The day off on Sunday in the two NLDS, despite it not being a travel day, may have been a little bit of a bummer for baseball fans: I certainly would have enjoyed four games on Sunday. But then again, that would mean we had no games Monday.
Throughout this postseason, I’ll be previewing the next day’s action, game-by-game, with the major storyline for each team from each one. Here’s what to watch from each team on Monday.
NLDS Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies (LAD up 1-0)
6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
SP: Blake Snell (LAD) vs. Jesús Luzardo (PHI)
Dodgers: Is Will Smith ready to go?
Were you a little bit surprised to see Smith come off the bench and catch five innings in Game 1? I was. The Dodgers had obviously been hoping that keeping him out of action for the Wild Card Series would give him enough rest to be back, but the rumblings leading into the NLDS made it sound like he might not quite be at that point. And yet there he was, catching the final five innings and looking like he might be able to catch more. Could that mean starting Game 2?
The only real downside of having Shohei Ohtani on your team — and you’re obviously slicing the ham pretty thin to find much of any downside — is that he doesn’t play the field, which means he has to be your DH. That means players like Smith, who can hit but wasn’t up for being behind the plate, don’t have the option of being a DH, taking the Dodgers’ second-best hitter out of the lineup. If Smith is back and able to catch in Game 2, the Dodgers’ lineup lengthens considerably, particularly with the Phillies having the lefty Jesús Luzardo on the mound.
Phillies: Can they get to Snell? And will that be enough?
Heading into Game 1, Ohtani had given up just one run in his previous 19 2/3 innings on the mound, which is a pretty impressive thing to do even when you’re not hitting homers all the time. And then the Phillies went out and scored three runs off him in the second inning in front of a typically raucous Citizens Bank Park. It was basically the best-case scenario for the Phillies, which made their 5-3 loss — a loss in which their much-improved bullpen brought back ugly memories from postseasons past — hurt that much more.
And now they’re facing Snell … who has given up three runs in his last 26 innings. He’s also the one Dodgers pitcher who is pitching deep into games right now, which, combined with the extra day off, could allow the Dodgers not to have to dig into the softer part of their bullpen. (There’s a non-zero possibility that the Phillies only face Snell and the extremely-dominant-right-now Roki Sasaki in this game.) This is also complicated by the fact that a notably left-handed Phillies lineup might not have Harrison Bader, whose career OPS is a full 70 points higher against lefties. (He’s still a game-time decision with a groin injury.) And if they can even get a lead, are we sure they trust their ‘pen to hold it right now?
NLDS Game 2: Cubs at Brewers (MIL up 1-0)
9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
SP: Shota Imanaga (CHC) vs. Aaron Ashby (MIL)
Brewers: What’s the deal with Jackson Chourio?
You can be forgiven if you were a little confused as to Chourio’s status in the wake of him being pulled after going 3-for-3 in Game 1. Chourio was very chill about the whole thing: “Compared to the last time that this happened, I feel like I’m in a very good position,” Chourio said via interpreter Daniel de Mondesert. Manager Pat Murphy, however, struck a different tone: “Obviously, it’s real scary,” Murphy said. “Could be devastating.” An MRI Sunday didn’t clear much up, but, suffice it to say, there actually might be no more important player for the Brewers not to lose than Chourio.
The 21-year-old’s talent is overwhelming, and while he has the inconsistency you might expect from a young player, before his injury in August, he’d had a 1.000 OPS for a full month. That’s the guy it sure looked like who had shown up for October until this latest injury occurred. Chourio gives this team the high-ceiling upside it sorta lacks otherwise. It would be a little bit of an upset to see him back for Game 2, as much as the Brewers need him. If he does come back, you worry about him exacerbating the injury and putting the rest of his postseason at stake. But how long can the Brewers really afford to be without him right now?
Cubs: Can they use the extra day off to their advantage?
It felt like the NLDS got started before the Cubs were quite ready, no? The grueling, stressful Wild Card Series with the Padres left them without a logical starter for Game 1, pushing them into starting Matthew Boyd on short rest, a decision that did not turn out well. There might not necessarily have been a right answer for manager Craig Counsell there, but the nice thing about having the extra day off between Games 1 and 2 is that there’s no need to rush anything anymore. Everyone can start on full rest, specifically Imanaga, who doesn’t need an opener for this one. The extra day also gives Kyle Tucker another day to heal, plus the whole team gets a day to catch its breath.
The Brewers have the best record in baseball, but they’re also under .500 since Aug. 31. They’re a streaky team, which is to say they’re kind of a vibes team. When things are cruising for them, like they were after Game 1, it can seem like they will never lose. Which is exactly when they don’t want a day off. The Brewers dominated Game 1. That won’t stop a Game 2 loss from making this series a split and putting the Cubs very much in the driver’s seat.
