Everybody knew the Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the teams to watch this postseason. Now, after narrowly edging out the NL West champion San Francisco Giants in the NLDS, they will face off against the Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers’ NLDS, which lasted five games, featured two contests that were decided by just one run. Better yet, the Los Angeles pitching allowed just 10 runs through five games. Their pitching staff clearly knows what it is doing, meaning all eyes will be on the offense to follow through this time around.
On the other hand, the Braves are coming off a 3-1 series win over the Milwaukee Brewers. A Freddie Freeman solo homer in the eighth inning of Game 4 helped to push Atlanta over the edge. With that said, their starting pitching was similarly brilliant.
The NLCS begins on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 8:08 p.m. ET on TBS.
Three keys to victory for Braves
Continue to rely on the rotation
The Atlanta starters looked very strong during the recent series against the Milwaukee Brewers. In fact, the four staters that the Braves rolled out this week combined for a mere 2.30 ERA during their outings. The Dodgers offer a whole new beast for Atlanta, but it is a challenge that they are more than willing to take on. Look for players like Charlie Morton, Max Fried, and Ian Anderson to make a huge impact this week.
Battle offensively with runners in scoring position
The Braves hit just 4-for-30 with runners in scoring position against Milwaukee. Now, as they oppose a Dodgers pitching staff that is very challenging to score against, the Braves are going to have to battle, finding the right balance of patience and urgency.
Take advantage of playing in Atlanta
The Dodgers had the best home record in baseball this year, so it’s going to be tricky for Atlanta to steamroll them in Los Angeles. However, four of the seven potential games are in Atlanta, including the first two. This gives the Braves the chance to pull ahead and set the tone for the series before traveling west. It would not be surprising to see the Dodgers win at least two of three at home, so the Braves will need to win at least one of their first two in Atlanta, if not both.
Three keys to victory for Dodgers
Get the edge in the later innings
The Braves have a very, very strong starting rotation, but their relief pitching is a different story. Among all MLB teams during the regular season, Atlanta’s bullpen ranked 18th or worst in K/9, BB/9, HR/9, FIP, SIERA, WHIP, and OBA. Assuming the Dodgers’ rotation can keep the score relatively close in the early innings, Los Angeles could legitimately pull ahead in the back half of games.
Draw walks and limit strikeouts
The Dodgers did a fine job avoiding strikeouts in the NLDS, averaging just 8.2 per game. However, they struggled to work walks, averaging 2.4 of these per game. Los Angeles needs to improve at working counts and taking free bases whenever the Atlanta pitching core offers them.
Mow down opposing hitters
This is something that both the Braves and Dodgers have done well at in the postseason so far, so it’s imperative that they continue on this trend. Los Angeles’ pitching led MLB in strikeouts during the NLDS with 49. They finished second (behind the Brewers) in this category during the entire regular season, striking out a grand total of 1,599 opponents.
Analysis
We could be in for a really good series. As much as the Dodgers excelled in the regular season and then played very good baseball against the MLB-best Giants, it would be completely foolish to rule out the Braves this early. Atlanta’s starting rotation has experience and poise, setting them up for success down the stretch, while their lineup is also one of the best in baseball. In the end, though, the Dodgers will take a 3-2 lead before the Braves get one back, but the Dodgers ultimately steal Game 7 in Atlanta.
Prediction: Dodgers 4, Braves 3
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