The Los Angeles Dodgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series by earning a convincing 6-0 victory in Game 1 on Thursday night.
They now look to put a stranglehold on Atlanta by going up 2-0, and they have Clayton Kershaw on the mound to try and do so.
The 2018 season certainly wasn’t Kershaw’s best, although it was still a strong campaign. In 26 starts, the 30-year-old went 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA, 3.19 FIP and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 155 and walking 29 in 161.1 innings.
Kershaw has pitched in 11 NLDS games (10 starts) in his career, going 4-3 while posting a 4.18 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Two of those starts were in 2013 against the Braves when he gave up just one run in 13 innings.
Kershaw has also dominated the Braves in the regular season in his career, going 4-0 with a 1.43 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 10 starts.
The Braves also send a veteran to the mound in Anibal Sanchez. The right-hander pitched in 25 games (24 starts) in 2018, posting a 7-6 record to go along with a 2.83 ERA, 3.62 FIP and 1.08 WHIP with 135 strikeouts and 42 walks in 136.2 innings.
Sanchez has had postseason success in the past, yielding a 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 38.2 career playoff innings. His last October appearance came in 2014 with the Detroit Tigers.
The Dodgers faced Sanchez twice this season, first in Los Angeles on June 9 when he allowed three hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings en route to a victory, and then again on July 26 in Atlanta. They got to him for five runs (four earned) in 6.1 innings at SunTrust Park, pegging him with a loss.
Manny Machado struggled in his Dodgers postseason debut, but he has worn out Sanchez in his career, going 7-for-15 with three home runs against him. Max Muncy homered in Game 1 of the season, and also took Sanchez deep when he faced him earlier in the year.
Nick Markakis is the lone Braves player who has had success off Kershaw in his career, although it is in a small sample size. Markakis is 4-for-9 (.444 batting average), while Freddie Freeman is 4-for-19 (.211) with a home run and Ender Inciarte is 5-for-17 (.292).
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
SS: Manny Machado
RF: Yasiel Puig
CF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Yasmani Grandal
P: Clayton Kershaw
Braves lineup:
LF: Ronald Acuña Jr.
3B: Johan Camargo
1B: Freddie Freeman
RF: Nick Markakis
C: Kurt Suzuki
2B: Ozzie Albies
CF: Ender Inciarte
SS: Charlie Culberson
P: Anibal Sánchez
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