Nate Springfield
The National League Central and the Playoffs
Saturday October 1st, 2011
Braun and Fielder have a chance to take the Brewers far (Icon SMI)
In 2009 the NL Central champs fell again to the Dodgers, when Los Angeles swept the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2010, the Cincinnati Reds lost three straight to the Philadephia Phillies. That would make the previous three teams that have won the NL Central Division over the past four year zero and twelve in the playoffs.
This season's champions, the Milwaukee Brewers, added to the division's recently terrible playoff record in 2008 when as the National League Wild Card team, they were swept in the NLDS by the Philadelphia Phillies. Including this performance, the NL Central has a record of zero and fifteen in the playoffs since the Cardinals 2006 World Series championship campaign.
This season, the NL Central has a chance to redeem itself by sending two teams to the playoffs. The aforementioned champions, Milwaukee Brewers, and the 2011 NL Wild Card winner, St. Louis Cardinals. In the divisional series, the Cardinals will be facing the Philadelphia Phillies, who own the best record in the National League, and the Brewers will be squaring off against the National League West champion Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the matchups being what they are, it seems unlikely that the NL Central will go zero-for-six in the playoffs this season. The Brewers strong starting pitchers and effective bullpen makes them capable of winning at least one game, if not the series, against an offensive talented Diamondbacks team. The Cardinals have a tougher opponent in the Phillies, but have won six out of the nine games when the two teams faced each other this season, hitting for a .275 batting average with a .748 on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) against Philadelphia's current pitching staff. Along with how well the Cardinals have played in September, their starting pitchers have been able to hold the Phillies offense in check, as well as being able to beat Phillies four best starting pitchers.
No matter what the outcome of the two divisional series, a team from the NL Central will have more chances to win a game than any team from the NL East or West, but at the same time, they will have more chances to lose a game as well.
This season's champions, the Milwaukee Brewers, added to the division's recently terrible playoff record in 2008 when as the National League Wild Card team, they were swept in the NLDS by the Philadelphia Phillies. Including this performance, the NL Central has a record of zero and fifteen in the playoffs since the Cardinals 2006 World Series championship campaign.
This season, the NL Central has a chance to redeem itself by sending two teams to the playoffs. The aforementioned champions, Milwaukee Brewers, and the 2011 NL Wild Card winner, St. Louis Cardinals. In the divisional series, the Cardinals will be facing the Philadelphia Phillies, who own the best record in the National League, and the Brewers will be squaring off against the National League West champion Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the matchups being what they are, it seems unlikely that the NL Central will go zero-for-six in the playoffs this season. The Brewers strong starting pitchers and effective bullpen makes them capable of winning at least one game, if not the series, against an offensive talented Diamondbacks team. The Cardinals have a tougher opponent in the Phillies, but have won six out of the nine games when the two teams faced each other this season, hitting for a .275 batting average with a .748 on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) against Philadelphia's current pitching staff. Along with how well the Cardinals have played in September, their starting pitchers have been able to hold the Phillies offense in check, as well as being able to beat Phillies four best starting pitchers.
No matter what the outcome of the two divisional series, a team from the NL Central will have more chances to win a game than any team from the NL East or West, but at the same time, they will have more chances to lose a game as well.
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