If you predicted a matchup between the Dodgers and the Brewers in the NLCS before the season began, congratulations — you nailed it.
There is no prize to offer the correct prognosticators other than the gift of watching the class of the National League duke it out for the right to play in the World Series. The matchup between the two teams that finished with the best records in the NL should provide more entertainment than both of the series that preceded it, which, to put it quite frankly, were dull.
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The Brewers and the Dodgers each took care of business with relative ease, proving themselves to be the superior teams, winning their series in three and four games, respectively.
Let's down the four keys to the NLCS matchup.
Can the Brewers' bullpen sustain its dominance?
To put it lightly, Milwaukee’s relief corps shut down the Rockies during its three-game sweep. Six Brewers relievers combined to allow just one earned run in 15 ⅓ innings, including an effective effort during a bullpen game in the series opener. Whether Milwaukee opts for a similar bullpen game against the Dodgers remains to be seen, but how the Brewers fare in the series may hinge largely on the success of the relievers.
The group — led by reliable closer Jeremy Jeffress, long-haired, left-handed strikeout machine Josh Hader, and the red-hot Corey Knebel — put up the NL’s second-best bullpen ERA (3.47) during the regular season, but it will be tough for them to be as lights-out against an experienced and hot Dodgers offense as they were in the previous round.
Milwaukee’s starting rotation got the job done against Colorado, but the lack of an ace or workhorse forced the bullpen to eat plenty of innings against the Dodgers. Don't be surprised if you see the same this time around.
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Yelich being Yelich
No player in baseball had a more torrid second half than Christian Yelich. The likely NL MVP hit .367 with a 1.219 OPS and 25 home runs after the All-Star Break, but he has gone just 2-for-8 in his first three postseason games.
Baker Mayfield’s friend is the most important piece of a Brewers offense that has talent beyond him, but Milwaukee glided through its final eight games largely because of the way Yelich played.
The Dodgers' pitching staff presents more challenges than the Rockies, so if Yelich goes cold, there will be a significantly larger burden on Lorenzo Cain, Travis Shaw, Mike Moustakas and the rest of the offense to produce.
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Who will bridge the gap between the rotation and Kenley Jansen?
The Dodgers' rotation was mostly very good in the four games against the Braves, and despite occasional second half struggles, Kenley Jansen can still be counted on to get the final outs. It will be rare that the Dodgers have the luxury to do what they did against Atlanta in game two of the NLDS — go to Jansen for the last three outs after eight scoreless innings by Clayton Kershaw.
Brandon Morrow was a reliable eighth-inning option for the Dodgers in October last season, but he has since moved on to the Cubs. Kenta Maeda is one of the more likelier choices at Dave Roberts’ disposal to serve as the bridge. He has a 3.57 ERA in 17 ⅔ innings of relief in 2018, but wasn’t particularly sharp in his one playoff outing against the Braves, allowing two hits on 23 pitches.
Roberts could choose to mix and match with other relievers, such as Ryan Madson, Pedro Baez and Scott Alexander, but it’s a situation he will have to rectify quickly.
The Dodgers lineup against lefties
A heavily right-handed Braves pitching staff led to the Dodgers running out a similar lineup during the majority of their NLDS games. It won’t be the same story against the Brewers, who are throwing lefties Gio Gonzalez and Wade Miley in the first two games of the series.
That means Chris Taylor, David Freese, Matt Kemp and potentially even Brian Dozier could receive additional playing time. While all are capable hitters, they can be categorized as the Dodgers “second-unit” on offense. Joc Pederson and Max Muncy were two of the hottest hitters in the NLDS, but if they are relegated to bench duty during the NLCS, it won't do the Dodgers many favors.