The League Championship Series this week will feature intense pitching confrontations. These 5 matchups will help us sort out who earns the right to play in the World Series beginning on Oct. 24.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers) vs Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee Brewers) — NLCS Game 2 — Tuesday
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the mound for the Dodgers in Game 2 and the Brewers are countering with Freddy Peralta. Yamamoto, who consistently pitches like a rock and has some real upside, is going to test the Brewers’ depth in this big spot.
Peralta on the other hand is pretty much Milwaukee’s go to starter and will need to step up right after Blake Snell’s dominating performance in Game 1. It’s getting pretty clear that this game has series balance on the line.
George Kirby (Seattle Mariners) vs Shane Bieber (Toronto Blue Jays) — ALCS Game 3 — Wednesday
Game 3 shifts the ALCS to Seattle and the Mariners have handed the ball over to George Kirby. Toronto is countering with veteran Shane Bieber. The contrast between Kirby’s sharp strike zone and his mix of cutters and sliders is really interesting when you compare it to Bieber’s years of experience.
And of course, Seattle’s home field and crowd is always a wild card — one minute they’re cheering you on and the next they’re slamming you.
Luis Castillo (Seattle Mariners) vs TBA (Toronto Blue Jays) — ALCS Game 4 — Thursday
The Mariners are going with Luis Castillo as their Game 4 starter, hoping he can bridge the gap in their pitching rotation and give them a chance to set up a potential game 5 if needed.
Toronto hadn’t locked in their counter when this was announced, so now they’ve got some tough decisions to make, do they go with a veteran arm, try something unconventional or commit to their bullpen?
Castillo’s work ethic is always going to make him a valuable asset, regardless of who’s on the other side of the mound.
Blake Snell (Los Angeles Dodgers) vs. TBA (Milwaukee Brewers) — NLCS Game 4 — Friday
Blake Snell is expected to take the mound again in Game 4, and after that blistering performance in Game 1 where he just mowed down the Brewers with eight one-hit innings, people are getting excited and rightly so. Now that he’s getting in a rhythm, his next start could be the exact turning point of the series.
The Brewers are still keeping it under wraps who will take the mound for them in Game 4 – but whoever it is, they’re in for a tough as nails pitching session from Snell, who looks absolutely on fire.
Roki Sasaki (Los Angeles Dodgers) — The Ace in the Hole All Week
Sasaki is one of this postseason’s most fascinating storylines. He spent most hi season injured, and started out the year as a starter but the Dodgers have moved him into a high-leverage relief role where he gets to show off his velocity and swing-and-miss moves.
And the cherry on top is his willingness to pitch in big spots. Over the next few days you can be sure that Dave Roberts is going to need to figure out how much to lean on him, will it be the 6th, 7th or 9th?
As he figures this out Roki Sasaki is going to be the disruptor that can tip the late-game balance in the Dodgers favour. His split and movement make him the wild card of the bullpen.
