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The pairing of C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona at the top of the Indians rotation makes them formidable, though there is a sense of vulnerability at the end of the game when closer Joe Borowski has an ERA north of 5.00. The Tribe have enough slugging in the order to be dangerous, though they'd be even moreso if Travis Hafner could turn the clock back a year or two and drive the ball more consistently.
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88-74
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No playoffs for the Tigers, even though they have the kind of lineup to match any team. The problem this year was that Justin Verlander was the only starting pitcher that wasn't a major disappointment, so youngsters like Jeremy Bonderman and Andrew Miller will have to be a whole lot better in 2008.
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89-73
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The Phillies have five players with 20 or more homers (and all of them have 89 RBI or more), so you know they've got the sticks. On the mound, Cole Hamels is a certified ace and rookie Kyle Kendrick has been surprisingly effective, but then it falls to Kyle Lohse and Jamie Moyer. Take your chances with that.
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88-74
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An epic collapse for a team that was far too talented to be sitting on the sidelines. David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are all MVP-type players, so it's on the rest of the supporting cast (including Carlos Delgado) to carry their weight, all the way through the finish.
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90-73
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The hottest team in baseball, the Rockies have a heart of the lineup to rival any of the other playoff teams. The bigger challenge, coming off their emotional extra-innings win on Monday night, is getting a mediocre pitching staff to raise their games in Philadelphia. A rookie like Franklin Morales (3.43 ERA in eight starts) could be a wildcard for the NL Wild Card winners.
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89-74
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While some of Jake Peavy's previous playoff blow-ups were understandable (due to injuries and short rest), the Padres had to get better from the league's best pitcher in the most important game of the season; and it all could have been forgotten if only Trevor Hoffman could have notched his 43rd save of the season.
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89-77
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The Cubs have a formidable lefty duo -- Ted Lilly and Rich Hill -- in the rotation behind Carlos Zambrano and the bullpen is much improved in front of closer Ryan Dempster, whose 4.72 ERA isn't awe-inspiring. The lineup is a three-man show, with Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Manny Ramirez the only potent bats.
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90-72
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Some smoke and mirrors involved here, with a pitching staff that is mighty thin behind Brandon Webb. Doug Davis isn't bad and rookie Micah Owings has had his moments, but it's a fine line when no one in the batting order has more than Eric Byrnes' 83 RBI.
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83-79
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There's reason for cautious optimism heading into 2008, but it's going to require a lot of things to go right. For one thing, all those young pitchers that enjoyed breakthrough seasons -- Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan, most notably -- can't slip and the Jays need their bats to regain some pop, which means Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus have to provide more than they did in 2007.
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82-80
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It's time for the Dodgers to focus on the next generation, which means more focus on Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, James Loney and Chad Billingsley, and less on the likes of Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra and Luis Gonzalez.
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83-79
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With the kind of power-packed young lineup they had this season, the Brewers should have found a way into the postseason, but the pitching let them down. If starters Chris Capuano and Dave Bush can rebound, the Brewers should be right back in contention next season.
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84-78
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Andruw Jones heads for free agency, leaving a hole in the middle of the order (albeit one that could be filled by a .222 hitter with 26 home runs), but the Braves have bigger starting pitching needs to address if they are going to return to the playoffs.
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