ESPN's Tim Kurkjian asked some great questions in his breakdown of the series in article that was posted on Monday, and I'm going to take it a step further.
You Truly Can't Spell Cy Without Clayton.
Kershaw's historic season has led him to his second NL Cy Young Award in three seasons. The undisputed ace of the Dodgers' pitching staff, Kershaw has been the most consistent arm, and will lead the team in the opener at Turner Field tomorrow.
Just how historic a season was it for Kershaw?
Via Kurkjian's article, Kershaw's 1.83 ERA this year was the lowest by any ERA qualifier since Pedro Martinez in 2000 (1.74), and the lowest by an NL pitcher since former Brave and Dodger Greg Maddux (1.63) in 1995. Only HOF Sandy Koufax had an ERA as low among Dodger pitchers (1.74 in 1964 and 1.73 in 1966) in the live ball era (1920-on). Maddux, Kershaw and Koufax are the only pitchers in NL history to win three straight ERA titles.
I'd say Kershaw has officially cemented his status as our ace.
Medlen's Masterpiece?
Fredi Gonzalez sends his most consistent arm, Artesia native Kris Medlen, to face off against Kershaw and the Dodgers. Medlen has, without a doubt, given the Braves a legitimate ace. His consistency has shown that he can be relied upon, as he's earned NL Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive September.
And Kurkjian asked who the ace of the Braves pitching staff was?
With his consistency, the better question is, why ISN'T it Medlen?
Gonzalez is hoping to see his hurler outduel the best pitcher in the National League to help his team improve to 57-25 at home, but of course that is why the games are played.
The rotations for both pitching staves will look like this after Medlen and Kershaw battle it out in Game 1:
Game 2: Greinke (LA) vs. Minor (ATL)
Game 3: Ryu (LA) vs. Teheran (ATL)
Game 4** Nolasco (LA) vs. Garcia (ATL)
Game 4 TBD/If Necessary.
Issues Arise In The Outfield-- For Both Teams.
While Atlanta is figuring out whether or not to bench B.J. Upton, we too have some serious issues in the outfield.
Kemp is out for the remainder of the season with that injured ankle, and Andre Ethier's status is also up in the air due to an injury to HIS LEFT ankle.
How much of a concern is this issue for Mattingly?
It is so much of a concern that both Scott Van Slyke (yes, Pirates fans, son of Andy!) and Dee Gordon were working out in center field on Tuesday.
Fans are saying the more experienced player, and the player most likely to substitute for Kemp and Ethier is Skip Schumaker.
Schumaker has played in center for the Dodgers this season, and it is a safe bet that he'll be the one patrolling Turner's center field grass come first pitch on Thursday.
Now for the Braves and their issues.
via Kurkjian's article, it has been a down year for B.J. Upton. He's hitting .184; only Dan Uggla (.179) has a lower batting average this year among players with at least 400 plate appearances. Upton hit .157 against left-handers, and the Braves will see Kershaw twice and Ryu once if the series goes five games.
If the Braves bench Upton, Evan Gattis is likely to play in left, moving perennial All-Star Jason Heyward to center.
Okay, so Atlanta isn't in as much trouble as the Dodgers, but both teams are led by veteran managers, and they'll figure this out.
The Infield: Position by Position (Starters)
Catchers:
Brian McCann (Atlanta) And A.J. Ellis (LAD)
Two veteran ballplayers, it will be interesting to see who has more hits-- MCcann, who is a five time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, or Ellis. The catcher is an important part of not only the pitcher's success, but their team's success as a whole, and this definitely applies to both McCann, who was an All-Star yet again in 2013, as well as Ellis.
First Basemen:
Freddie Freeman (ATL) and Adrian Gonzalez (LAD)
The fiery, competitive Freeman was selected to the National League All-Star Team via victory in MLB Final Vote, but was unable to play due to a thumb injury. He came back from that, and has been a significant contributor in Atlanta's run to the playoffs.
Gonzalez's leadership and clutch hitting has keyed the Dodgers' run to the division title. He's also a pretty solid defender.
Second Base Elliot Johnson (ATL) and Mark Ellis (LAD)
Uggla being left off the postseason roster means Johnson gets his chance. The Braves still owe Uggla $26.4 million over the next two seasons.
Ellis has proven capable of playing well for the Dodgers, and his experience will be heavily relied upon. The Dodgers have the edge here, solely because they have three others with the ability to start at second base, including recent addition Michael Young.
Third Base: Juan Uribe (LAD) and Chris Johnson (ATL)
Uribe has been here before and that will be key, however Johnson has had a career year (.321 with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs) and was, by far, the National League's most steady performer at third base in 2013.
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons (ATL) and Hanley Ramirez (LAD)
Simmons is a defensive stalwart for the Braves at short, while Ramirez, who had a stat line of .345 with 25 home runs and 57 RBIs, provides a potent bat in the heart of the Dodgers lineup-- Ramirez managed to perform at that level while only appearing in 86 games in 2013, which makes his accomplishments all that more impressive.
Summary of the Outfield:
Los Angeles: With Ethier and Kemp out, Skip Schumaker comes off the bench to get the nod in center field for the Dodgers in Thursday's opener. Rookie sensation Yasiel Puig and veteran Carl Crawford round out the outfield starters for the NL West Champion Dodgers.
Atlanta: With Upton most likely to be benched, it appears Gonzalez will play one of his other outfielders (Reed Johnson and Jordan Schafer) in left field, as he has revealed that Evan Gattis was listed as the third catcher behind veteran backstops Gerald Laird- who was brought in via free agency this past offseason, and Brian McCann.
And In Closing....
And in closing, I know very well that this will be the most intriguing match up in the Divisional Series. And after looking over my analysis?
I agree with Tim Kurkjian-- Dodgers in five.
