Dodgers get 1 wild break and 1 slight advantage vs Brewers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are mired in scary hours at the moment — and not of the James Harden variety.

Despite incredible (and almost impossible) dramatics on Wednesday night, the San Francisco Giants simply won’t lose. Los Angeles has one of the most dominant second-half records in the game since the arrival of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, and still … nothing. It’s like trying to chase down a military freighter for the NL West.

If the Dodgers have any chance of pulling a miracle this weekend, they’re going to need a little help from a pair of their enemies.

The San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers both have the opportunity to help lift LA into the lead this weekend. After having their heads bashed in by the Dodgers’ bats late, we don’t think they’ll be terribly game to tear into the Giants.

But the Brew Crew? They’re arriving at Dodger Stadium this weekend at a level below their strongest, for one normal reason and one absolutely insane one.

First and foremost, their bullpen will be weakened because Devin Williams, owner of the Airbender, broke his pitching hand punching a wall in anger … after the team’s NL Central clinch.

The Dodgers have two key advantages against the Brewers this weekend.

What made him angry, you think? Someone bring up how the Cardinals have turned indestructible overnight, overshadowing the entirety of Milwaukee’s incredible season?

Regardless of how it happened, it never should’ve happened, and the Crew is now reeling in the back end of their bullpen ahead of Josh Hader. Worst of all for Milwaukee, they had somehow managed Williams’ innings perfectly, leaving him rested and prepared for the postseason; he’d pitched only 54 this year, racking up a remarkable 87 strikeouts in the process.

On the business side of things, LA also picks up a pitching matchup advantage as the end of the season looms. Already assured of an NLDS berth, the Brewers won’t be conducting a major shakeup or realignment of their rotation in order to breathe fire at the Dodgers.

Corbin Burnes still starts on Saturday — and he might very well be the NL Cy Young after Max Scherzer tripped and fell in his past two starts — but Brandon Woodruff likely won’t appear in this series as he awaits a postseason assignment, and fellow All-Star Freddy Peralta might not either.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell claims he’s leaning towards getting him some innings, but Sunday’s start is empty, and Friday’s belongs to Eric Lauer, no slouch (7-3, 2.93, 114 Ks in 113.2 innings), but not quite the same caliber.

In order to knock on the Giants’ door with so little time remaining, the Dodgers will need every break in the book this weekend, including some that are very much out of their control.

At the very least, these small rotation tweaks represent a miniature white flag, and the Williams absence represents a man punching through a wooden door for no reason.

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