As the Braves and Dodgers gear up for their highly anticipated four-game series starting Thursday night in Los Angeles, baseball fans are in for a treat.
This showdown between two powerhouses is not only a clash of talent but also a testament to their recent rivalry.
With both teams having battled it out in two of the past three National League Championship Series (NLCS).
In 2018 and 2020, the Braves and Dodgers squared off in the NLCS, adding fuel to an already fiery rivalry.
The 2018 series saw the Dodgers overcome the Braves in a hard-fought matchup, while the Braves sought redemption during the 2020 NLCS.
These nail-biting encounters left both teams hungry for more and set the stage for their upcoming clash.
“Obviously I think four games separates us right now as far as the 1 and 2 in the National League.
So that has value certainly,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “The other part, I think most importantly, is just gathering information. I think we know each other pretty well, but we haven’t seen them in awhile.
We’re going to get to see their guys, so it’ll be a good test for all of us.”
As the MLB season is coming to a close, two dominant teams, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, find themselves comfortably leading their division races.
This late season matchup between these World Series contenders not only offers a chance for both teams to assess their strengths and weaknesses before the postseason, but it also has the potential to determine who will secure the coveted home-field advantage should they face each other again in October.
“If you had your druthers, you’d rather have home-field advantage,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
“But if you don’t, you’re just happy to be there.”
NL MVP Candidates that will be sharing the field this weekend:
The upcoming series will provide a thrilling showcase of talent as four NL MVP candidates share the field, with each team having two NL MVP candidates.
For the Dodgers, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman will lead the team.
Mookie Betts, has already surpassed his career-high in home runs, slamming an impressive 36 so far. Not only that, but Betts is also maintaining a batting average of over .300 and currently leads the NL in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). While his 2018 season set the bar high for expectations.
While Freeman is just one double away of breaking the Dodgers’ franchise record set by Johnny Frederick in 1929 who achieved 52 doubles.
Freeman’s season stands out even more due to his potential to reach the remarkable 60-double mark. This milestone was last accomplished by Charlie Gehringer in 1936.
However, on Atlanta’s end Ronald Acuña Jr. has taken the MLB by storm, particularly when it comes to runs scored.
With an impressive tally of 119 runs, and an impressive on-base percentage (OBP) of .416, with 61 stolen bases already.
Meanwhile, Acuña is only 12 steals away from breaking Otis Nixon’s franchise record for the most steals in a single season (72).
