On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves will face off in Game 4 of the NLCS. The Braves are up 2-1 but are coming off of a loss in Game 3.
The Dodgers had an historic first inning in Game 3, scoring 11 runs, the most ever by one team in a playoff inning. They had three home runs in the inning, including a grand slam by Max Muncy.
The Braves are going to need a better pitching performance to stay in it. This was Atlanta’s first loss of the postseason.
Dodgers Getting Hot
The Dodgers had a hot ninth inning in Game 2, almost making a comeback. While their efforts came up short, that momentum followed them into Game 3.
Game 3 was over after the first inning, with the Dodgers ending up winning 15-3. Now, they get a chance to tie the series with their ace on the mound.
Clayton Kershaw is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and has been for some time. The only thing that has held him back is his performance in the postseason. Not only him, but the Dodgers have overall underperformed the past couple of years after the season.
They have had a team that is one of the favorites to win the World Series for several years, and this year is a great chance to win it. The pressure is on them.
Kershaw is 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA this season. He was supposed to start in Game 2 of this NLCS but experienced back spasms that caused him to be scratched from the lineup. Dodgers fans hope that this was an isolated incident and doesn’t create issues in Game 4.
Offensively, all eyes are on Mookie Betts. After signing a large contract with Los Angeles, he is the guy that needs to get this team going if they are struggling at the plate. But if they score 11 runs in the first again, that won’t be an issue.
Braves Lean on Young Arm
The Braves will be starting Bryse Wilson in Game 4. The 22-year-old only started two games in the regular season and holds a 4.02 ERA. This will be his first postseason start. You would have to think Wilson will have a pretty short leash in this game.
Game 3 being such a blowout was somewhat of a positive for Atlanta. They would much rather have that happen than a close, extra-inning game where they exhaust their bullpen.
Freddie Freeman is one of the leaders of this young team. After batting .341 in the regular season, Freeman is batting just .259 in the playoffs. The Braves will need energy from Freeman’s bat to power through the series.
Prediction
With Kershaw on the mound, I like the Dodgers to pick up another win and tie up the series. But the moneyline is too expensive at -215.
I’m going with the -1.5 runline, which is still -139. Kershaw throws a gem, and the Dodgers’ bats stay hot enough to get them a win.
After Game 4, the series will be back to even at 2-2, and all of the momentum is with the Dodgers.