Far from me to question Terry Francona, but I think he’s making a real mistake starting Zack Littell instead of Nick Lodolo here. Littell has a higher ERA and WHIP than Lodolo.
The Dodgers led the National League in runs, homers and slugging percentage. They showed that muscle in yesterday’s Game One of this series scoring 10 runs while knocking out a hot Hunter Greene.
The Dodgers entered the playoffs allowing the lowest batting average of any team in September at .173. They have Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA) starting today backed by a wealth of unused starting pitchers in the bullpen if needed, including Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Roki Sasaki.
LA, though, may not even have to dip into their bullpen given how well Yamamoto has pitched. Yamamoto has allowed only three earned runs in his last five starts spanning 34 innings. Current Reds have hit just .175 against him in their careers.
Yamamoto had four postseason starts last year – and the Dodgers won each of them by more than one run.
The Reds’ mediocre offense can’t keep up. Elly De La Cruz is their only feared hitter.
The Dodgers have won by more than one run in 11 of their last 13 victories.
