Post by Commissioner Erick on Mar 27, 2021 15:20:33 GMT -5
Los Angeles Dodgers (85-59) @ Milwaukee Brewers (97-46)
LAD: Logan Allen (10-5, 3.59)
MIL: David Meeks (7-3, 3.31)
The Los Angeles Dodgers are fighting for their playoff lives with four positions open among six teams. They’re currently a half game behind the San Francisco Giants for the NL West playoff lead, and are tied with the Washington Nationals for the second Wild Card position.
They’ll continue to work towards punching their ticket to the postseason when they finish their series with the NL’s best team, the Milwaukee Brewers, for the Game of the Week.
The Dodgers have won two of three in the series, blasting Tim Kierstead in the Friday opener, and getting good work from Steven Matz and the bullpen to take Saturday’s low-scoring win. Milwaukee hit J.B. Bukauskas hard yesterday, leaving the Dodgers needing a win to take the series.
They’ll send reliable left-hander Logan Allen to the mount to try to take the series. Not someone with a high-upside, Allen has nonetheless been a reliable pitcher for the Dodgers for years, positing between 2.0 and 3.1 WAR every campaign.
Aside from a blip last year, Allen has succeeded by throttling left-handed hitters, limiting their ability to get on base and dampening their power. He’s been better at home than on the road though, with a 2.76 ERA at Dodgers stadium and a 4.75 mark away from it. That’s good news for a Brewers team that can platoon hitters and plays its home games in a stadium that isn’t Dodgers Stadium.
As a hitter who has clubbed 10 homers off lefties and has a .529 slugging mark against southpaws, Starling Heredia should get a start today for the Brewers. Bobby Dalbec has a .330 average and a 1.128 OPS against lefties. Tim Elmore is hitting for a 1.109 OPS against lefties. These are all normally bench players for Milwaukee who can come in and do damage against a lefty like Allen.
On the other hand, Milwaukee has already wrapped up the NL Central crown and has little to play for. Their schedule is surprisingly tough down the stretch, but only an unmitigated catastrophe would keep them from having the top seed in the National League playoffs. The rest of their season might be dedicated to staying healthy and getting reps to younger players.
The Brewers have series with Atlanta and San Francisco still to come, so the National League playoff picture may come down to how Milwaukee decides to partition playing time down the stretch.
Questions for the GMs:
For Ben Vincent, you took Luis Ceja out of the rotation and put him in the bullpen. Why did you make that decision?
Willie Calhoun had a spectacular August, winning Batter of the Month for the first time in his career and being rewarded with a 4-year contract. Why did you decide to lock him up?
It’s been about a month since you lost three key pitchers in mid-August. After seeing the players adjust, do you think you have what it takes to capture a playoff berth?
For Luke Grimmelbein, how will your lineup change today, both due to a lefty, and also due to resting for the playoffs?
Luis Ortiz is due off the IL from his back injury. Will he return to the rotation?
How has Crackpot Warf looked to you since you signed him in early June?
TRIVIA: Who has the most stolen bases in Milwaukee Brewers history?
LAD: Logan Allen (10-5, 3.59)
MIL: David Meeks (7-3, 3.31)
The Los Angeles Dodgers are fighting for their playoff lives with four positions open among six teams. They’re currently a half game behind the San Francisco Giants for the NL West playoff lead, and are tied with the Washington Nationals for the second Wild Card position.
They’ll continue to work towards punching their ticket to the postseason when they finish their series with the NL’s best team, the Milwaukee Brewers, for the Game of the Week.
The Dodgers have won two of three in the series, blasting Tim Kierstead in the Friday opener, and getting good work from Steven Matz and the bullpen to take Saturday’s low-scoring win. Milwaukee hit J.B. Bukauskas hard yesterday, leaving the Dodgers needing a win to take the series.
They’ll send reliable left-hander Logan Allen to the mount to try to take the series. Not someone with a high-upside, Allen has nonetheless been a reliable pitcher for the Dodgers for years, positing between 2.0 and 3.1 WAR every campaign.
Aside from a blip last year, Allen has succeeded by throttling left-handed hitters, limiting their ability to get on base and dampening their power. He’s been better at home than on the road though, with a 2.76 ERA at Dodgers stadium and a 4.75 mark away from it. That’s good news for a Brewers team that can platoon hitters and plays its home games in a stadium that isn’t Dodgers Stadium.
As a hitter who has clubbed 10 homers off lefties and has a .529 slugging mark against southpaws, Starling Heredia should get a start today for the Brewers. Bobby Dalbec has a .330 average and a 1.128 OPS against lefties. Tim Elmore is hitting for a 1.109 OPS against lefties. These are all normally bench players for Milwaukee who can come in and do damage against a lefty like Allen.
On the other hand, Milwaukee has already wrapped up the NL Central crown and has little to play for. Their schedule is surprisingly tough down the stretch, but only an unmitigated catastrophe would keep them from having the top seed in the National League playoffs. The rest of their season might be dedicated to staying healthy and getting reps to younger players.
The Brewers have series with Atlanta and San Francisco still to come, so the National League playoff picture may come down to how Milwaukee decides to partition playing time down the stretch.
Questions for the GMs:
For Ben Vincent, you took Luis Ceja out of the rotation and put him in the bullpen. Why did you make that decision?
Willie Calhoun had a spectacular August, winning Batter of the Month for the first time in his career and being rewarded with a 4-year contract. Why did you decide to lock him up?
It’s been about a month since you lost three key pitchers in mid-August. After seeing the players adjust, do you think you have what it takes to capture a playoff berth?
For Luke Grimmelbein, how will your lineup change today, both due to a lefty, and also due to resting for the playoffs?
Luis Ortiz is due off the IL from his back injury. Will he return to the rotation?
How has Crackpot Warf looked to you since you signed him in early June?
TRIVIA: Who has the most stolen bases in Milwaukee Brewers history?
