Dodgers: Which AL Team Do the Dodgers Match Up Best With?
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All rise, for the final verdict. The Yankees and Aaron Judge are the tougher matchup for the Dodgers than the Houston Astros. While the Dodgers will likely have to beat Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel twice, the other factors work in the Dodgers favor. The Dodgers appear set to grind out their at-bats and get the starting pitcher out of the game early. This would not be an effective strategy against the Yankees. The Yankees bullpen is very tough, so even if the Dodgers get the Yankee starters out of the game, they would be rewarded with one of the best bullpens in baseball.
The Astros team reminds me of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just as the Diamondbacks have Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray, the Astros have Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel. If the Dodgers drive up the pitch count for Verlander and Keuchel like they have all post-season, they would have a much easier time facing off against the Astros bullpen. The Astros bullpen is not playoff tested and could struggle to nail down late outs against the Dodgers.
While both lineups feature plenty of power, the Astros lineup has had a few holes in it this October. Bregman, McCann, Reddick, and Marwin Gonzalez have all hit below .200 this post-season. For the Yankees, they have some pop at the bottom of their lineup in Greg Bird and Starlin Castro. Not to mention while both AL ballparks have small fences, the Yankees stadium has seen balls that look like routine fly balls end up as home runs. Regardless of who ends up winning the AL the Dodgers will be in for a battle if they want to end their World Series drought. Dodger fans should be rooting for the Astros on Saturday as they are the better matchup for the Dodgers.