The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the National League Championship Series for a third consecutive season following Monday night’s 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta thanks in part to two home runs and 4 RBI from Manny Machado.

The Atlanta Braves arrived in the Postseason a year early and had absolutely nothing to lose going into the playoffs and everything to gain. While the Braves were playing with house money, the Los Angeles Dodgers came in looking for blood after failing to win a championship after six consecutive division titles. The Braves were quickly dismantled by their National League counterparts and after being shutout in their first two games and losing by scores of 6-0 and 3-0 before winning their first and only game of the series 6-5 backed by a Ronald Acuna grand slam and a Freddie Freeman solo shot.

Things appeared to be looking up for the Braves in the NLDS, and after going up 2-1 on a Kurt Suzuki two-RBI single after Machado put the Dodgers up 1-0 with a solo smash, but alas, the Dodgers were not about to lose two in a row to the youngest team in baseball and after David Freese knocked in two runs on a single and Manny Machado hit a 3-run home run later on in the game, the Braves season was all but over.

While this was a great learning experience for Atlanta and they will get many more chances in the future, postseason losses are never easy to swallow and the Braves will have to come back with a chip on their shoulder in 2019. As for the Dodgers, they are now going to play the Brewers for a chance to play in the World Series after losing the Series to the Astros in 2017.

Neither Daryll or I picked the Dodgers to win this series and that means that neither of us loses or gains any ground.

Giuseppe – 4

Daryll – 3