The Los Angeles Dodgers sent the Philadelphia Phillies packing in what was an exciting 11th-inning last Thursday. Phillies’ relief pitcher Orion Kerkering misplayed a grounder, tossing the ball to home plate instead of first, ending their season at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles continues to prove itself capable of defending its World Series Title as the team makes its way into the National League Conference Series. The Dodgers pack their bags as they prepare to play their first two games of this series away against the Milwaukee Brewers.
For the Brewers, this is both a chance to unseat the reigning champions and an opportunity to avenge their 2018 Championship Series loss against the Dodgers, in which they were defeated 4-3. In the regular season, they have proved themselves to be a tough opponent, sweeping the Dodgers 6-0 between two series. Not only that, the Brewers finished with the best regular season record in the National League.
Although not confirmed, the Brewers will most likely start right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester tomorrow night. Priester looks to redeem himself after an underwhelming performance in his first career playoff start last Wednesday night, where he surrendered four earned runs and was subsequently pulled out in the first inning.
Los Angeles may start left-handed pitcher Blake Snell tomorrow night, with his latest appearance being last Monday in Game 2 against the Phillies. In that game, he tossed six-innings against a dangerous Phillies lineup, only allowing one hit and four walks. With a 1.38 postseason ERA in a combined 13 innings, he’ll pose a major threat to the Brewers team.
The Brewers are down a key player, right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who has been ruled out of the NLCS due to a lat strain in his pitching shoulder. As such, the Brewers may continue to rely on the likes of right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta in this series. Peralta has proved himself not only reliable in the postseason but also a threat to the Dodgers when he tossed six shutout innings with seven strikeouts back in July against the Dodgers. The Brewers will also rely on their bullpen with some of the younger guys like right-handed pitchers Chad Patrick and Jacob Misiorowski.
During the regular season, the Dodgers repeatedly struggled to find answers to the style of play the Brewers were bringing. However, October has seen some of the best baseball being played by the Dodgers this season. The main problem the Dodgers must address remains the same: how to fix a struggling bullpen that’s only gotten worse since the postseason.
Right-handed relief pitcher Blake Treinen has lost manager Dave Roberts’ confidence, while left-handed pitcher Tanner Scott has been removed from the roster due to medical issues. The team has been relying heavily on right-handed rookie closer Roki Sasaki, who’s proven himself beyond capable, pitching back-to-back innings and shutting lineups down. If Los Angeles wants to crush the Brewers, the key lies in fixing this issue at hand.
Game 1 of the Dodgers-Brewers series starts tomorrow at 5 p.m. on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max.