By JIM ALEXANDER, The Press-Enterprise

PHILADELPHIA - One guy doesn't lose a series, and one guy doesn't win one, either. But one guy can certainly set a tone.

And for all of the differences between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers that were on display this week -- tough-mindedness, a relentless offensive approach, and the experience of being winners -- one in particular stood out.

PHILADELPHIA - If it were you, or me, or most other people enduring the deja vu of Monday night, we'd run screaming from any further mention of Game 4, or the Philadelphia Phillies, or Matt Stairs.

Jonathan Broxton is not you or me, and one of the absolute requirements of his job is a short memory. That is about to be tested, severely.

The first six innings at Dodger Stadium were fairly normal Monday night ... as long as you don't count the sight of Manny Ramirez leveling Matt Kemp with a shoulder tackle in center field, just after Kemp had lunged to catch a fly ball suddenly caught in a freakish gust of wind.

The final innings? Just plain weird.

Turns out it wasn't really a roll of the dice when the Los Angeles Angels traded Casey Kotchman for Mark Teixeira last July, even though they knew Teixeira was likely to be a rent-a-player.

They were protected. They knew what they had in Kendry Morales.

"Whether Mark Teixeira was here or not, Kendry was going to play somewhere," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Outwardly, Shawne Merriman doesn't seem worried.

Excited, certainly. And anxious. The San Diego Chargers linebacker has been inactive for nearly 11 months, and he can't wait to test his surgically repaired left knee in competition.

"My main concern right now is getting back out on the field with the guys," he said as training camp began Monday.

Jim Bouton, the noted pitcher/author, concluded "Ball Four" by noting that while you spend your life gripping a baseball, in the end it's usually the other way around.
Jose Lima can relate. The game has its hooks into him and just will not let go, even if the business of baseball is not so obliging.

I'm sure Vin Scully hears the question constantly, and I'm equally sure he always handles it with his characteristic grace.
It's a question without a definite answer. How long will the fans of Southern California, spoiled beyond recognition by his elegant play-by-play descriptions, continue to enjoy his presence in the Los Angeles Dodgers TV booth?

It's supposed to be tougher on the emotions to lose a close game than to get blown out. Lose big, and you can explain it away as one of those days. Lose narrowly, and you also lose sleep replaying all the little things you could have done differently.
So where exactly does this put the Orlando Magic's frame of mind?

It's probably just as well that even if he wanted to, Lamar Odom has been in no condition to bend down and pick up the newspaper lately.
"Couldn't pick the paper up," the Los Angeles Lakers forward said. "Didn't want to answer the phone. Couldn't watch TV for a little bit, right?"

The National League West race is over. Wrap it up and put a Dodger blue bow on it. Sports Illustrated's Joe Sheehan as much as says so.