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It’s the heavyweight bout we’ve been waiting for.
The Dodgers and Brewers — baseball’s best two clubs — take the diamond on Thursday to begin a four-game set in Los Angeles.
After getting swept by the Red Sox and Cubs and dropping a series to the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers responded with a swift broom to the Royals. Milwaukee presents a big gear shift, though, especially considering the Dodgers rank No. 20 in wRC+ in August.
Freddie Freeman’s scary tumble into the visiting dugout on Wednesday has him day-to-day as Los Angeles will lean on a red-hot trio of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker.
The Brewers just suffered a sweep themselves at the hands of the Padres and have now dropped four of their last six. Their pitching has held them together through an offensive dry spell as the Brewers totaled just seven runs against San Diego.
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Brewers vs. Dodgers prediction, best bet
There’s not much brewing at the dish in Milwaukee; it’s slashing a putrid .212/.314/.335 this month. The Brewers have never been a power-hitting team anyway — they rank dead last in MLB with 111 home runs this season. They can win by playing small ball as the Brewers rely on elite plate discipline, high contact rates and situational hitting.
Generating runs could be an issue against Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers right-handed youngster is starting to build confidence, posting a 2.40 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in his last five starts. His only problem is he’s been vulnerable to the long ball, but that’s only mitigated by Milwaukee’s power deficiencies anyway.
When he faced the Brewers on May 23, he lasted five innings and allowed three runs, four hits, and two walks.
My only concerns are regarding Sasaki’s command. He doesn’t throw strikes on the first pitch at a safe clip, and Milwaukee is well capable of working him behind in counts. And while the Brewers have been highly productive against righties this year, they’ve struck out against them at the fourth-highest rate and are batting .212 this month.
Shane Drohan has been a serviceable starter for Milwaukee — especially on the road. The rookie southpaw is pulling slightly above-average numbers in walks, chases, and whiffs while his 3.52 xERA says he’s due for a bit of positive regression.
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Fade the Dodgers at your own risk: DraftKings is reporting 69 percent of moneyline tickets are on the back-to-back reigning champs.
But this is not only a get-right game for Milwaukee, but it’s also a pivotal turning point against their toughest test, so runs won’t be for free.
THE PLAY: Under 8 (-105, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
