Renee: Shohei Ohtani threw 30 pitches in live batting practice on Saturday, and the Dodgers are heading to Atlanta with the best record in baseball. But is the rotation ready for a pennant race?
Joel: That's the question on every Dodgers fan's mind. And we're going to break it all down.
Renee: Welcome back to Beatline, Dodgers fans! I'm Renee, and as always, I'm joined by the sharpest mind in the game, Joel. Joel, the boys just swept the Pirates with a 4-0 shutout on Sunday, but now they're flying east to face the Braves. What's on the menu today?
Joel: We've got a big preview. First, we'll break down the pitching probables for the Atlanta series. Then, we'll dive into the key hitters and the bullpen questions, especially with Glasnow, Miller, and Treinen on the 60-day IL. And finally, we'll give you the keys to the series and a bold prediction.
Renee: Let's get into it. The Dodgers are 80-51, leading the NL West by a comfortable margin, but the Braves are always a tough test. Stick with us.
Renee: Alright, Joel, first up: the series. The Dodgers just swept the Pirates, outscoring them 12-3 in the three games. Now they head to Truist Park to face a Braves team that's been hot. What do we know about the pitching matchups?
Joel: Well, the opener on Tuesday is going to be a marquee matchup. The Dodgers are sending Blake Snell to the mound, and the Braves haven't announced their starter yet, but you have to think it's going to be a tough one.
Renee: Snell has been dominant since coming over. He's got a 2.89 ERA with 145 strikeouts. But the Braves are a different beast at home. What's the key for him?
Joel: The key is first-pitch strikes. If Snell can get ahead early, he can use that devastating curveball to put hitters away. But Atlanta's lineup is patient, so he's got to be efficient.
Renee: And what about the rest of the rotation? We've got Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto lined up for the rest of the series, right?
Joel: Exactly. Sasaki has been electric, but he's still learning to pitch deep into games. He's averaging just over five innings per start, but he's got a 3.21 ERA. Yamamoto, on the other hand, has been the stopper. He's got a 2.98 ERA and he's been going seven innings regularly.
Renee: It's a good problem to have, but it's a lot of pressure on those guys with Glasnow and Miller out. Remember, we said yesterday that the rotation was going to be the difference in this series against the Pirates, and it was. Skubal had that rough first inning, but then he settled in and struck out 11. That's the kind of resilience this staff needs.
Joel: Absolutely. And that's why I'm not too worried about the Braves. The Dodgers have the best rotation in baseball, even with the injuries. It's the bullpen that's the bigger question mark.
Renee: We'll get to the bullpen in a minute. But first, let's talk about the Braves' offense. They've got a lot of power, but they also strike out a lot. How does that play into the Dodgers' game plan?
Joel: The Braves are a boom-or-bust lineup. If the Dodgers can keep the ball in the yard, they've got a great chance. But if they make mistakes over the plate, Atlanta will make them pay. That's why Snell's ability to miss bats is so important.
Renee: Alright, we're going to take a quick break. But when we come back, we're going to talk about the hitters who need to step up, and the bullpen concerns that are starting to creep in. Stick with us.
Renee: Welcome back. We're talking about the Dodgers' upcoming series against the Braves. Joel, let's dive into the key hitters. Mookie Betts has been on fire lately. He hit that walk-off homer against the Pirates on Friday, and he's been carrying the offense.
Joel: Mookie's been incredible, no doubt. He's hitting .312 with 28 homers and 85 RBIs. He's the engine of this lineup. But the guy I'm watching is Kyle Tucker. He's been heating up at the right time, and he's got the power to change a game in one swing.
Renee: Tucker had a big series against the Pirates, didn't he? I think he had a couple of hits and a homer. He's been a huge addition to this lineup.
Joel: For sure. He's hitting .280 with 22 homers and 70 RBIs, and he's been clutch. But the guy who's been struggling a bit is Freddie Freeman. He's only hitting .250 with 15 homers, and he's been in a bit of a slump. We need him to get going if we're going to make a deep run.
Renee: Freeman's been a consistent performer for years, so I'm not too worried. But speaking of concerns, let's talk about the bullpen. We've got Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, and Alex Vesia, but we're missing Blake Treinen. How concerning is that?
Joel: It's a concern, but it's not panic time. Scott has been dominant as the closer, with 22 saves and a 1.85 ERA. Phillips has been solid in the setup role, and Vesia's been good against lefties. The bigger issue is the middle innings. We're relying on guys like Cole Irvin and Eric Lauer to eat innings, and they've been inconsistent.
Renee: And don't forget Edwin Diaz. He's been tinkering with his arm angle while on the IL, and he's expected to fight for the closer role when he comes back. That's a good problem to have, but it's a lot of moving parts.
Joel: Exactly. And we've got to keep an eye on Shohei Ohtani. He threw 30 pitches in live batting practice on Saturday, and while there's no timeline for his return to the mound, he's still hitting. And he's been doing it all year, even with the elbow issues. He's hitting .305 with 38 homers and 90 RBIs.
Renee: That's insane. He's a one-man wrecking crew. But let's not forget about the injuries. We've got Glasnow, Miller, Treinen, and Casparius all on the 60-day IL. That's a lot of firepower missing from the pitching staff.
Joel: It's a lot, but the front office did a great job bringing in Skubal and Lauer. Skubal has been exactly what we needed, and Lauer's been a solid depth piece. The rotation is still strong.
Renee: And the defense has been solid too. Mookie's been playing shortstop, Tommy Edman's at second, and Max Muncy's at third. That's a solid infield. The outfield has Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez, and Alek Thomas. That's a lot of range.
Joel: Defense wins championships, and this team is built to win. The Braves are going to be a tough test, but I think we have the edge. We just need to execute.
Renee: Alright, we're going to take another quick break. When we come back, we'll give you the keys to the series and make our bold prediction. Don't go anywhere.
Renee: Welcome back. We're in the final segment of the show. Joel, give us the keys to the series against the Braves.
Joel: The first key is to get to their bullpen early. The Braves' starter is going to be tough, but if we can work the count and get him out by the sixth, we've got a great chance against their relief corps.
Renee: The second key is to keep the ball in the yard. The Braves lead the league in home runs, and if we give up the long ball, it's going to be a long series.
Joel: And the third key is to get production from the bottom of the lineup. We can't rely on Mookie and Tucker every night. Guys like Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas need to get on base and create opportunities.
Renee: And what about the bullpen? How do we manage that?
Joel: We need to be aggressive with our usage. If we have a lead in the seventh, we can't be afraid to go to Scott for a four-out save. But we also need to trust our guys in the middle innings. It's a balancing act.
Renee: Alright, time for the bold prediction. Joel, what do you got?
Joel: I'm going to say that Mookie Betts hits a home run in game one of the series, and the Dodgers win the series two games to one. And I'm going to predict that Kyle Tucker has a monster series, hitting two homers and driving in five runs.
Renee: I like that. I'm going to say that the Dodgers take all three games, and that Shohei Ohtani hits a walk-off homer in the series finale. That would be a statement.
Joel: That's bold, but I love it. If Ohtani does that, the city's going to erupt.
Renee: That's all for today's episode. We've covered the pitching matchups, the key hitters, the bullpen concerns, and made our predictions. Remember to subscribe, rate, review, and share this podcast with your fellow Dodgers fans.
Joel: And don't forget to check back tomorrow for our post-game recap. Until then, go Dodgers!
Renee: Go Dodgers! See you next time.