BRAVES’ PITCHING STAFF HAS TO BE LIGHTS-OUT
For the Braves to stay competitive in this NLDS versus the Dodgers, their entire pitching staff has to be on their “A-game”. Los Angeles led the National League in runs-scored, home runs, runs-batted-in, and slugging percentage in 2018. This Dodgers lineup doesn’t have a weak spot and will punish the Braves if they continue to walk lead-off hitters and fall behind in counts.
The Dodgers will have their moments regardless of how well Atlanta pitches, but the Braves’ pitching staff has to be lights-out to keep these games within striking distance for their offense.
QUALITY AT-BAT AFTER QUALITY AT-BATS
As good as the Dodgers offense has been in 2018, their pitching staff might’ve been better, as Los Angeles led the National League in WHIP, strikeouts, runs-allowed, and earned-run-average. However, probably the most-impressive fact about LA’s pitching staff is that they walked the fewest batters in the entire National League. Needless to say, as a Braves fan who watched Atlanta walk 635 batters this year, I’m thoroughly impressed.
That said, the Braves young hitters have to stay patient at the plate. Atlanta cannot afford to have wasted at-bats because of being overly-aggressive. Each and every pitch in the postseason has huge implications, one way or another. Let’s hope that this youthful Braves squad is able to put up veteran at-bats throughout the NLDS.
SCORE EARLY
I believe the biggest key to the Braves winning this NLDS versus the Dodgers is scoring early and often. The faster these young Braves can settle into the game, the better and more loose they’ll play. Needless to say, there’s no better way to do that than by putting up runs on the scoreboard in the first few innings of each of these games. I guess it’s a good thing Atlanta has Ronald Acuña to help lead that charge.