There might not be a better opening-round series in the MLB playoffs than the St. Louis Cardinals against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
These two organizations are loaded with experience and know what it takes to win at this level. The Cardinals have reached the postseason 11 times in the past 15 years, winning four pennants and two World Series titles. Meanwhile, the Dodgers went to the NLCS last season and have quite a few veterans who have been in this spot before.
This is certain to create a well-played series with both sides finding ways to come through in big moments.
In order to keep up with every game of this highly anticipated series, here is a look at the schedule and a breakdown of what to expect over the next week.
Pitching Breakdown
There is no question the Dodgers have the best pitcher (and arguably best player) in the series in Clayton Kershaw. The lefty led the majors in both wins and ERA and hardly ever gave opponents a chance to win.
Seth Davis of CBS Sports gave his opinion on the player's season:
Meanwhile, Aaron Gleeman of NBC Sports noted how well Kershaw has pitched in a historical context:
It is easy to simply pencil in the Dodgers for wins in the likely two games he starts this series. However, it is important to remember the Cardinals beat Kershaw twice in the NLCS a year ago, both on great starts by Michael Wacha.
Although Wacha has not been himself since returning from a shoulder injury, the Cardinals still have plenty of talent around Adam Wainwright, who will start Game 1. Lance Lynn has had a great season and John Lackey usually pitches well in the playoffs, accumulating a 3.03 ERA in 19 appearances.
Zack Greinke and Kershaw likely give the Dodgers a slight advantage on the mound going into each game, but this battle is much closer than one would think.
Offense
In past seasons, the St. Louis lineup was a nightmare for opposing pitchers because it simply didn't end. There were quality hitters from top to bottom and everyone was capable of getting a big hit when it was needed.
However, that same depth is not there this year due to injuries and poor performances throughout. ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian describes the problems for the Cardinals offense:
It simply is not the same group from 2013. That team led the NL in scoring, this team scored 164 fewer runs, and finished 10th in runs scored. The Cardinals were last in the NL with 105 homers. Matt Holliday is the only Cardinal who finished with more than 75 RBIs. And they'll be left-handed heavy -- Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams, Jon Jay, Kolten Wong -- going against Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
With Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig no longer with the team and Yadier Molina struggling since returning from an injury, the group remaining does not scare anyone. After finishing 23rd in the majors in runs scored, these problems are likely to continue in the playoffs.
On the other hand, the Dodgers have a great balance of speed (Dee Gordon, Carl Crawford), power (Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp) and pure hitting ability (Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig). These elements combine to create a lineup that could score in a number of different ways.
This could end up making the difference in what could become a short series.
Prediction: Dodgers Win in 4 Games
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly recently discussed the struggles his team has had against the Cardinals:
They’re a good club. They’ve been kind of a thorn in our side the last couple years. They beat us last year and knocked us out. I think the year before they beat us late in the year here in LA to kind of keep us out of the wild card.
So they’ve been a tough club for us. … It’s kind of turned into a pretty good rivalry.
The entire roster will do its best to make sure this one-sided rivalry does not continue in 2014.
Kershaw looks even better than last season and is ready to lead the team to victory. Meanwhile, the Cardinals appear worse in almost every facet of the game.
Los Angeles should be able to finally overcome St. Louis and advance to the National League Championship Series.
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