2010 MLB Playoffs NLDS Prediction: Cincinnati Reds Vs. Philadelphia Phillies

In perhaps the most unbalanced of all the 2010 MLB Playoff series, the heavy-hitting Cincinnati Reds are going to take on the pitching prowess of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies, who have made the World Series in both 2008 and 2009, are the prohibitive favorites to be the National League's representative to the World Series once again, and the Reds are going to be hard pressed to stop them

Cincinnati Reds 2010 MLB NLDS Playoffs Preview

The Reds made it into the playoffs by beating up on the lesser teams in the National League. Cincinnati's record against National League teams that were above .500 was 17-33. They didn't have a winning record against any of the teams that finished above .500 (Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres).

The Reds' biggest strength is their offense. With Jay Bruce, Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto leading the charge, the Reds are arguably better than the Phillies on offense. The starting pitching, however, is a major concern. Johhny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo are not top flight pitching material, and all of them have struggled during the year against the better teams in the league.

Philadelphia Phillies 2010 MLB NLDS Playoffs Preview

Philadelphia has the best 1-2-3 pitching tandem in not only the National League, but probably in the entire MLB. Roy Halladay, the front runner for the National League Cy Young award, and Roy Oswalt are better pitchers than any of the starters in the Reds' rotation. The Phillies' third starter, Cole Hamels, finished the season with a 3.06 ERA.

The Philadelphia offense isn't so shabby, either. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley can hit for power, while Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins provide good baserunning and speed. The only concern the Phillies have at this point is trying to keep everyone on the team healthy. Howard, Utley, Rollins and Victorino have all been on the disabled list at least once this season, with Utley missing almost two months and Rollins missing almost half the season because of injury.

Reds vs. Phillies Conclusion

If the Phillies are healthy, they should have no trouble dominating the Reds. Cincinnati was lucky to be able to beat up on the weak NL Central en route to their division title. They didn't play well at all against teams with a winning record in 2010, and they'll find themselves completely outmatched playing against a Philadelphia team that is already eyeing their spot in the World Series.

2010 MLB NLDS Playoffs Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies defeat Cincinnati Reds, 3-0

Source(s):

All statistics retrieved from ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/reds-phillies