The Dodgers' secret weapon against Utley, Howard

1. The most important Dodger in the NLCS may turn out to be Hong-Chih Kuo, their lockdown lefthanded reliever who is needed against the balanced Philadelphia lineup. Los Angeles had no need for a lefty against the righthanded-heavy Cubs; the Dodgers played Chicago 10 times this year without having a lefthander throw a single pitch. But with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, switch-hitters Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino and bench players Greg Dobbs, Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs, the Phillies present big-time trouble from the left side. Joe Beimel gives the Dodgers one good situational lefty, but Clayton Kershaw is a young lefthanded starter who can't be counted on to come into a jam to face a lefthander. That's why the Dodgers need Kuo, who was left off the NLDS roster because of a mysterious arm ailment. Kuo's left arm began changing colors when he warmed up to pitch in the final series of the regular season. Though it has been reported that Kuo was suffering from a circulatory problem, the Dodgers ruled out any structural or medical concerns, preferring to think he simply fell victim to getting overly anxious. Read More