Russell Martin, Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez look on as their season goes up in dust. AP Photo/David J. Phillip The improbable season ended tonight with the Dodgers losing to the Phillies 5-1. I just got back home from the Stadium and need time to collect my thoughts. Congratulations on the Dodgers for making it to the NLCS for the first time in 20 years. And good luck to the Phillies as they face,......

Casey Blake hits a homer in game four. AP Photo/Chris Carlson Like the cloud of smoke hanging thick over Los Angeles from the annual firestorms, so does the cloud of melancholy hang over Dodger fans in the wake of the most compelling game they played this postseason. Questionable pitching changes, great defensive plays, timely hitting, euphoria, frustration – all signs of a great baseball game. Enough objectivity. Like I mentioned last night the loss......

Phillies Win. AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian Of all the losses this one hurts a lot. Watching the highlights right now is too much. I'll write about this one late tomorrow. Discuss.......

Dodgers standing up to the Phillies in the benches clearing kerfluffle. AP Photo/Chris Carlson “We didn’t throw at his head. We threw it over his head.” Russell Martin, with those words, you have endeared yourself even more to my heart. In the first inning of game two, I was at work listening to Vin Scully describe the wife-beater Brett Myers aiming for Manny Ramirez and Martin. I was yelling up and down the cubes......

Matt Kemp can't believe the Dodgers lost. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar Admittedly MLB could have scheduled game two of the NLCS in a better time slot, but it turns out to be more of a blessing. Having first pitch scheduled at 1:30 prevented most of us from having to watch that massacre in Philly. But there I was at work listening to the radio feed and could only imagine what the carnage looked like.......

The Phillies fans go wild. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson Philadelphia Phillies defeat LA Dodgers 3-2. In a well pitched game, any mistake made is amplified. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Derek Lowe just made one too many mistakes. The Dodgers got things started with back-to-back one out doubles by Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez taking a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning they showed their improved execution after Matt Kemp hit a second to advance to......

It looks like the LA graffiti artist that goes by the names MakeOne/LoveGalo/Galo Make Canote wanted to bring some Dodger pride to the streets in preparation for the National League Championship Series that begins tonight. It went up Tuesday and can be found on Sunset Blvd and Sutherland in Echo Park near Dodger Stadium. Now let's kick some Philly ass!......

The Bums getting ready for the NLCS. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson The National League Championship Series is finally here. Many people are spinning their heads trying to judge the head-to-head matchups. Whose infield is better? Who has the better pitching? Etc. Etc. If that’s how these playoff series were measured, then the Florida Marlins wouldn’t have won the World Series in 2003. Neither would the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005. The biggest obstacle the Dodgers......

The team rushes the field when the clinch the win | AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill The Dodgers brought their NL Division series to a close with a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs last night here at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers swept the three-game series, keeping the Cubs a full 100 years since their last World Series win and another year away from the chance. For the Dodgers it's the first post-season series win......