Charlie Manuel, the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies who got his first job as skipper of the Cleveland Indians, is grieving the loss of his mother today who died of a heart attack today at 87. Manuel has his Phillies up 1-0 in the best of 7 National League Championship Series that resumes tonight. Manuel has decided to manage the game today against the Los Angeles Dodgers but will be doing so with a heavy heart. First pitch is set for 4:35 and airs on FOX.

The Philadelphia Phillies took care of business at home today defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers got off to an early lead with Manny Ramirez driving in Adam Either on a double in the fourth. LA would add to the lead in the fourth against starting pitcher Cole Hamels but that would be all that the southpaw allow in his 7 innings of work.

The Phillies broke through in the 6th inning as Chase Utley hit a two run home run and Pat Burrell followed up two batters later with the game winning solo long ball. Hamels picked up the win and struck out 8 in seven innings of work. Brad Lidge picked up a save. Derek Lowe, who started for the Dodgers, was saddled with the loss and gave up 3 runs in 5.1 innings of work.

The best of 7 series continues on tomorrow on FOX at 4:35. The American League Championship Series featuring AL East rivals Tampa Bay Devil Rays hosting the Boston Red Sox starts tomorrow and will air on TBS at 8:30.

The Boston Red Sox are heading back the the American League Championship Series by defeating the Los Angeles of Aneheim tonight at Fenway Park. The BoSox will face AL East division rival the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays own the home field advantage in the series that is set to start on Friday.

The Sox built a 2-0 lead behind the strong starting pitching Jon Lester who allowed no runs and only 4 hits in 7 innings. The Boston bullpen looked like they were going to blow the game by allowing 2 runs in the eright and then getting into trouble in the 9th but a failed squeeze play with one out defused the Angels rally.

The Rays nearly forced extra innings for the second straight night but the Red Sox had other ideas. Jason Bay, who came over for Manny Ramirez in a blockbuster trade, had a ground rule double and was driven in with two outs in the bottom of the ninth by Jed Lowrie and making the final 3-2.

The Tampa Bay Rays have advanced to the American League Championship defeating the Chicago White Sox today. The Rays, who for years had been the laughing stock in the junior loop, are now one series win from making the World Series in their first ever playoff appearance.

Tampa Bay jumped out to an 4-0 lead and the White Sox couldn't overcome the deficit. Wadsworth High School graduate Andy Sonnanstine gave up 2 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings earning the win for the Rays while also ending the ChiSox season. BJ Upton scored twice and drove in two for the Rays while Carlos Pena contributed 3 RBI's for the club.

The Rays await the winner of the Boston Red Sox-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim series which sees the Red Sox currently with a 2-1 advantage. The Red Sox can seal the series tonight with a victory in Fenway Park but if they lose they head back to Anaheim Wednesday for the rubber match in the 5 game series.

The Rays will own home field advantage as they had the best record in the AL this season. The ALCS will start on Friday and will air on TBS. No game time has been set

While the Cleveland Indians failed to make the playoffs this season it hard to miss former members of the Tribe this October. The most high profile ex Indians are the Los Angeles Dodgers Manny Ramirez and Milwaukee Brewers ace CC Sabathia who led there teams to the playoffs practically on their backs this year after coming over in mid-season trades.

Sabathia and Ramirez are hardly the only names that once adorned Chief Wahoo on their hats that have a say on who will win the World Series. The Philadelphia Phillies, of course, are managed by former Indians skipper Charlie Manual. The Dodgers starting third baseman is Casey Blake who starred with the Tribe for most of this decade and became a fan favorite for his working class style of play. Bob Howry, a relief pitcher who played a few years back with the Indians, now is trying win a ring and break the 100 year curse for the Chicago Cubs.

In the American League, the Boston Red Sox have Paul Byrd pitching out of the bullpen after picking him up for the postseason run. The Chicago White Sox are in the playoffs thanks to the exploits of Jim Thome who homered for the teams only run in yesterdays play in game against the Minnesota Twins. Former Indians pitcher and broadcaster now wears a Tampa Bay Devil Rays hat as a coach for the the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Here is the schedule for the 2008 National League Championship Series. The Philadelphia Phillies own home field advantage against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The series starts on Thursday and will air on FOX.

Gm 1 LAD @ PHI Thu Oct. 9 TBD FOX
Gm 2 LAD @ PHI Fri Oct. 10 TBD FOX
Gm 3 PHI @ LAD Sun Oct. 12 TBD FOX
Gm 4 PHI @ LAD Mon Oct. 13 TBD FOX
Gm 5* PHI @ LAD Wed Oct. 15 TBD FOX
Gm 6* LAD @ PHI Fri Oct. 17 TBD FOX
Gm 7* LAD @ PHI Sat Oct. 18 TBD FOX

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays own a 2-1 lead over the Chicago White Sox. The series resumes on Monday at 5 pm and can be seen on TBS. It could be an all-AL East battle in the junior loop. The Red Sox can clinch the series tonight, being up 2-0 in the series, with a win over the Los Angeles Angels. The Red Sox and Angels are currently tied at 4-4 in extra innings at Fenway Park. If the Red Sox cannot seal the deal tonight, the two teams will go back at it in Boston at 8:30 tomorrow.

Work crews began tearing down the historic Tiger Stadium in Detroit in June, but a corner of the park remains standing. On Tuesday, the Detroit City Council voted 5-3 to reject a resolution that would have authorized the immediate demolition of the ballpark.

The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, which is hoping to turn the remaining portion of the ballpark into a sports museum, was told to pay the city $219,000 by Tuesday in order to stave off the complete demolition of the remaining portion of the ballpark. The group says that it has $150,000 in hand, and can have the rest by Friday.

The park first opened in 1912 when it was known as Navin Field. The final major league game was played there on September 27, 1999.

Cleveland Indians left hander CC Sabathia had another nightmare start in the postseason. Sabathia, who went 11-2 with the Milwaukee Brewers after a mid-season trade, struggled tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies. Sabathia gave up a grand slam in the second inning and did not get out the fourth inning. He took the loss and his final line score saw him give up 5 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Sabathia too the loss and the Brewers find themselves down 2-0 in their series against Philadelphia.

Indians fans know Milwaukee fans pain. Sabathia, who is an excellent pitcher in the regular season, seems to melt down in the most cruicial moments of the season. Last season Sabathia was shelled twice in the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox and ened the post seeason with a 7.17 ERA.

The 28 year old left hander may have cost him millions. Sabathia is a free agent next year and being saddled with the label as an Alex Rodriguez type choke artist won't help his agent in negotiations with teams like the New York Yankees.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have defeated the Chicago Cubs 7-2 in their opening game of the National League Divisional Playoff Series. With the win, Joe Torre's Dodgers now have taken away home field advantage in the 5 game series.

James Loney provided the big blast for the Dodgers clubbing a grand slam against losing pitcher Ryan Dempster in the 5th inning. The Dodgers would add insurance runs in the final three innings of the game including a towering home run by Manny Ramirez.

Derek Lowe pitched 6 innings giving up two runs in the contest. Torre then handed over the game to the bullpen with future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux working the ninth inning for the final outs at Wrigley Field where he used to call home for many years as a member of the Cubs.

New York Mets relief pitcher Ambiorix Burgos allegedly struck and killed two women in a hit-and-run crash Tuesday evening in his home country of the Dominican Republic. Burgos, 24, was driving a vehicle that struck two women near the town of Nagua on the island's north coast.

The Dominican paper El Nacional reported that Josefina Minaya Martinez, 38, and Angely Faña, 29, were killed in the crash.

Witnesses told police that Burgos was driving the vehicle, and later turned himself for questioning. He was also wanted for a gun possession charge.