Oddsmakers counted the Milwaukee Brewers out before the start of this series as the Dodgers had a huge edge in the Sportsbook series price. Milwaukee didn’t care though and kept their winning streak going in Game 1 of the NLCS. LA made it close, but the Brewers pen, the best in the league down the stretch, got the job done again.
- Hyun-Jin Ryu has a 1.88 ERA in 52.2 innings since August 15.
- Milwaukee is 8-0 SU in Wade Miley’s last eight starts.
- The Dodgers .214 batting average is worst among remaining playoff teams.
Dodgers vs Brewers Game Center
Is There a Pitching Edge in Game 2?
Hyun-Jin Ryu was a surprise starter in Game 1 of the NLDS ahead of Clayton Kershaw and gets the ball in Game 2 of the NLCS after Kershaw was tagged with the loss in Game 1. Ryu has been the model of consistency for LA since returning from the DL in August. Since his return, Ryu has a tidy 1.88 ERA which is good for 10th among all starting pitchers in MLB during that time.
Ryu went seven innings in his last outing vs the Braves and the Dodgers will be looking for similar length today after Kershaw lasted just 3+ innings before getting the hook in Game 1. Dave Roberts was forced to use five different relievers to get through the night.
The 31-year-old South Korean lefty will have the element of surprise on his side vs the Brewers as just Ryan Braun, Curtis Granderson and Christian Yelich have batted against him before.
Wade Miley makes just his second career postseason start after gritting out 4.2 innings against Colorado in the NLDS. Craig Counsell will likely need more from Miley today seeing that Josh Hader is likely down after working three innings in Game 1.
The Brewers have won all of Miley’s last eight starts, but they’ve had to grind them out as the left-hander from Hammond, Louisiana has an ERA of 3.06 and a .257 opponents batting average during that stretch.
I’m giving the pitching edge to LA in Game 2.
Who Has the Offensive Edge?
While LA has the edge on the mound today, the edge in the batter’s box belongs to the home team. The Dodgers are hitting just .214 in the playoffs while Milwaukee has a .835 OPS and banged out 11 hits in Game 1.
During their 12-game win streak, the Brewers are hitting .298 as a team with a .897 OPS. Christian Yelich leads the charge with an astronomical .458 batting average and 1.857 OPS in those 12 games.
My Pick for Game 2
The Dodgers pushed the Brewers to the brink late in Game 1 and if there was another inning or two to work with, I think they would have won. LA’s lineup has a career .261 average and .787 OPS vs Wade Miley and while those aren’t eye-popping numbers, they will make him work hard to get outs.
With Josh Hader likely unavailable, I think the Dodgers’ starting pitching advantage and depth will prevail today. I’m taking the Dodgers at -115 on the moneyline.
