The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves have a crucial playoffs matchup on Monday night, as the two teams will face off in California at Dodgers Stadium for Game 4 of their National League Division Series matchup and with the Dodgers up 2-1, the Braves have no choice but to try and win out when things start on TBS at 9:37 pm.
The Dodgers have been playing very well in the postseason and after Ricky Nolasco was scheduled to start the game, the team will now pitch star Clayton Kershaw, making things much tougher for Atlanta, who will throw Freddy Garcia in the game against the former Cy Young winner. Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig have been dominating for the Dodgers this season and now they will get the chance to try and push the team into the National League Championship Series.
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The Dodgers started the season in terrible fashion and at one point Don Mattingly was looking like he would be fired, but after a record tear over the summer, the team easily defeated the other teams in the NL West for the division title and now they are just one win away from advancing to the championship series. The team is very well rounded and ranked 17th in the league in runs scored while finishing sixth in batting average and ninth in on base percentage. The team had strength in its pitching depth and that could be one of the main reasons why they win the World Series this season out of the National League.
Adrian Gonzalez and Clayton Kershaw were the offensive and pitching leaders for the team this season, as Gonzo led the team in batting average, home runs, RBIs and runs as well as on base percentage, although someone giving out MVP on the team might look to Puig or Ramirez, who helped carry the team through the summer. Gonzalez hit just over .290 with 22 home runs and 100 RBIs and he also scored 69 runs, while Kershaw ended up with 16 wins, 232 strikeouts and a 1.83 ERA and he could be in line for yet another Cy Young when this season is all done. The Dodgers have put together one of the best rosters in the league and now the team looks poised to advance against the Braves on Monday night.
The Dodgers are hoping to wrap up the series on Monday night rather than having to play again on Wednesday in Atlanta and that is likely one reason why the team is throwing Kershaw instead of Nolasco. Kershaw was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and part of it could be how Nolasco finished the year, with an 0-2 record and a 10-plus ERA, likely giving Mattingly some pause and now he will put his ace on the mound on short rest.
The game will be on TBS from Dodgers Stadium at 9:30 pm and will be Kershaw going up against Garcia for Game 4. The Braves obviously need to win this game to stay alive and that would send the series into Game 5, just like Cardinals did with the Pittsburgh Pirates and now that series will have a deciding game on Wednesday.