Yamamoto And Dodgers Will Take Final Game Against Braves

Dodgers vs. Braves, 7:20 ET

With all of the football it has given me a bit of a break from baseball, but that doesn't mean I've stopped paying attention. This series we have here is a potential playoff matchup and battle between two teams that still have something to play for and some things to figure out. Could you imagine playing 162 games and missing the playoffs by a game or two? That has to be a really frustrating feeling for the entire franchise. Tonight, we look at a game between the Dodgers and the Braves, both teams looking to finalize their playoff positioning. 

The Dodgers are going to make the playoffs, that's not the issue. For them the question is more about if they will keep the top stop in the NL West and give them the division crown. For the National League as a whole, the Dodgers are also a game behind the Phillies for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Brewers are slightly behind the Dodgers as well for the final bye spot in the playoffs. In other words, even though they are virtually assured of a playoff spot, they will want to win and secure one of the top two spots. Their pitching staff is questionable at best with injuries, so the added rest could help. Tonight they send out one guy they will need to rely on, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has looked good at 6-2 with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.  He has made just one start since returning from the injured list, but it was nice. He went four innings and allowed just three hits, one unearned run, and struck out eight hitters. He hasn't faced the Braves this season, but has pitched very well on the road this season, allowing just eight earned runs over 34.2 innings. 

Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried pitches against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park in Georgia. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

The Braves are in a different spot than the Dodgers. They need to keep winning in order to get into the playoffs. If the season was over, they would be on the outside looking in, or potentially facing the Mets in a one-game playoff for the final Wild Card spot. I've said this before, but the Braves even being in this spot is a testament to how good this team is. With injuries to one of their best pitchers, and injuries to Ronald Acuna Jr. that cost them the entire season, other guys had to step up. But, it wasn't just those two guys that missed extended time. Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley both missed some time. Either way, they still have the likely Cy Young winner in Chris Sale. They have a guy that played like an MVP in Marcell Ozuna. They now need to find a way to overcome the Mets and grab that final Wild Card spot. Max Fried is going to put his effort there tonight against the Dodgers. Fried has put together a nice campaign, going 9-9 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. July and August weren't great for him with him bringing an ERA north of four runs in both months. In two September starts, Fried has one start where he went seven innings with no earned runs, and another where he allowed four earned runs in six innings. He faced the Dodgers once this season, going seven innings and allowing four earned with two homers in that game. 

I'm not sure how long Yamamoto will pitch in this game, but it will likely be somewhere between 60-80 pitches which could get him through another four or five innings. The Braves were able to take the first two games of the series and then lost yesterday. A win here could go a long way. All of the games have seen at least eight earned runs, but I don't feel overly confident that we are going to get there today. Instead, I'm going to back the Dodgers to take the series finale here at -120. 

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