The National League Division Series are set to begin on Friday. A ton of attention will rightfully be paid to the rivalry matchup going on out West, but this one between the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves is plenty important. A fun wrinkle is that the Braves were in Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta and this is the first time these two clubs have ever run into each other in the postseason.
Game 1 gets going Friday afternoon and pits two solid pitchers against one another. Let’s check it out. You can view the full postseason schedule by clicking here.
How to watch
Date: Friday, Oct. 8 | Time: 4:37 p.m. ET
Location: American Family Field (Milwaukee)
TV: TBS | Stream: TBS.com
Odds: ATL +143; MIL -153; O/U: 7 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: Charlie Morton (ATL) vs. Corbin Burnes (MIL)
Preview
The Braves come in with the worst record of any playoff team, but that could be misleading. They went 36-18 down the stretch. This isn’t a fluke or a fraud. They are legitimately good. They finished third in the NL in runs scored and fourth in OPS. Morton, 37, had a 3.34 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 214 strikeouts in 185 2/3 innings this season. He’ll be making his 13th postseason start. In his playoff career, he’s 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA.
The Brewers’ offense ranked sixth in the NL in runs and 11th in OPS. They strikeout a lot and don’t hit for a high average. What they do well it pitch and play defense. They ranked fifth in the majors in defensive efficiency, have a stellar rotation and a manager who is brilliant with his bullpen decisions. One of their aces gets the ball in Game 1 in Burnes. He led the majors with a 2.43 ERA, 1.63 FIP, 176 ERA+, 12.6 K/9 and 0.4 HR/9. On a rate basis, you could make the case he was the best pitcher in baseball this season.
Prediction
I like Burnes to dominate the Braves’ offense even if I don’t trust the Brewers’ offense to provide much in the way of support. Pick: Brewers 3, Braves 2
2021 MLB postseason gear now available
The 2021 MLB Playoffs start Oct. 5 and 6 with the AL and NL Wild Card games. In celebration, 2021 MLB postseason gear is now available for select teams. Shop hoodies, shirts, and more here.
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