Los Angeles Dodgers: Wild Card Series Preview

Bullpen

If their is one place the Brewers might have an advantage over the Dodgers it’s probably the bullpen. Brewers relievers were second in the league with 304 strikeouts and just out of the top ten at 11 with a 4.17 ERA. Meanwhile the Dodgers were second in ERA (2.72) and first in WHIP (1.044).

Each team has an x-factor in their bullpen that could affect the series for the Dodgers it’s Victor Gonzalez and for the Brewers it’s Devin Williams. Both pitchers are hard throwing rookies who have gotten more an more looks as the season went along.

Gonzalez only made four appearances in August, but in September he made 10 appearances throwing 11 1/3 innings striking out 15 and walking one with an ERA 0.79 and a .167 batting average. Gonzalez is an important left-handed reliever especially because the Dodgers lost Caleb Ferguson to Tommy John Surgery and he might be asked to get big outs against the Brewers most important left-handed hitters.

Williams might be the best reliever in baseball and is a viable contender for NL Rookie of the Year. He has a miniscule 0.33 ERA in 27 innings pitched with an astronomical 17.7 SO/9, in September in he gave zero runs in 13 innings while striking out 24 he went two innings four times in the month and only allowed one base runner, the Brewers might need him to go multiple innings and keep the Dodgers batters at bay late in the game. If the Dodgers can’t touch Williams it might be a short October.

Advantage: Push