When looking at this series, the most intriguing aspect is going to be the battle of the bullpens. Coming into the postseason, these two teams had the two lowest bullpen ERA”s in the National League during the regular season.
At the closer position, the matchup between Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon is a push since those two are two of the best in the NL. If these games remain close throughout, it will be up to the setup men to build the bridge to their respective closers.
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For the Washington Nationals, the key will be how Dusty Baker uses the lefty relievers he puts on the roster against a lineup that struggles against left-handers. Plus, Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen need to keep the strong form that they had in the month of September.
On the Dodgers side, the name I want to focus on is left-handed reliever Grant Dayton. With the injury to Adam Liberatore, Dayton will play a big role in trying to shut down the Nats left-handed bats (Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper). Dayton has a 2.05 ERA in 25 games since making his MLB debut on July 22 (lefties hitting .140 with one RBI).
Prediction: I expect this series to be close, but I am going to go with the Dodgers. I think the depth of their lineup is going to make an impact and third baseman Justin Turner is going to continue to hurt the Nats. With Murphy and Harper banged up, how quickly can they get shake off the rust?
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Plus, as bad as the Dodgers are against lefties, it’s tough to trust Gio Gonzalez in September. I do think the Washington Nationals split the first two games at home, but I think LA wins Game 3 and Clayton Kershaw pitches on three day rest and wins Game 4 over Joe Ross.