NL Division Series begin tonight in Philly, Milwaukee

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA

Roy Halladay came to Philadelphia to pitch in October, knowing the regular season was a necessary formality.

Halladay’s first trip to the postseason was quite a memorable one, though it ended in bitter disappointment. The two-time Cy Young Award winner, his teammates and just about everyone else in Philadelphia expects the Phillies to win the World Series this time around.

First, they have to beat the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals in the NL division series. Game 1 is today at Citizens Bank Park, with Halladay opposing Kyle Lohse.

“We were anxious in spring training,” Halladay said Friday. “I know you play 162 games and you get to this point. This is the fun part. We’re looking forward to it. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to win a World Series, but we’ve done a lot of great things this year, and we have a great team.

“I think to a man in that clubhouse, there’s not a guy who would tell you that he would not be disappointed if we didn’t win it all.”

Diamondbacks-Brewers

MILWAUKEE

When it comes to star power, even the Arizona Diamondbacks acknowledge they’re no match for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee has a pair of MVP candidates in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, and pulled the surprise of the offseason when they traded for standout starter Zack Greinke.

The Diamondbacks’ biggest star is Justin Upton — and even he feels as if he and his teammates get lost in the shuffle.

“We’re just a bunch of guys nobody ever heard about,” Upton said. “In Arizona, still, nobody’s heard about us.”