ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Matching up the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays, who begin the World Series tomorrow:

Starting pitching

GAME 1

LHP Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA) vs. LHP Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49 ERA)

This could be the tone-setting game for the series. The team that has won Game 1 has gone on to win 10 of the last 11 World Series. The Phillies have the guy they want on the mound. Hamels has blossomed into the big-game pitcher. The NLCS MVP is 3-0 in three starts this postseason and has allowed just three runs over 22 innings while striking out 22.

Kazmir (15th overall) was selected two spots ahead of Hamels in the first round of the 2002 draft. He got lit up by Boston in Game 2 of the ALCS, but then came back with six shutout innings in Game 5. The big key for Kazmir is command. He was 8-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 14 starts at home.

GAME 2

RHP Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55) vs. RHP James Shields (14-8, 3.56)

Myers has been a postseason star as much for his bat as his arm, but he won't get the chance to hit in Game 2 as the designated hitter will be used in Tropicana Field. Myers needs to mix his pitches against the aggressive-hitting Rays. He was 3-8 with a 6.21 ERA in 16 road starts this season.

Shields, the cousin of former Phillie Aaron Rowand, is a dependable, durable starter. He is coming off his second straight 215-inning season. He gets good movement on his fastball and complements it with a cutter and slow curveball. He is 9-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts this season in Tropicana Field.

GAME 3

RHP Matt Garza (11-9, 3.70) vs.

LHP Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71)

Garza came up huge in the ALCS, beating Boston twice. He held the Red Sox to a run over six innings in Game 3 and a run over seven innings (with nine strikeouts) in the decisive Game 7 win to earn MVP honors. Fourteen of the 19 home runs he allowed this season came on the road.

Moyer is the great unknown in this series. He led the Phils with 16 wins in 2008 and was 9-1 with a 3.22 ERA over his last 15 regular-season starts. But he has struggled in two postseason starts, allowing eight earned runs in 5° innings and not making it out of the second inning in Game 3 of the NLCS. Moyer has spent the last week trying to improve the location of his pitches.

GAME 4

RHP Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (4-0, 4.20)

Sonnanstine is a good control pitcher who tries to keep hitters off balance with a sinking fastball, a slider and a slow curveball. He has won both his starts this postseason, allowing just five earned runs in 13 innings.

Blanton (24th overall) came out of that same 2002 first round as Hamels and Kazmir. He won the division series clincher at Milwaukee and kept things close in Game 4 of the NLCS, a game the Phillies won late. In eight career starts against the Rays, Blanton has a 6.05 ERA.

Edge: Rays.

BULLPEN

The Rays had the third-best bullpen ERA (3.55) in the AL. With closer Troy Percival out of the first two rounds, manager Joe Maddon has used a closer-by-committee approach. He can turn to veteran righthanders Dan Wheeler, a sinkerballer, or Grant Balfour, a hard thrower. Submariner Chad Bradford is also important. Lefthander J.P. Howell has given up just two runs in 9· innings this postseason. The X factor is hard-throwing rookie lefthander David Price, who could be used to neutralize Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, or close a game.

The Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL (3.22) and it has gotten even better in the postseason, recording a 1.88 ERA (six runs in 28· innings) in nine games. Brad Lidge has run his streak of perfection to 46 straight saves since putting on a Phillies uniform and it could help that many of Tampa Bay's young hitters have not seen his hard-diving slider. J.C. Romero, Scott Eyre, Clay Condrey and Chad Durbin are important pieces, but one of the team's MVPs the last six weeks has been Ryan Madson, who has provided shutdown work setting up for Lidge. Madson has pitched nine innings this postseason, allowing just one run.

Edge: Phillies.

Catcher

Dioner Navarro (.295, 7 HR, 54 RBIs)

The Phillies were third in the NL with 136 stolen bases and led the majors with an 84 percent success rate. It won't be easy to run on Navarro, however. He threw out 25 of 70 would-be base-stealers, a way-above-average 36 percent.

Carlos Ruiz (.219, 4 HR, 31 RBIs)

Ruiz is an invaluable cog in the Lidge save machine. Lidge has the confidence that he can attack a hitter with a slider in the dirt and Ruiz will block it. Ruiz swung the bat well, with five hits in the NLCS. He threw out just 14 of 79 base-stealers (18 percent) during the season. The Rays led the majors with 142 steals.

Edge: Rays.

First base

Carlos Pena (.247, 31 HR, 102 RBIs)

Pena is an excellent glove man, who made just two errors this season. He has power to all fields and hit three homers in the ALCS. He hit just .190 with eight homers and 27 RBIs against lefthanded pitching. However, he has had big success against Moyer (10 for 20, two homers).

Ryan Howard (.251, 48 HR, 146 RBIs)

Howard, the majors' leader in homers and RBIs, is still looking for his first homer of this postseason. Opposing clubs have fed him a steady diet of breaking balls. Howard did have several important hits and scored four runs in the NLCS. He has drawn eight walks this postseason.

Edge: Phillies.

Second base

Akinori Iwamura (.274, 6 HR, 48 RBIs)

The Rays' leadoff man has good bat control and sprays the ball around the field. Defensively, he ranks about average.

Chase Utley (.292, 33 HR, 104 RBIs)

The Phils' hard-charging second baseman is coming off a strong NLCS, offensively and defensively. He drove the ball better than he had in weeks — three of his six hits were for extra bases — a possible sign that his bothersome hip is feeling better.

Edge: Phillies.

Third base

Evan Longoria (.272, 27 HR, 85 RBIs)

Everybody's AL rookie of the year and one of the game's best young talents. The 23-year-old plays beyond his years. He has three doubles, six home runs and 11 RBIs in 11 games this postseason. He's also a good defensive player.

Pedro Feliz (.249, 14 HR, 58 RBIs) or Greg Dobbs (.301, 9 HR, 40 RBIs)

Feliz is just 5 for 26 with two RBIs this postseason, but his glove is valuable behind lefthanders Hamels and Moyer. Dobbs could see time at third or designated hitter.

Edge: Rays.

Shortstop

Jason Bartlett (.286, 1 HR, 37 RBIs)

Bartlett does a nice job out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order, but he made 16 errors and ranked 17th in the majors in shortstop fielding percentage (.970).

Jimmy Rollins (.277, 11 HR, 59 RBIs)

Rollins hit .352 with a .439 on-base percentage, 18 runs and 17 RBIs over the final 31 regular-season games. He had a big division series, going 6 for 16, with two doubles, a .412 on-base percentage, and a big leadoff homer in Game 4. He was just 3 for 21 in the NLCS. When Rollins is hot, wins follow. The Phils are 47-15 when he scores a run. He led big-league shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage.

Edge: Phillies.

Leftfield

Carl Crawford (.273, 8 HR, 57 RBIs)

Crawford is a mesmerizing athlete who has made two all-star teams and reached 50 stolen bases four times. He played in only eight games the final two months due to a torn tendon in his right hand that required surgery. He came back with a vengeance in the ALCS, going 10 for 29 with two doubles, a triple, four RBIs, and three stolen bases. He has a below-average arm.

Pat Burrell (.250, 33 HR, 86 RBIs)

The longest-tenured Phillie has come up with some timely hits this postseason and has three homers and seven RBIs in nine games. He is a below-average defender.

Edge: Even.

Centerfield

B.J. Upton (.273, 9 HR, 67 RBIs)

The second overall pick in the 2002 draft, Upton is another of the Rays' spectacular young talents. The Phillies need to pitch him carefully because he loves pitches out over the plate and is killing the ball this postseason. He has seven homers and 15 RBIs in 11 games. His on-base percentage is .365 and his slugging percentage is .826. Upton had 44 steals and 16 outfield assists in the regular season.

Shane Victorino (.293, 14 HR, 58 RBIs)

Victorino has been one of the Phils' postseason MVPs. He has already set a postseason club record with 11 RBIs. He has come up with two game-changing home runs — a grand slam in Game 2 of the division series and a game-tying, two-run shot in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS.

Edge: Rays.

Rightfield

Rocco Baldelli (.263, 4 HR, 13 RBIs) or Gabe Gross (.242, 13 HR, 38 RBIs)

The righthanded-hitting Baldelli has made a courageous comeback from an energy-sapping mitochondrial illness that caused him to miss most of the regular season. He has good power. The lefthanded-hitting Gross is likely to play against righthanders.

Jayson Werth (.273, 24 HR, 67 RBIs)

Werth is a streaky hitter who struggled to get on base in the NLCS. He kills lefthanded pitching (.303 with a majors-best 16 homers) so he should be ready for Kazmir in Game 1. Werth's speed is a weapon. He stole 20 bases in 2008 and hit into just two double plays the last two regular seasons.

Edge: Phillies.

Designated hitter

Willy Aybar (.253, 10 HR, 33 RBIs) or Cliff Floyd (.268, 11 HR, 39 RBIs)

Aybar figures to go against lefthanders, Floyd against righthanders. Both have power.

Greg Dobbs (.301, 9 HR, 40 RBIs) or Chris Coste (.263, 9 HR, 36 RBIs)

The Phillies are likely to mix and match depending on the pitcher they face. Lefthanded hitters Matt Stairs and Geoff Jenkins could also be in the mix.

Edge: Rays.

Bench

With Aybar, Floyd and Baldelli possibly on the bench, the Rays have some power, but the team is 0 for 8 pinch-hitting this postseason. Fernando Perez is one of the fastest players in pro ball. He stole 48 of 60 bases in the minors and majors this season.

There are plenty of lefthanded bats for the Phils with Dobbs, Stairs and Jenkins. Dobbs led the majors with a team-record 22 pinch-hits. He was second with 16 RBIs. Stairs, an NLCS hero, has 10 doubles, two homers and 20 RBIs in 136 at-bats at Tropicana Field.

Edge: Even.

Managers

Joe Maddon, Rays

He's a bright guy, as apt to quote Shakespeare as put on the hit and run. His nurturing way helped the young Rays go from the worst record in the majors in 2007 to the World Series this season. He will manage with his gut and is not afraid to make a mistake. He was Mike Scioscia's bench coach on the 2002 World Series champion Angels.

Charlie Manuel, Phillies

He is just the sixth manager to take the Phils to a World Series. Manuel is a master motivator and builder of confidence. He prides himself on knowing his players' moods and being able to read their mind-sets. That helps him make gut calls on players.

Edge: Even.

Intangibles

The Rays had the best home record in the majors (57-24) and were just 40-41 on the road. Entering their series against the Red Sox, the Rays had only three players with LCS experience. The Rays were 12-6 against the NL this season.

The Phillies, winners of 20 of their last 25 games, have played like a team on a mission and that mission is a World Series title. Their celebration after winning the NL pennant was triumphant, but not overboard. There was a "we're not done yet" feeling to the whole thing.

Edge: Even.