The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched another National League Championship Series appearance after a 3-1 series win over the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers showed again why they are the defending champions of baseball. Here are three keys to advance to the World Series for a third consecutive time, now that the Dodgers are facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. The Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres in four games.
Three Keys for the Dodgers To Get Back to the World Series
The All-Star Starting Rotation
The Dodgers’ starting rotation has been really good most of the season, minus the injuries the rotation may have had; however, the elite rotation was able to get healthy in time for the postseason. The starting rotation’s earned run average was 3.78 for the regular season, and for the postseason so far, it is at a 2.33 earned run average.
Left-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the ace of this pitching staff and will be largely counted on this series to get the Dodgers closer to another World Series. Yamamoto is currently at a 1.29 ERA in the postseason and a 2.53 ERA in the regular season. Yamamoto, in his last start versus the Braves, had a strong performance with 10 strikeouts and helped the Dodgers secure the victory.
Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal, the free agent acquisition, was able to record seven strikeouts in the six innings pitched against the Braves in Game 1. Skubal has a 1.50 ERA for this postseason and a 2.72 ERA for the regular season.
Right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who helped the Dodgers clinch the National League Championship Series, is another starter in this rotation that will look to slow down a high-powered offense. Glasnow has a fastball that reaches 98 mph and very good off-speed pitches. Glasnow has a 3.53 ERA for the regular season.
Left-handed pitcher Blake Snell, who took a loss in the Braves series, was able to get five strikeouts. Snell will try to help Los Angeles advance to the World Series. Snell is at a 1.90 ERA for the regular season and a 2.45 ERA for the postseason.
This starting rotation, when pitching consistently, is largely unhittable when the starters are at their very best on the mound. The pitching rotation will have to worry about catcher Willam Contreras and left fielder Christian Yelich, as the two can get hot in a hurry.
A Shutdown Bullpen
The bullpen has been shut down overall for the Dodgers as the team has been dealing with some injuries, but has been able to close out games in the postseason, especially in the Division Series victory.
Closer Edwin Diaz has been largely lights out so far. In Diaz’s two appearances closing games this postseason, he has two strikeouts and has a 0.00 ERA. Reliever Tanner Scott has been very hard to hit in high-leverage situations and has two strikeouts in the two appearances so far. These two will be the key relievers in the NLCS.
Right-handed reliever Roki Sasaki is another big arm out of the bullpen and will be relied on in high-leverage situations. Currently, Sasaki has a strikeout and a walk in his recent outing and a 0.00 ERA.
Left-handed reliever Alex Vesia is another option out of this lengthy bullpen and will pitch if needed in the eighth inning or earlier. Vesia recorded a strikeout in the one game appearance against the Atlanta Braves.
The bullpen will have to fend off a highly talented Brewers lineup that can get big hits in late-game situations.
A Powerful Lineup That Is Mixed With Contact
The Dodgers lineup has struggled during the regular season with runners in scoring position, but this lineup is mixed with contact and power hitting, with clutch hits to score runs in the postseason. The team’s batting average so far for the postseason is .218 with seven home runs.
Shortstop Mookie Betts leads the way with contact hitting and is able to get on base. Betts had 23 home runs and a .257 batting average during the regular season. Betts only recorded three hits and a walk in the Braves series, but he does put a lot of pressure on defenses when Betts is on base. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was relatively quiet last series; in 12 at-bats had two hits and two walks. Ohtani has 30 home runs for the year and a .275 batting average.
Left fielder Teoscar Hernandez can pick up hits in a hurry, whether it’s with contact or home runs. In this series against the Braves, Hernandez in 16 at-bats, had a clutch home run in a critical game one to help the Dodgers get the victory. Right Fielder Kyle Tucker has pop in his long swing when making contact. In the 15 at-bats for this series, Tucker got five hits and one home run, and a .333 batting average.
Center fielder Andy Pages is another hitter to worry about if you’re pitching to this lineup because he can strike like lightning with the bat. This series was not great, but Pages, in 14 at-bats, was able to record four hits and one walk.
First baseman Freddie Freeman brings power to this lineup. In this series, Freeman, in 15 at-bats, had two home runs and picked up two walks. Freeman’s postseason batting average is. 267. Third baseman Max Muncy brings much-needed power to the lineup as well. For this series, in 12 at-bats, Muncy has a .250 batting average and has collected three home runs.
The pitching for the Brewers has been very good so far in this postseason. The team’s ace Jacob Misiorowski is a flamethrower with an earned run average of 4.50 this postseason and was able to record six strikeouts in Game 1 against the Padres. The lineup will have to be on its heels for this series. Especially when facing the team’s ace, Misiorowski.
The Dodgers are a force to reckon with and have a lot of depth, whether it’s pitching, hitting, or the bullpen. This team will be a tough task for any team in this postseason. Will the Dodgers advance back to the World Series and avoid a NLCS series loss against the Brewers?
Main Image: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
