PROJECTED LINEUPS
BRAVES: CF Ronald Acuña Jr. (.250/.406/.581, 14 HRs, 29 RBIs, 8 SBs), 1B Freddie Freeman (.341/.462/.640, 13 HRs, 53 RBIs), DH Marcell Ozuna (.338/.431/.636, 18 HRs, 56 RBIs), C Travis d’Arnaud (.321/.386/.533, 9 HRs, 34 RBIs), 2B Ozzie Albies (.271/.306/.466, 6 HRs, 19 RBIs), SS Dansby Swanson (.274/.345/.464, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs, 5 SBs), LF Adam Duvall (.237/.301/.532, 16 HRs, 33 RBIs), RF Nick Markakis (.254/.312/.392, 1 HR, 15 RBIs), 3B Austin Riley (.239/.301/.415, 8 HRs, 27 RBIs)
DODGERS: RF Mookie Betts (.292/.366/.562, 16 HRs, 39 RBIs), SS Corey Seager (.307/.358/.585, 15 HRs, 41 RBIs), 3B Justin Turner (.307/.400.460, 4 HRs, 23 RBIs), 1B Max Muncy (.192/.331/.389, 12 HRs, 27 RBIs), C Will Smith (.289/.401/.579, 8 HRs, 25 RBIs), CF Cody Bellinger (.239/.333/.455, 12 HRs, 30 RBIs), LF A.J. Pollock (.276/.314/.566, 16 HRs, 34 RBIs), 2B Chris Taylor (.270/.366/.476, 8 HRs, 32 RBIs), DH Joc Pederson (.190/.285/.397, 7 HRs, 16 RBIs)
These are the two best lineups in baseball by almost every measure. The Dodgers and Braves ranked 1-2 (or 2-1) in home runs, runs scored (one run apart), slugging percentage (tied), OPS and even hard-hit percentage (an MLB-best 43.8 for the Dodgers, 42.7 for the Braves). The Braves are led by Freddie Freeman, the likely National League MVP for 2020, and Marcell Ozuna, the NL leader in home runs and RBIs. But both teams have deep lineups. Each had five players reach double digits in home runs during the 60-game regular season. The Dodgers might have two advantages in this matchup. The Braves will be making their first visit to Globe Life Field. The Dodgers have settled in for a week now and have had six games (three in the regular season, three in the NLDS against the Padres) to adjust to the spacious confines. And, the Dodgers still have some upside. Their offense thrived this season despite a trio of left-handed hitters (Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Joc Pederson) underperforming to this point. EDGE: Even
STARTING PITCHERS
BRAVES: LH Max Fried (7-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8.0 Ks per 9 IP), RH Ian Anderson (3-2, 1.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 11.4 Ks per 9 IP), RH Kyle Wright (2-4, 5.21 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 7.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Huascar Ynoa (0-0, 5.82 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 7.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Bryse Wilson (1-0, 4.02 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 8.6 Ks per 9 IP)
DODGERS: RH Walker Buehler (1-0, 3.44 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 10.3 Ks per 9 IP), LH Clayton Kershaw (6-2, 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 9.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Tony Gonsolin (2-2, 2.31 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 8.9 Ks per 9 IP), RH Dustin May (3-1, 2.57 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 7.1 Ks per 9 IP), LH Julio Urias (3-0, 3.27 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7.4 Ks per 9 IP)
For the third consecutive playoff round, the Dodgers get to face a team that has lost its best starting pitcher to injury. The Milwaukee Brewers were without Corbin Burnes in the Wild Card Series. The Padres had Mike Clevinger for just two innings and Dinelson Lamet for none in the NLDS. And now, the Braves arrive without Mike Soroka (sixth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2019), who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in August. Max Fried stepped up and pitched like an ace for the Braves and rookie Ian Anderson also emerged. Those two had three scoreless outings in the Braves’ sweeps of the Reds and Marlins in the first two rounds. Another rookie, Kyle Wright, turned in a six-inning scoreless outing against the Marlins. The Braves haven’t needed any more starters so far this postseason and it is a mystery how they might handle starting assignments beyond those three. With the Dodgers, the only mystery is how they will leverage the advantage their five starters give them. EDGE: Dodgers
BULLPEN
BRAVES: RH Mark Melancon (2-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 11 saves in 13 chances), LH Grant Dayton (2-1, 2.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), RH Shane Greene (1-0, 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP), RH Chris Martin (1-1, 1.00 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 1 save), LH Will Smith (2-2, 4.50 ERA, 0.94 WHIP), LH Tyler Matzek (4-3, 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), LH A.J. Minter (1-1, 0.83 ERA, 1.11 WHIP), RH Darren O’Day (4-0, 1.10 ERA, 0.80 WHIP), RH Josh Tomlin (2-2, 4.76 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), RH Jacob Webb (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
DODGERS: RH Kenley Jansen (3-1, 3.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 11 saves in 13 chances), RH Blake Treinen (3-3, 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), RH Brusdar Graterol (1-2, 3.09 ERA, 0.90), RH Dylan Floro (3-0, 2.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP), LH Jake McGee (3-1, 2.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP), LH Victor Gonzalez (3-0, 1.33 ERA, 0.74 WHIP), LH Adam Kolarek (3-0, 0.95 ERA, 0.79 WHIP), RH Pedro Baez (0-0, 3.18, 1.00 WHIP, 2 saves), RH Joe Kelly (0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)
It wouldn’t be October if there weren’t concerns about the Dodgers’ bullpen. The franchise’s all-time saves leader, Kenley Jansen is no longer the closer – even if Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is still unwilling to state it that flatly. So who gets the last three outs for the Dodgers now? Roberts has options – experienced (Blake Treinen or Joe Kelly) or raw (Brusdar Graterol or Victor Gonzalez) – and will probably use any or all going forward. The Braves have a similarly deep bullpen with veteran Mark Melancon at closer. He and fellow veteran Will Smith have faced 26 batters this offseason and recorded 26 outs. Smith, Chris Martin and Darren O’Day each had WHIPs under 1.00 during the regular season. EDGE: Even
BENCH
BRAVES: IF Charlie Culberson (.143/.143/.286, 0 HR, 1 RBI), OF Cristian Pache (.250/.250/.250, 0 HR, 0 RBIs), C Tyler Flowers (.217/.325/.348, 1 HR, 5 RBIs), IF Pablo Sandoval (.214/.287/.262, 1 HR, 6 RBIs), IF Adeiny Hechavarria (.254/.302/.305, 0 HR, 2 RBIs)
DODGERS: C Austin Barnes (.244/.353/.314, 1 HR, 9 RBIs), OF-IF Kiké Hernandez (.230/.270/.410, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs), IF Edwin Rios (.250/.301/.645, 8 HRs, 17 RBIs), IF-OF Matt Beaty (.220/.278/.360, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs), PR Terrance Gore (.000/.000/.000)
The Braves barely used their bench during their sweeps of the Reds and Marlins. With a lineup like theirs, why would you? Former Dodgers utilityman Charlie Culberson has been more popular than productive this season in Atlanta. The Dodgers’ bench, meanwhile, will get stronger if Edwin Rios can return from his groin injury. EDGE: Dodgers
MANAGERS
BRAVES: Brian Snitker, fifth season (353-317, .527), third postseason (8-6, .571)
DODGERS: Dave Roberts, fifth season (436-273, .615), fifth postseason (30-22, .577)
In an era when the route from player to manager has never been shorter – with an interim detour to the broadcast booth more common than an extended minor-league managing career – Brian Snitker has to be respected for doing it the long, old-school way. Snitker has been in the Braves’ organization since 1977. He never made the majors as a player and spent 15 seasons as manager of the Anderson Braves, Macon Braves, Durham Bulls, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Greenville Braves, Mississippi Braves, Richmond Braves and Gwinnett Braves. He served as the Braves’ bullpen coach in two big-league stints, went back to the minors and returned as the third base coach under Fredi Gonzalez. When Gonzalez was fired in May of 2016, Snitker took over and got the full-time job in 2017. He has led the Braves to three consecutive NL East division titles now. EDGE: Dodgers
SERIES PREDICTION
By choosing Globe Life Field as a neutral site for this NLCS, MLB has also created a neutralizing site – the two best offenses in baseball will play for the pennant in a stadium that depresses offense. The Dodgers have a headstart on adjusting to the spacious stadium. They scored 23 runs in their three-game NLDS sweep despite hitting just one home run (a solo shot by Cody Bellinger in Game 2). The Braves will have to show that their historic pitching during the first two rounds – they pitched shutouts in four of the five games – was not an illusion created by facing the 21st (Marlins) and 27th (Reds) best scoring offenses in baseball this season. The Dodgers, on the other hand, will have gone through the best competition the National League could offer – the Padres and Braves – if they are going to get back to the World Series for the third time in four years. DODGERS IN SIX
