The time has come. After 15 years, the Philadelphia Phillies are finally back in the World Series. Their opponents: The Tampa Bay Rays.

The two unlikely league champions face off in St. Petersburg, Florida, Wednesday night.

Game 1

Charlie Manuel is sticking with the same pitching rotation that has gotten the Phillies through the postseason. Game 1 will kick off with the great equalizer on the mound, Cole Hamels.

Hamels, the NLCS MVP, has been brilliant this postseason, going 3-0 in three starts with a 1.23 ERA. In 22 innings, Hamels held opponents to just 13 hits with 22 strikeouts. He held the Dodgers to just three runs in 14 innings in the NLCS.

Hamels will face off with Scott Kazmir, the Rays young left hander. Kazmir has been considered the ace of this pitching rotation for the past couple years and for the better part of this season. However, due to injuries, and the emergence of James Shields, his status as the Rays top starter has been challenged.

Nevertheless, Kazmir, when healthy, is as formidable a a foe as you are likely to find in the major leagues. This season he went 12-8 in 27 starts with a 3.49 ERA. He continues to be a dangerous strikeout pitcher with a K/9 of 9.82 this season. Kazmir boasts a devastating slider with a high velocity fastball and a changeup that is dangerous as well.

Kazmir does appear, however, to be running on fumes. He will most likely only be able to get through five or six innings, as he racks up high pitch counts early. If the Phillies can get a couple runs off him early, and be patient at the plate, working the count and making him throw pitches, then the Phillies should be able to run him off and get to the Rays bullpen. With Hamels on the mound, the Phillies should only need three of four runs to take the first game.

Game 2

Brett Myers will again take the mound for the Phillies in Game 2 against Shields. It has been talked about a lot in the past few days that Myers is a much better pitcher at home than he is on the road, with a 3.01 ERA at home as compared to a 6.21 ERA on the road to go along with a 3-8 record. However, as stats often are, these numbers are misleading. Since returning from the minors on July 23, Myers is 3-1 on the road while allowing more than three runs just one time.

On the other hand, Shields is 0-2 with a 3.46 ERA in two ALCS starts. He only allowed to runs in Game 1 but was outdueled by Daisuke Matsuzaka. In Game 6 at home, Shields allowed four runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. On the season Shields went 14-8 with a 3.56 ERA and gained the nickname Big Game James, but he is 27 and in just his second full year.

Game 3

ALCS MVP Matt Garza faces off against Jamie Moyer for Game 3 in Philadelphia. Garza almost single handidly beat the Red Sox, posting a 1.38 ERA to go along with a record of 2-0. In the pennant-clinching victory Sunday night, Garza allowed just one run and two hits over seven strong innings of work. He allowed a total of two runs over 13 innings against a fordmiddable Boston lineup. According to scouting reports, the 24-year-old right-hander has a mid-90s fastball that sinks, a curve, a slider and a changeup.

Moyer has been surprisingly bad this postseason. He had his worst outing of the season in the NLCS Game 3 against the Dodgers, giving up six runs in just 1 1/3 innings. That came just eight days after his game 3 NLDS loss in which he last just four rough innings. The only two games the Phillies have lost this postseason has been with Moyer on the mound.

Game 4

The Rays will send 25-year old Andy Sonnanstine to the mound in game 4 against Joe Blanton. Sonnanstine, in just his second major league season, was 13-9 this season with a 4.38 ERA. Against Boston in the ALCS, he allowed four runs on six hits, walking one and striking out two to get his second victory of the playoffs.

Despite his fair share of struggles this season, Joe Blanton has been very consistent at one thing: he puts the Phillies in a great position to win. In 14 games this season, the Phillies were 10-4. In two Blanton postseason starts this year, the Phillies are 2-0. Blanton did not factor into the game 4 NLCS decision, going five innings and giving up three runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out four.

The Phillies and the Rays are pretty evenly matched. Both boast potent offenses that rely heavily on the homerun, formiddable starting pitching, and strong bullpens. What ultimately puts the Phillies over the Rays is that Hamels is the best pitcher in the series and closer Brad Lidge is far and away better than former teammate Dan Wheeler.

The Phillies have found ways to win all season, no matter what the situation was. Sometimes the offense would score 10 runs and the pitching would be irrelevant. Other times, the Phillies could barely score two or three runs, but the pitching was lights out. The bullpen was the best in the National League and often times the Phillies would win the game in the late innings. The Phillies are perfect when leading after eight innings, largely thanks to Lidge’s perfect record as the Phillies’ closer.

This ability to find ways to win is the mark of a truly good team. The World Series will be the true test of that ability.