Former Phillie Randy Wolf may have started Game 1 of the NLDS, but L.A. manager Joe Torre is going with the young gun for Game 1 of the NLCS.

Twenty-one-year-old fellow lefty Clayton Kershaw will start Thursday night. Kershaw was 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) in his first full season with the Dodgers.

He pitched out of the 'pen for L.A. against the Phillies in last year's NLCS.

In Game 2 of the NLDS, Kershaw limited St. Louis to two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 3-2 Dodgers win. In two starts against the Phils this season, Kershaw is 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA.

But don't let those numbers deceive you. Kershaw is young and has Cole Hamels-type talent.

There's no reason he can't have an NLCS this season like Hamels had a year ago.

The Phils haven't officially announced it yet, but Hamels, who hasn't pitched since Thursday, is a near-lock to start Game 1.