Cards will win 2 lop-sided games where they score more than 8 runs. They'll also win the 5th game.

Cards in 3. I don't see the Padres getting out of the gate.

Cardinals in 4. On paper, this looks like a walk over. But if your team is from the N.L. West, you would know that Jake Peavy is capable of beating any team. The Padres will win the first game, but then Hoffman will blow a late lead in the second game, and the momentum will swing. Padres: next year save the playoffs for the real contenders: the Giants, Dodgers and Diamondbacks.