Playoff preview: (2) Hal vs. (6) Chris

Records: Hal 13-8-1, Chris 12-10-1
Line: Hal -3.5
Season series: Hal 2-0 (Week 11: 15-3, Week 21: 14-6)
Career playoff records: Hal first appearance, Chris 2-1
All-time head-to-head: Hal 2-0
Playoffs head-to-head: Never met
Last playoff appearance: Hal never, Chris 2008


Pitching
Basically a no-brainer here. Hal's pitching, hands down, has been fantastic all season. Between Roy Halladay and Carl Pavano, Hal has a complete-game threat every time those two take the mound. Chris, on the other hand, just hopes that he gets complete-game losses when his pitchers allow a boatload of runs.
Advantage: Hal

Hitting
Hal is near the top of most hitting categories, and he has Jose Bautista and Mark Teixeira Paul Konerko, both of whom could explode for a combined 10 homers on a good week. Chris' top stars, such as Adrian Gonzalez and Robbie Cano, are slumping.
Advantage: Hal

Managing
Chris, a veteran of the league, takes on Hal, a rookie making his first playoff appearance. That cannot be understated. We've seen Hal manage well and poorly over the weekend, which also could play a role.
Advantage: Chris

Prediction
This one could be a blowout. Chris has held his own recently, and he had a very nice win against Adam, who he matched up well with. Hal 14-5.