Ready, Rafael Furcal

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.