MLB teams have lovin' post-season feeling

Milwaukee third baseman Craig Counsell uses the word "unbelievable." Philadelphia relief pitcher Chad Durbin calls it surreal. And Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre says it never gets old.

"It" is the feeling of competing in Major League Baseball's post-season, which gets underway this week on four fronts.

For the third time in five years, Boston will meet the Los Angeles Angels in a best-of-five American League Division Series, starting Wednesday. On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays will host the Chicago White Sox, who beat Minnesota in a one-game playoff on Tuesday night.

In the National League on Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs tangle with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers travel to Philadelphia to battle the Phillies.

The Red Sox are aiming to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to repeat as World Series champion after sweeping Colorado a year ago.

Meanwhile, fans in Chicago and Philadelphia are hoping their teams end championship droughts that number 100 years and 28 years, respectively.

And Tampa Bay, fresh off a 97-win season, is seeking its first World Series victory in the franchise's 11-year history, while the Brewers will be playing baseball in October for the first time since 1982.

Here's a breakdown of the four division series:

Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels

• Home-field advantage: Angels 
• Regular-season record: Los Angeles — 100-62 (1st in American League West); Boston — 95-67 (2nd in AL East, wild card)
• Season series: Angels 8-1
• Series probable pitchers (Games 1-3): Angels — John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders; Red Sox — Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett
• Injuries: Angels — Maicer Izturis (left thumb, out for season), Saunders (kidney stones, day-to-day), OF Juan Rivera (right hip flexor, day-to-day); Red Sox — Beckett (strained right elbow, day-to-day), SS Julio Lugo (left leg, 60-day disabled list), SP Curt Schilling (bicep, out for season)
• Outlook: The Angels, fresh off their first-ever 100-win season, will be seeking redemption after being swept by the defending World Series champions in the 2004 and 2007 division series. They have since added power bats Mark Teixeira (33 home runs, 121 RBI) and Torii Hunter (21 HR), but can also gain an edge with aggressive baserunning and moving runners over. Lackey and Santana are capable of taking over a game, while bullpen is among the game's best, led by Francisco Rodriguez and his major-league-record 62 saves. No longer feared for the 1-2 punch of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox can beat you all night with hits to the gap and patience at the plate after leading the AL with a .359 on-base percentage. Boston also finished second in average (.281) and runs (839), and is 30-18 since acquiring Bay in the trade that sent Ramirez to the Dodgers. Middle relief (seventh in AL) could be Red Sox's Achilles heel

Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

• Home-field advantage: Rays
• Regular-season record: Rays — 97-65 (1st in AL East); White Sox — 89-74 (1st in AL Central)
• Season series: Rays 6-4
• Series probable pitchers: Rays — James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza; White Sox — Javier Vazquez, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd
• Injuries: Rays — none; White Sox — OF Carlos Quentin (fractured right wrist, out for season), 3B Joe Crede (back, out for season), SP Jose Contreras (ruptured Achilles tendon, 60-day DL)
• Outlook: The Rays have the fourth-youngest team in post-season history with an average age of 27.4 years. But don't be fooled, this team is built for October. Shields, Kazmir and Garza have above-average stuff and can go deep into games while the defence, led by the infield duo of third baseman Evan Longoria and shortstop Jason Bartlett, is outstanding. Carlos Pena (31 home runs) and American League rookie of the year front-runner Longoria (27 in 122 games) are the power bats for an offence that boasts six players with an on-base percentage of .346 or better and three players with at least 20 steals. Manager Joe Maddon has a reliable bullpen and is expected to go with closer-by-committee in playoffs. At 57-24, Tampa Bay has best home record in baseball. The White Sox arrive in Florida with a ton of momentum after winning three games against three different teams to secure a playoff spot, but they won just 35 of 81 road starts. An offence that led the majors in home runs with 235 will dearly miss Quentin, who was in the running for AL MVP honours (36 homers, 100 RBI) when he got hurt. Late-season heroes Jim Thome (.375 average, three homers) and Alexei Ramirez (.333, two homers, six RBI) hit Rays hard this year.

Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Dodgers

• Home-field advantage:Cubs
• Regular-season record: Cubs — 97-64 (1st in National League Central); Dodgers — 84-78 (1st in NL West)
• Season series: Cubs 5-2
• Series probable pitchers: Cubs — Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden; Dodgers — Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Huroki Kuroda
• Injuries: Cubs — P Jon Lieber (foot, 60-day DL), Soto (hand, day-to-day), DeRosa (calf, day-to-day), SS Ryan Theriot (flu, day-to-day); Dodgers — SP Brad Penny (shoulder, 60-day DL), OF Andruw Jones (knee, 60-day DL), RP Hong-Chih Kuo (circulation, out of division series), SS Nomar Garciaparra (right leg, day-to-day)
• Outlook: Making their 16th post-season appearance, the Cubs are favoured to appear in their first World Series since 1945. For that to happen, the NL's top offence (855 runs) must find a way to solve a pitching staff that led the league in earned-run average (3.68). The balanced Cubs, who won 55 games at Wrigley Field, can trot out five players with at least 20 home runs and 74 RBI in regular season. On the mound, which Zambrano will show up? The one who no-hit Houston on Sept. 14 or the right-hander who has looked anything but untouchable since? Biggest challenge for Chicago pitchers is shutting down Manny Ramirez, who has hit .396, slugged .743 and racked up 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games with the Dodgers since arriving from Boston on July 31. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier (.302, 20 HR) lead a solid supporting cast. Many key contributors are inexperienced in post-season, but manager Joe Torre, making his 13th straight playoff appearance, should help in that regard.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Philadelphia Phillies

• Home-field advantage: Phillies
• Regular-season record: Brewers — 90-72 (2nd in NL Central, wild card); Phillies — 92-70 (1st in NL East)
• Season series: Phillies 5-1
• Series probable pitchers: Brewers — Yovani Gallardo, CC Sabathia, Dave Bush; Phillies — Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer
• Injuries: Brewers — SP Ben Sheets (forearm, day-to-day), RP David Riske (elbow surgery, out for season), OF Gabe Kapler (shoulder, day-to-day); Phillies — RP Tom Gordon (elbow, 60-day DL)
• Outlook: Brewers enter first playoffs since 1982 with momentum after gaining entry on final day of regular season. They have won six of past seven and are 7-5 under interim manager Dale Sveum, who took over from the fired Ned Yost. Offence is led by Ryan Braun (37 homers) and Prince Fielder (34) while ace pitcher CC Sabathia, who went 11-2 with 1.65 ERA after trade from Cleveland, may have to work on three days' rest in playoffs with Ben Sheets hurting. If so, he'll get his fill of Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who clubbed 48 of his team's NL-leading 214 home runs and batted .352 in September with 32 RBI. Seeking to end a 28-year drought without a World Series title, Philadelphia can be too reliant on the long ball, but can shut down the opposition with the best bullpen in the NL (3.22 ERA). Leading the way is closer Brad Lidge, who has converted all 41 of his save chances in 2008.