2018 National League Division Series — Brief Predictions

This has been an interesting National League pennant race.  For the first time in history, there were TWO tiebreaker games in the same league.  One tiebreaker winner won only its third-ever division title,[1] while the other won its sixth straight.[2]  The two losers then met in the best-ever NL Wild Card game, where the Rockies beat the Cubs on the road, 2-1, in 13 innings.  So what will happen now?  The Dodgers will play the Atlanta Braves, winners of the NL East for the first time since 2013, while the Rockies will play the Brewers.  This’ll be fun!

Dodgers-Braves preview

The Dodgers are 7-3 over their last 10 and the Braves are 6-4.  However, the Braves have dropped four of their last five, while the Dodgers have won four in a row.  Head-to-head, the Dodgers won five while the Braves won two.  I see the Dodgers winning, but not in a sweep.  Prediction:  Dodgers 3, Braves 1

Brewers-Rockies preview

It’s too bad that this matchup is happening in the Division Series and not the Championship Series, because these two teams are red-hot.  The Rockies are 8-2 over their last ten, while the Brewers have won eight straight and nine out of their last ten.  In fact, the Brewers have gone 23-7 over their last 30 games.  The Brewers won the head-to-head season series, 5-2.  Statistically, the teams are close to even.  This series will go five, and the Brewers will take it.  Don’t be surprised if Game Five ends in walkoff fashion, just like the Brewers did in 2011.[3]  Prediction:  Brewers 3, Rockies 2[4]

American League Preview coming tomorrow…

Thursday, October 4, 2018, 4:35 pm MST

wers,

[1] Milwaukee Brewers, who started as the Seattle Pilots before moving to Milwaukee after only one season.  1982 (AL East) and the NL Central in 2011 and this year.  Three division titles in 50 seasons.

[2] The Dodgers have won the NL West every year from 2013 to the present.

[3] That was painful to write, since it happened against the Diamondbacks.

[4] If Matt Harpin is reading this, sorry, buddy.  Nothing personal.