DODGERS Dodgers vs Braves - NLCS

All games on FOX/FS1
No days off again though

Game 2: 3:05 p.m. (FS1)
Game 3: 3:05 p.m. (FS1)

Braves roster resource (providing information on who their team is and typical lineups): https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/braves

Game 1 FAQ: https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-dodgers-nlcs-game-1-faq-preview

Positional breakdown: https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-dodgers-nlcs-position-by-position-analysis

Braves preview: https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodg...formidable-obstacle-dodgers-path-world-series

How the Braves got here:
https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-path-to-2020-postseason

ESPNs NLCS preview: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...ers-nlcs-pits-mlb-two-best-offenses-much-more

no roster news as of yet. The big things to look for:
1) will Edwin be healthy to replace Lux?
2) will we go third catcher again? In a 7 game series with no off days, you need Barnes to start at least 2 games, so maybe a third catcher helps
3) does our pitching stay the same? Braves do worse against lefties compared to righties, although they have plenty of right handed bats that it’s tough to know if it’s real or not. Replacing Floro with Alex Wood would take a lot of convincing but wonder if they go for it

 

i think 5 guys but only 1-4 will be played somewhat straight. I do think they’re gonna use an opener for Julio

game 5 I think it’ll be played day by day. I think they’ll use Dustin as a reliever in at least one of the games, and game 5 would be Dustin as “bulk” guy and dependent on which relievers are available.
Game 6 or 7 would be Buehler/Kershaw with the 3 other guys out of bullpen when they are able

 

Yeah and with a third catcher you can use Barnes as a pinch runner anyways. Not nearly as fast as Gore but still

not to mention, the Braves have a few very good lefty relievers and right now the right handed bench bats is basically only Enrique. You have Ruiz out there and you can feel much better about using Barnes as a hitter off the bench

 

https://www.mlb.com/app/atbat/video/00u7wqpwgdHaBtYsV356/reels/dodgers-hrs-versus-fried

Reel of pretty cool Dodgers home runs against the Braves best starter

 

per bleacher report...
buehler game 1, kershaw game 2

 

would have gone with gonsolin in the poll
but i can't be sure roberts will give him a start

 

No announcement beyond game 2 but Urias will “pitch meaningful innings” and Gonsolin is pitching a sim game today (which means game 3 would be 3 days rest)

Ima guess they’re in a holding pattern and wanna see if they need those 2 or May in games 1 or 2 and play it day by day how they handle 3-5, with probably some openers used

I’d wanna play it more straightforward but whatever, I also want all arms available at all times

 

makes sense
especially with the lack of days off
i hate the "opener" shit, but if it works so be it

 

I think they do Urias game 3 for sure only cause Braves are worse against lefties and he’s been pitching great. As for Barnes, he’d catch game 2 with Kershaw so I bet his schedule is catching game 2, maybe a game 5 (which would also presumably be against Fried, the lefty), then a game 7?

 

good question, I think games 4-7 would be impossible to predict since it would change depending on results. Especially since Braves only have 3 starting pitchers

 

misc stuff...

• The Dodgers are very patient in seeking out their pitch, while the Braves are much more aggressive. The Dodgers had the second-lowest chase rate in the majors, but the Braves ranked just 18th. The Braves swung at the first pitch 35.5% of the time -- highest in the majors. Despite the more patient approach, the Dodgers were actually fairly aggressive on the first pitch as well, swinging 30.4% of the time (eighth highest).

• Other teams often point out how the Dodgers always seems to be in the right place on defense. Indeed, Los Angeles allowed the second-lowest batting average on balls in play at .253 (the MLB average was .292). The Dodgers did shift more than any other team -- 55.8% of the time. The Braves, meanwhile, shifted less often than any other -- just 7.6% of the time.

• Based on defensive runs saved, the defenses of the four LCS teams ranked like this in the regular season: Dodgers: plus-29, Rays: plus-24, Astros: plus-12, Braves: minus-8

ESPN

 

Although the Braves offense and pitching is very good, these made me feel better cause it seems like a straightforward advantage: we make more way more contact than them and when we make contact, their defense isn’t nearly as good to turn it into outs

I feel like the Braves in the last playoff series we faced them had similar offense with great players but they whiff a lot, which we all know needs to be cut down in the playoffs