They needed a tiebreaker to get there, but the Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71, minus-22.83 betting units) won the National League West. Now they’ll host the NL East champions, the Atlanta Braves (90-72, plus-18.03 units), in Thursday’s Division Series opener. Fox Sports 1 and the MLB Network have the coverage. Start time is yet to be determined.
The pitchers for Thursday’s game are also up in the air at press time, although the Dodgers are expected to go with Clayton Kershaw (2.73 ERA) on regular rest, after rookie Walker Buehler got the job done in Monday’s 5-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies (+155 away). Kershaw is down 4.52 units this year despite leading Los Angeles to a 16-10 record.
The Braves are believed to have Mike Foltynewicz (2.85 ERA) in mind for Game 1. This has been a strange season for the former Houston Astros prospect, who came over to Atlanta in the 2015 Evan Gattis trade; Foltynewicz was named to the All-Star Game, but the Braves failed to convert three of his last five quality starts, falling 2.03 units in debt on a team record of 15-16. Atlanta’s bullpen ranks No. 17 in the majors with a 4.15 ERA.
