Phils win game one

A fairly well-played World Series opener goes to the Phillies, 3-2. I'm impressed with Chase Utley and Carl Crawford, lefties hitting home runs against tough left-handed pitchers.

As Eric Young said on ESPN, "Cole Hamels was dealin'." He allowed just five hits and two earned runs in seven innings, striking out five on his way to victory. Scott Kazmir gave up one more run and threw eight more pitches in one fewer inning of work. It was Hamels domination of the Rays that earned Philly the victory.

Brad Lidge continued his dominance in the Phillies closer role, whiffing Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria to start the 9th, and then getting Crawford to foul out to third. He was dealin', too.

Hamels or Kazmir?

Game one of the World Series pits Cole Hamels against Scott Kazmir, 24-year-old left handers that can beat you with overpowering stuff, and with good pitching acumen.

Something tells me that Hamels will be tough to beat tonight, especially considering his postseason numbers to date (3-0, 1.23 ERA). Kazmir's 4.02 ERA in the postseason leaves something to be desired, although he's 1-0 against the Phils in his career, and he's tough against lefties. His .198 BAA from that side means he could neutralize Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

I'm taking the Rays tonight, although it's hard to pick against Hamels.

Taking Tampa

Just a hunch, but based on everything I've seen and heard, I'm taking the Rays to win the World Series in seven games.