NEWSLETTER
Well, shoot. You know how, in movies, someone always says “Hey, it could be worse! It could be raining!” and then it cuts directly to a shot of the main characters standing in the same exact spot … drenched in rain? That’s how I feel about this matchup right now.
Before the NLDS started, I was pulling for the Rockies over the Brewers (for obvious reasons) and the Braves over the Dodgers, but here we are with the worst of both worlds. I don’t want either team to win, and yet that’s not a likely outcome. Either the Cubs divisional rival Brewers, who haven’t lost a game since SEPTEMBER 22ND, or their would-be post-season rival Dodgers, with their heaps of money, will be heading to the World Series this season, and both taste just as unsavory in my mouth as I expected.
The Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers swept the Colorado Rockies right out of the NLDS, and although the first game was close (3-2, Brewers), the Brewers won the final two games by a combined score of 10-0. That’s right. The Rockies were shutout over their final two games of the NLDS, after scoring just 2 runs in the opener. Can you imagine how frustrating that would’ve been for Cubs fans? Yikes.
It’s worth pointing out, that although the Brewers should-be-faulty rotation hasn’t done them in yet, their bullpen did cover 14.0 total innings in 3.0 games (6.0 IP in the first, 4.0 IP in each of the final two contest), so you wonder how long they can keep it up? Then again, it’s been their strength all season long and the did manage to play the NLDS minimum, so maybe they’ll be well-rested.
Likely Starters: Jhoulys Chacin, followed by … “Officially TBD”
The Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have now been to three consecutive National League Championship Series, which is tied with the Cubs over the past four years. They also already have a World Series appearance during this stretch, so if they win it all this year, they’ll clearly be the team to remember from this era and I don’t love that … it was supposed to be the Cubs.
It took them four games to beat the Braves, but the Dodgers ultimately came out on top. Like the Brewers, the Dodgers pitching staff shutout the Braves twice in this series and held their opponents to just 8 total runs over four games. Clayton Kershaw tossed 8.0 scoreless innings in this series, so he can, in fact, still be good in October. And guess what? He’s starting Game 1 in Milwaukee.
Likely Starters: Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Rich Hill
The Schedule
NLCS Game 1: LAD @MIL, Friday, October 12th
NLCS Game 2: LAD@MIL, Saturday October 13th
NLCS Game 3: MIL@LAD, Monday, October 15th
NLCS Game 4: MIL@LAD, Tuesday, October 16th
The Brewers, having finished with the best record in the National League, have home field advantage this series, which means they’ll get the first two games in Milwaukee and the last two, if necessary. The Series begins on Friday and includes an off-day on Sunday (and again next Thursday if necessary).
I really don’t want the Dodgers to get another crack at the World Series, because they’re sorta this era’s New York Yankees, but I also cannot even begin to imagine how annoying Brewers fans will be if they steal this one right out of under the Cubs’ nose, so … Go Dodgers! I guess.
