
"As they worked out at Dodger Stadium, two days after winning their National League Division Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, they had Game 5 of the other NLDS on the scoreboard - getting a first look at their NL Championship Series opponent. "It's certainly nice to be able to get a couple days to reset, prepare, and we're kind of doing our due diligence," manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday afternoon. "We'll have that game on the big board.""
"The Brewers' $143-million payroll this year was less than 20 other teams in Major League Baseball - including the historically bad Colorado Rockies - and almost one-third the size of the Dodgers. That meant, in lieu of star talent and potent offensive weapons, the Brewers had to build their team around playing a particular brand of baseball. And on offense, where they were third in the majors in scoring this year, that led them to go all-in on a small-ball approach."
Dodgers used their off-days to reset and watched the Brewers' Game 5 win as they prepared for the NLCS opener at American Family Field. Dodgers had not yet named a Game 1 starter or finalized the NLCS roster before the matchup was set. The Brewers earned the NLCS berth with a 3-1 win that set up a Monday opener. Milwaukee operated on a $143-million payroll, far below most teams and much smaller than the Dodgers. The Brewers emphasized small-ball offense: high batting average (.258), many walks, few strikeouts, low chase and whiff rates, and aggressive base stealing. Only 33% of their runs scored came via big flies.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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