Braves Battle On
The Atlanta Braves will take on the Dodgers in a best of 5 NL Division Series that starts today in Los Angeles. On paper , this series is a mismatch. The Dodgers clearly have more talent, and a deeper roster than the Braves. The oddsmakers have LA as the favorite. The heavy favorite. As in, 2-1 favorite, to push aside the champs of the NL East.
The late Skip Caray often had the chore of hosting the call- in show for the Braves broadcast when there was a rain delays. Skip could get exasperated with callers who simply wanted his opinion about which team would likely win the game.
"I don't know, sir", Skip would answer in a tired voice. " That's why they play the game", he would say– sometimes two or three times' in succession. And it's a valid point.
Baseball, perhaps more than other sports, brings much conjecture about what is likely to happen. The talking points can get repetitive, even tiresome. And then the actual result unfolds as the game is played.
This NLDS series has one aspect in common with the series the Braves just won over the Phillies- a thin pitching staff for one team. Only this time, it's the Braves starting pitching that is stretched thin before the first pitch. Atlanta has only two front line starters at the moment. Chris Sale is one. Tyler Mahle is the other.
Beyond that, it's TBD,which is what tha Braves have posted at present, just a few hours prior to go time.
That's a tough way to enter a best- of- five series that will last a maximum of seven days total (absent postponement by weather). And of course, Sale started a game just four days ago, and pitched an inning and a third just two days ago. Mahle went seven innings just three days ago. Both players pitched well, though neither was involved in the decision . The Braves won Game One in the eighth and then lost Game Two in the tenth.
Walt Weiss started lefty Ray Kerr in decisive Game Three, and his plan worked well. Kerr covered three plus scoreless innings and turned things over to Grant Holmes with a 3-0 lead. The Braves went on to win 6-2, with Sale nailing down the final four outs. Brilliant plan, well- executed.
By comparison, LA has a full staff ready to go, even without Ohtani. The Dodgers boast Skubal, Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow all rested and ready.
Pondering those factors gives quick understanding as to why LA is favored.
But Atlanta does have some things to feel good about. The Braves won the regular season series, five games to one. In so doing, they overcame Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow. They also faced Skubal, back in April when he was still a Tiger. He gave up two runs over seven innings. with no decision.
As Skip would remind me, none of that means anything definitive regarding this NLDS--except for the significant fact that the Braves know that they can win.
The Braves have excellent defense, opportunistic offense and a resourceful manager.
I believe the Braves will win it in five games.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports.com