Finally, the playoffs are here.


After watching the Cardinals play subpar baseball the past two weeks (going 4-9 in the final 13 games) with the division title in the bag, we finally get around to the games that mean something as the Cardinals face the Dodgers in the National League Division Series, starting tonight at Dodger Stadium.


Let’s hope the rough stretch of baseball by the El Birdos in the regular season’s waning days is not an indication of future performance this postseason. Is this the club that played .769 baseball in August or is this the club that went 14-17 in the final 31 games of the regular season?


Fortunately for St. Louis, its first-round opponent in the NLDS, the Los Angeles Dodgers, also staggered to the finish line. The N.L. West champions, after a red-hot first half (.636 winning percentage), played just .527 baseball in the final 74 games, including dropping 7 of 11 to close the regular season.


Something has to give, right?


If you took a poll of Cardinals fans, most would say the Dodgers are the most ideal first-round opponent. After all, the Rockies are red hot and the Phillies feature a fearsome lineup. Even better, St. Louis won 5 of 7 from Los Angeles during the regular season.


It’s easy to dismiss the 95-win Dodgers, but it would be foolish. This is a balanced club highlighted by a solid lineup (first in OBP and hits, fourth in runs) and an outstanding bullpen (lowest aggregate ERA in the majors). Plus, you have to respect the manager in the dugout; Joe Torre knows a thing or two about postseason baseball (although he has not been as successful in recent years).


It should be a compelling matchup between these tradition-rich organizations. So, what will it take for the Cardinals to knock off the Dodgers and advance to the National League Championship Series? Although this is not a magic formula, the following will need to transpire if St. Louis hopes to advance:


1. We need an offensive revival. Even with the additions of Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday, the offense has not taken off as expected. In fact, since Holliday became a Redbird on July 24, the Cards have been shut out five times. Even more, since Aug. 17 -- fittingly, the starting date of a 3-game series against the Dodgers -- the Cards have scored 3 runs or less in 24 of their final 42 games. Holliday and Albert Pujols have been spectacular, but someone else needs to step up and drive home some runs in this series. Will it be DeRosa? Ryan Ludwick? Yadier Molina? Colby Rasmus? Table setters like Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan need to work counts and find their way on base too. If the supporting cast fails to step up, you know Torre will order his pitchers not to give the dynamic duo much to hit.


2. Speaking of offense, the Cardinals must solve the Dodgers' lefties. With Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw expected to start the first two games, and perhaps games 4 and 5, will the Cards be able to generate offense against its long-time Achilles’ heal? Against southpaws in 2009, the Cards hit just .233 with a .674 OPS, both dead last in the National League. Although the numbers improved slightly with the additions of Holliday and DeRosa, it is hardly reason to celebrate. If the team can jump on Wolf early in Game 1, it could spark some much-needed confidence throughout the lineup. Wolf and Kershaw are good pitchers, but they are not Sandy Koufax and Steve Carlton. 


3. Ryan Franklin gets his groove back. If Stella can do it, so can Franklin. His 38-save season has been slightly marred by his late-season struggles. He has not pitched a 1-2-3 inning since Aug. 19 and he blew 3 save opportunities in September. Can Franklin regain his pinpoint control? He can’t continue to put runners on base, especially against the Dodgers, a team known for manufacturing runs and working counts. Be sure to have a can of Tums nearby.


4. The starting rotation does it thing. You have to feel good about the trio of Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Joel Pineiro going against the Dodgers. Sure, Pineiro has struggled of late, but he has pitched well enough all season long to earn the Game 3 start. The club also has rotation depth with John Smoltz and Kyle Lohse, but you would expect Carpenter or Wainwright to each pitch twice if the series goes five games. 

5. Tony La Russa out-maneuvers Joe Torre. Some folks think managers are overrated, but I find the Torre-La Russa matchup fascinating. Did you know that the future Hall-of-Fame managers are friends off the field? It is surprising, especially considering their different personalities. On the field, how will their managerial moves affect this series? It’s notable that La Russa is 20-5 in the Division Series (winning 6 of 7 series) while Torre has had mixed success in the opening round (dropping 4 of 7 series since 2001). I’m not sure if that means anything, but La Russa’s phenomenal success in the early stages of postseason baseball is likely a sign of having his teams ready for October baseball.


6. Yadier Molina shuts down the Dodgers running game. The Dodgers led the Senior Circuit in on-base percentage (.346) and finished third in stolen bases (116). Conversely, the Dodgers were caught stealing 48 times, the second-highest total in the N.L. This is a team that will run, led by Matt Kemp (34 swipes), Juan Pierre (30) and Rafael Furcal (12). Will our Gold Glove catcher be up to the task?


This promises to be a low-scoring, tightly contested series. While the Dodgers have some apparent advantages, the Cardinals’ deep starting pitching and the 1-2 combo of Pujols and Holliday should be enough for St. Louis to advance to the N.L. Championship Series. Cards win in five games.


Thanks for reading.
 
Gabriel Kiley is a freelance sports writer based in St. Louis. Feel free to post your comments below or follow him on Twitter.