Updated: October 16, 3:23 AM ET Five questions: Atlanta-Arizona By Tim Kurkjian ESPN The Magazine If you like 2-1 and 3-2 games, this series is definitely for you. It's the Diamondbacks and Braves, dueling Cy Youngs, in the National League Championship Series. The only downside is that the brilliant Curt Schilling was so busy carrying his team past the Cardinals in the Division Series, he won't start until Game 3. Otherwise, this series can't miss. Here are five questions.
1. How good is Arizona's starting pitching? Schilling has become one of the best postseason pitchers in recent history. He was one pitch away (how did J.D. Drew hit that ball out with that swing anyway?) from joining Whitey Ford and Christy Mathewson as the only pitchers to throw three straight shutouts in postseason play. Randy Johnson's seven straight losses marks the longest postseason losing streak in history, but he's capable of changing that with a 15-strikeout shutout. Game 2 starter Miguel Batista, a published poet who quotes Walt Whitman and Tom Seaver in the same sentence, pitched very well to win Game 3 against St. Louis. They'll need something much better from probable Game 4 starter Albie Lopez, who was awful in Game 4 against St. Louis. Remember, Lopez was 9-19 this year in the regular season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lopez was the only pitcher ever to start a postseason game in a season in which he finished 10 games under .500. The only other pitcher to start a postseason game with at least 19 losses was George Mullin in 1907. He lost 20 games -- and won 20 -- that year. If the D-Backs get behind in this series, look for Johnson to come back on short rest to pitch Game 4.
2. How much better is Atlanta's bullpen than Arizona's?
3. Can the Braves score enough runs to win? They're hoping that Javy Lopez's left ankle has healed enough to put him on the roster for the NLCS. They need all the offensive help they can get. The Braves have never been a great offensive club in their 10-year run in the postseason, and this year is no exception. A lot of the load will go to Chipper Jones, who is up to the task, especially against Johnson. He has six home runs in 21 career at-bats against the Big Unit. That's ties (along with Shane Reynolds) for his most homers off any pitcher.
4. Can the Diamondbacks score enough runs to win?
5. What does the season series tell us? Greg Maddux, the Braves' Game 1 starter was 0-2 in two starts against the Diamondbacks and allowed 21 hits and 13 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. The D-Backs put the hit-and-run on 11 times in the two games against Maddux, so look for them to be just as aggressive on the bases this time around. Tom Glavine, the Game 2 starter, pitched well in his only start, but not as well as John Burkett, the Game 3 starter, who threw a shutout in his only start. Since all three Atlanta starters will be going on six days' rest, and since the Braves' bullpen is so deep, Cox says he's strongly considering going with three starters. Arizona pitched very well in the seven games against Atlanta, holding the Braves to a .225 batting average. Schilling threw seven shutout innings. Johnson lost his only start, but pitched well (12 K's). Mark Grace batted .435 against the Braves and Steve Finley hit .393. Former Brave Reggie Sanders, who got some big hits in the Division Series, was 4-for-22 with no RBI, no walks and seven strikeouts against his old team. There will be plenty of players struggling at the plate in this series. Diamondbacks in seven Tim Kurkjian is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a regular contributor to Baseball Tonight. |
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