Dodgers: Takeaways from a game one victory in the NLDS

Left-handed sluggers will fuel the Dodger offense this series

Patrick Corbin shut down the Dodgers’ lineup and most of the damage against him was self inflicted by issuing too many walks including a walk to Max Muncy with the bases loaded.  A.J. Pollock, David Freese, and Justin Turner combined to go 1-12 in the series opener but the left-handed sluggers on the team broke the game open late.

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Max Muncy was the primary catalyst for the Dodgers drawing first blood with an RBI walk in the first inning.  He drove in three runs for the Dodgers on Thursday.  Joc Pederson and Gavin Lux both delivered home runs in their only at-bats and they were the hardest hits of the game.

Joc’s home run went 114.9 MPH while Lux’s homer went 108 MPH.  Lux also became the youngest Dodger ever to homer in a postseason game.  Both Lux and Pederson should be in the lineup for the next two games as the Dodgers will face two right-handed starters in Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer.

The Dodgers won what will likely be their worst match-up of the series against the lefty Corbin who has had their number since his Diamondback days.  Now the Dodgers will face right-handed starting pitching which plays into the strength of their lineup which is their left-handed sluggers.

Tonight the Dodgers will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead behind the arm of Clayton Kershaw and the bats of Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, and Joc Pederson.