If the Milwaukee Brewers are to take a 1-0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League championship series, the offensive will have to run at full throttle since the first pitch.

That's because one of the best throwers in the major leagues for most of the past decade – southpaw Clayton Kershaw – will take the mound off six days of rest after the Dodgers propelled the Atlanta Braves into the series NL Division.

Thirty-year-old Kershaw arrives at Miller Park after throwing off an uncommon shuttlecock game, an eight-run, two-shot offside game in the second game, in which he defeated three goals in a 3-game victory. -0 against the Braves. at the Dodger stadium.

A combined back injury and arm injury limited Kershaw to 26 regular season starts – his second record since his rookie season in 2008 – but he was still solid with a 9-5 record, an average of 2.73, a WHIP of 1.04 and 155 strikeouts at 161 1/3.

His 26 starts were second on the Dodgers behind the 33 left-handed Alex Wood, but the totals of his sleeve and attack led the team. It could be said that right-hand rookie Walker Buehler was the best pitcher of the team in the past two months, but Kershaw's presence is undeniable.

"It's a big challenge," said Craig Counsell, whose Brewers beat Kershaw at Miller Park in his first game as manager in 2015.

"Their start is very good, so it's a challenge against a good start, the execution is more valuable because you do not think you have so many opportunities." is true every time you face a good throw.

"That, of course, will be a key, but at the same time, the circuits at home are winning these games.Circuits at home are still a big part of these games.You do not have to organize big exchanges if you can, take a walk and a two-legged tour.

"It's hard to run long rallies against good shots, the only possible mistake is the one that's going to happen in many ways, but we have to have good assets and break through in one way or another." other."

Despite all his successes in the regular season, Kershaw has not been so dominant in the playoffs.

In 25 career appearances (20 starts), Kershaw is 8-7 with a save and 142 strikeouts in 130 innings. His eight-run start against the Braves last week was his longest playoff run and ranks as one of his best.

"His numbers speak for themselves," said Curtis Granderson, of Brewers, who faced Kershaw in a limited way while he spent most of his career in the American League ahead of see Kershaw again every day when he was traded to the Dodgers at the end of last season. for a playoff race that has turned out just short in the world series.

"Looking at him as a teammate, it's no different to play against him.He is a competitor, he takes on his guys and gives his team a very good opportunity to win. .

"Everyone is focused on (the playoffs), but the sample size is so small at the same time.If a guy plays good or bad in playoffs, it should not necessarily set his career."

Kershaw started twice against the Brewers this season and had mixed results. He is 1-1 with an average of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.17, and has pulled out 12 of his 12 innings.

On July 21 at Miller Park, he allowed one run on three hits in the first five innings. Ryan Braun caught the receiver's interference and scored Keon Broxton's goal in the second.

The Brewers then went to Kershaw for another three points in sixth to take control of the match as Milwaukee won 4-2.

Christian Yelich dominated sixth place with a series of home shots, while Braun doubled and scored after Manny Piña scored on a Max Muncy error, and then Piña scored on a Broxton triple.

Kershaw resumed the game against the Brewers 12 days later and played a role in what was easily the worst defeat of the season for Milwaukee – and one of the worst in franchise history. It 's also produced in the wake of a defeat without a fight the night before.

The 21-5 win was a debacle almost from the start and was without a doubt the worst outing of the season for the Ace of the workforce, Jhoulys Chacín, who conceded nine points (eight earned), four goals and three circuits in a 4 1/3 output. .

Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam in the third to break the house and allow Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to lift Kershaw after six innings. He allowed five hits, two runs and two walks with seven strikeouts, Yelich's double.

The game was so out of control that Counsell did not have to pick a player but a two-position player – Hernán Pérez, who was hit by six hits and five points in a seventh of nine innings for Los Angeles, and Erik Kratz, who threw an eighth without blemish.

The Dodgers scored a total of seven homers in the match. The 21 points were the highest at Dodger Stadium and the most allowed by the Brewers. The losing margin of 16 points was the second largest in the history of the franchise.

"You've just dumped it," said second-baseman Jonathan Schoop, who had just joined the Brewers earlier in the series after being acquired via a timely transaction within the Baltimore Orioles.

"A short memory is better, even when you win, you take it out and come back tomorrow, the games we were playing two months ago, you do not really pay attention to it. present, get ready.

"We know they're good, they know we're good, we're going to do a good run."

In addition to a solid rotation anchored by Kershaw and Buehler (8-5, 2.62), Los Angeles has a strong Kenley Jansen-powered puck (38 saves) and a powerful offensive that hit the second goal of the greater leagues (235).

Manny Machado, who joined the Dodgers early in their three-game series at Miller Park on July 20, hit .273 with 13 homers and 42 points in 66 regular-season games.

Machado strikes just 0.176 in the playoffs but leads the Dodgers with two homers and six RBIs.

"It's different because it's a playoff series and everything will obviously be handled differently," Counsell said to the question of how different the two teams were, if at all, a little more than two months later.

"It's a good team and there have been good games in the seven games we've played in. We know what to expect, we've played both sets in the second half, so there's Not so long ago, a similar staff on both sides, really. "