ARLINGTON, TX (AP) – These Baby Braves who faced the Los Angeles Dodgers two years ago have grown a little bit, and even won a few playoffs
The Dodgers have already been here, in the NL Championship Series for the fourth time in five years and moving to the new AL baseball stadium where last week they won their NL Division series and would like to stay for the Worlds Series
Atlanta is in its first NLCS since 2001 and, like Los Angeles, has won all five games so far in the playoffs.
« We’re really, really strong 2018, I think we were just excited to do it, we completely turned the scenario from our 72-90 record to 90-72 in one year, so we were just thrilled. » , said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, perhaps the favorite for it NL MVP of the season « It’s a completely different story We like our chances We played really well »
Best of Seven NLCS First Game Comes Monday Night This is a clash of the top performing teams in the majors during the regular season, with fans in the stands for the first time this season hit by the pandemic
After 118 home runs in 60 regular-season games, the Dodgers have just two in the playoffs They hit one in the spacious new Texas Rangers baseball stadium where they swept the San Diego Padres into the NL Division series last week, but scored 23 points in those three games
« We’re not a one lane offense. We can score points in different ways, » said Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner « And if the bullet goes over the fence, we’ll take it too »
Los Angeles won the 2018 NLDS against Atlanta in four games before entering their second straight World Series, though the Dodgers are still more than three decades away from their last title in 1988 It was part of 10 straight losses in playoffs before the Braves sweep Cincinnati and Miami this year
“When we played them last time, I said afterwards we weren’t as strong as them. We made a lot of progress in that regard,” said manager Brian Snitker “We we are a stronger team than two years ago, our attack, just the total, the bullpen and what we saw of the young starters is also very good «
While the 20-year-old stands out, Ronald Acuña Jr and Ozzie Albies have now been part of three straight NL East titles, the Braves pitchers – a staff with rookie newbies Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright – have pitched four shutouts in these playoffs
« There are a lot of young athletes on both sides, » said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. « It’s going to be a fun series »
While the general public will be allowed to watch the games, it will be far from full at the $ 1 2 billion stadium with retractable roof for the NLCS and the World Series There will still be no fans for them. AL Championship Series matches in San Diego
There were about 11,500 tickets available, sold in groups of four, each of these pods being at least six feet apart. About 28% of capacity 40518 This attribute is sold out for game one and three other games NLCS so far, plus all World Series matches
« I think this is a step backwards towards normalcy, where people have the right to be free and to choose to go out and do whatever they want to do, » said Blake Treinen , Dodgers reliever « It’s no fun playing baseball without fans. We welcome it, we are delighted »
Both teams plan to go with the same starters for Games 1 and 2 that they used in the wild card round and the NLDS
Walker Bueher, an annoying blister on his finger and all, will start the opener for the Dodgers and left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who is pitching close to home, will take part in Game 2 While Buehler (0-0, 338 ERA) was limited to eight innings in two starts, the right-hander has 16 strikeouts Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, Kershaw (2-0, 193) struck out 13 in eight scoreless innings in the series against Milwaukee
Lefty Max Fried (0-0, 327) makes game opener for Atlanta, ahead of rookie right-hander Anderson (2-0, 000), who has 17 strikeouts in 11 2-3 scoreless innings
Wright set to face the Braves in Game 3, while Roberts will keep his “option” for games 3-5
Mookie Betts, who turned 28 in the NLDS and is signed for 12 more seasons after his February trade, leads the Dodgers roster just two years after being on the winning Boston Red Sox against them in the World Series
« They both impact the game in all its aspects, on the box, on the pitch, on the goals. They are both energizing players that players gravitate towards, towards which fans gravitate towards, » said Roberts
Betts and Acuña are both grassroots and have some pop in their bats Betts beat 368 in the playoffs after hitting 16 home runs in 55 games during the regular season, and Acuña has gone deep 14 times in 46 games and had 38 walks for a 406 base percentage
« Kind of a show where our game is going, compared to what head hitters used to look like, » said Snitker « Now you look at two guys like that Skills are amazing These guys can beat you with their legs they can beat you in defense, and of course the impact they can have offensively «
Travis d’Arnaud, the California-born Braves wide receiver, was with the Dodgers for less than a week and played in a game for them in May 2019, after his release from the New York Mets and before his contract not purchased by Tampa Bay Rays
« I don’t like to see him in the four hole against us next week, but I’m really happy for him, » said Roberts
After hitting 321 with nine homers for the Braves in the regular season, where he went as a free agent last offseason, Arnaud hits 421 with two homers in the playoffs and with hits every game.
The Braves third baseman Ron Washington was the manager of the Texas Rangers from 2007 to 2014, including their only World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 Snitker’s 31-year-old son Troy is a hitting coach for the Astros, who are in the AL Championship Series « It’s a really neat thing to happen in our family, » said elder Snitker
Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, National League Championship Series, Major League Baseball postseason, World Series, MLB
World News – UK – Braves grew a bit for the NLCS game against the Dodgers