Propelled by the bats of midseason acquisitions David Freese and Manny Machado, the Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up the National League Division Series with a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4.
With the victory, the Dodgers advanced to the NL Championship Series for a third consecutive year. Awaiting them at Miller Park for Friday’s opener is the Milwaukee Brewers, who are in the midst of perhaps their best stretch all year.
Dating back to the regular season, the Brewers have won 11 consecutive games. The club is coming off a convincing three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS, limiting the Wild Card representative to only 14 hits and two runs in 29 innings.
Ahead of what should be a competitive matchup with the Brewers, Kenley Jansen deemed that season is only now beginning for the Dodgers, via Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times:
“The season begins now,” said Jansen.
For all the adversity the Dodgers have overcome this season, it’s only fitting that the club will now have to knock off the No. 1 seed in the NL to return to the World Series for a second consecutive year.
They were 4-3 against the Brewers in the regular season, most notably winning two of three at Miller Park in July. Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS will take place there on Friday and Saturday, before the series shifts to Dodgers Stadium next week.
