MLB Playoffs: Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals take on Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday night. This game in Los Angeles that can be seen on FS1 has the Dodgers listed as the favorite. It is a matchup worthy of a World Series with two of the best pitchers in the game taking the hill in Game 1. Here is a look at the matchup and MLB Playoff picks.
Probable Pitchers – Wainwright vs. Kershaw
Both pitchers will come into this game well rested, perhaps too well rested. Wainwright will have had 10 days off as he hasn’t pitched since he won his 20th game of the season against the Cubs while Kershaw has not pitched since he won his 21st game of the season in a division clinching win over the Giants. Wainwright is 20-9 on the season with a 2.38 ERA. Kershaw comes into this game at 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA.
Kershaw threw 32 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday just to get some work in. “It was kind of a tough situation,” said Kershaw, “It was either short rest now or really don’t pitch at all. So I got some work in, and it was good, and now I’m kind of on a normal five-day [routine] until Friday, so that was kind of the plan.
Playoff Rematch
This is a rematch of last year’s NLCS that the St. Louis Cardinals won. “I look at it like they are a tough club to play. Obviously they got us last year and in [2012] they got us in the extra-inning game that knocked us out of the wild card,” manager Don Mattingly said, “They’ve been a thorn the last couple of years.”
Game Notes
The Dodgers won four of seven games against the Cardinals during the regular season, including winning three of four games in Los Angeles.
This will be the fifth time the Dodgers and Cardinals have met in the playoffs and the home team advanced in three of the four series. It should be noted though that they did meet in the World Series when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn.
MLB Playoff Picks
We’ll lay the price and take the Dodgers with Kershaw in Game 1.
