POWER SPORTS *10* MLB GAME OF THE YEAR
- Handicapper
- Power Sports
- League
- MLB
- Competition
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Atlanta Braves
- Time
- 10/23/2021 08:08 PM
- Bet Type
- Moneyline
- Pick
-
Los Angeles Dodgers -170
(DraftKings)
- Outcome
- Cancel
- Analysis
- 10* LA Dodgers (5:08 ET): Dave Roberts’ decision to go with a “bullpen game” in Game 5 paid off as not only did the Dodgers stay alive with an easy 11-2 victory, but now they’ve “saved” Max Scherzer for Game 6 as they again look to extend the series. Scherzer is exactly who Roberts wants starting in this spot (even though LA has lost both of his postseason starts). He will be working on an extra day of rest here and what he has done in 2021, especially since coming to Los Angeles, is really remarkable. He has a 2.45 ERA and 0.872 WHIP in 33 starts. The Dodgers won the first 13 times he started for them.
Meanwhile, the Game 5 result had to be completely deflating for the Braves. Remember that they had their ace (Max Fried) on the mound while the Dodgers went with the bullpen game. Fried lasted only 4 ⅔ innings and gave up five runs on eight hits. The Dodgers’ league-leading offense ended up putting 11 runs and 17 hits on the board, led by Chris Taylor’s THREE home runs. Now the Dodgers will face Ian Anderson, who lasted only three innings when he started Game 2. Anderson wasn’t much better in his lone regular season start against the Dodgers as he gave up four runs in 4 ⅓ innings.
The Dodgers have now won seven straight elimination games going back to last season’s World Series run. While Scherzer has an 0-2 TSR in the playoffs, remember who got the save in Game 5 against the Giants in the LDS. Also remember what team had baseball’s best regular season run differential (it was the Dodgers). This all has to feel like a terrible sense of “deja vu” for Atlanta, who blew a 3-1 series lead to the Dodgers in LY’s NLCS. We’re heading for a Game 7. 10* LA Dodgers
