Dodgers reveling in sweet smell of success

LOS ANGELES - Joe Torre picked up the Dodgers cap on his desk and took a sniff, inhaling the stale scent of champagne.

"That's a wonderful smell," he said, smiling and leaning back in his chair.

That sweet smell of success still permeated the Dodgers' clubhouse on Monday, barely two days removed from their first-round sweep of the Cubs in the NL playoffs.

Remnants of their raucous celebration - a pile of corks on a desk, empty bottles of bubbly in the back of a player's locker - were reminders of the Dodgers' first postseason series victory in 20 years.

"I partied like a rock star," said a laughing Manny Ramirez, who had invited fans to join him at his house "if they can find it."

"Nobody find it," he said happily.

Ramirez, the pied piper of good times since he left Boston in late July, went 5-for-10 with 2 home runs, 3 RBI and 4 walks in the division series. He's now hit safely in 38 of his last 43 postseason games, with a .350 average during that span.

"I came, I did my job. I'm just blessed to be here," he said.

The Dodgers will need Ramirez's bat again when they open the best-of-seven NL championship series on Thursday in Philadelphia, with the winner going to the World Series.

"Winning the first two games in Chicago gave us a lot of confidence," he said. "We're going to try to go to the second round with the same momentum."

The NLCS brings together two streaking teams.

Since the Dodgers began an eight-game winning streak on Aug. 30, they've gone 22-8, including their 3 wins against the Cubs. Their .733 winning percentage is the best in baseball during that span, slightly ahead of the Phillies' 22-9 record and .710 percentage.