Oct. 9, 2021: MLB Daily Postseason Primer

The NLDS continues today with Game 2 of the Brewers-Braves series at 2:07 p.m., followed by the next Dodgers-Giants game at 5:07 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (SF leads 1-0)

It may be what baseball wants, but the Dodgers wanted none of last night’s opener against the Giants. San Francisco’s Logan Webb pitched 7.2 innings of near perfection with just five hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts in his shutout of the Dodgers.

Today, L.A. hands the ball to 20-game winner Julio Urías, who will be making his 19th postseason appearance. Urías is 2-1 in five starts against the Giants this year. In his last appearance, Urías allowed just one run in the first inning against the Brewers and held Milwaukee scoreless for the remaining 5.1 innings of his outing.

The Giants will tap Kevin Gausman, who holds a 2.81 ERA, for his first postseason start. Gausman has previously made four relief appearances in the playoffs and holds a 1-1 record in three starts against the Dodgers this season.

Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers (MIL leads 1-0)

We expected a pitchers’ duel between the Braves’ Charlie Morton and the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes, and oh, did we get it. The standoff ended with a two-run homer from Rowdy Tellez in the seventh inning, and the Braves managed only a single run in the eighth.

Today’s game could prove to be another challenging one for hitters. Braves starter Max Fried has a 1.09 WHIP and allowed just 15 home runs on the season, making it difficult for batters to reach base. Brandon Woodruff, meanwhile, has a league-leading 2.56 ERA. The Brewers lost in each of his last four starts, however, and the Braves will look to capitalize on that downward momentum.

Saturday’s Schedule - NLDS

2:07 p.m. PT: Braves (Max Fried) @ Brewers (Brandon Woodruff) (TBS)

6:07 p.m. PT: Dodgers (Julio Urías) @ Giants (Kevin Gausman) (TBS)