. "Between the two they 36 wins and that's incredible. What a tremendous season for them and that's a big reason why we are here playing."

Like Pujols, Carpenter chooses not to concentrate on his regular season success..

"It's all fine and dandy what we've done all year but this is where it counts," Carpenter said. " And there's no question on paper, when you throw me and Adam, you can go through them, things that Wolf and Kershaw have done.  You can go through any club, Cliff Lee with the Phillies and Cole Hamels and the things they've done, it gives you an advantage. But this is a totally different season, what we've done all year long turns into a real short season.  And this is what matters.  And on paper it shows an advantage to media.  There might be an advantage, but we still have to go out there and execute, just like we did all year long. "

Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa likes his chances against the Dodgers in this series but stopped short of making a prediction. He has too much respect the Dodgers and their manager Joe Torre to be so bold.

" I think it's an even series," La Russa said.  "We're excited when we play behind Carpenter.  But Randy has had a heck of a year for them all year, and I know what he's done in the last six weeks or so.  It will be tough to score runs. When (Carpenter) goes out there he has a bunch of weapons, so he can pitch to all areas of the play.  He's a complete guy.  Great competitor with great stuff."

As for Pujols, he says he expect to greet Dominican countrymen  Manny Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, and Ronnie Belliard sometime before the game begins Wednesday but knows his good friends want to win just as badly as he does.

"I know a lot of the people over there," Pujols said. "They are good friends of mine and tremendous players.  I think this is going to be one really good series and we are ready for it."