Three reasons the Brewers and Dodgers will win in NLDS

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The teams with the two best records in the National League in the second half, the Brewers and Rockies, now play in the division series. Neither one has ever won the World Series. Both beat the Cubs on the road this week. Both are on a serious roll, with one major difference: The Brewers would be working on a rock, the Rockies needed 13 innings – the longest winner-take-all game in the postseason history – and nearly five hours of wild card baseball to get to this round.

Brewers' bullpen: It is the hottest one in the game right now. Their bullpen ERA in September / October is 1.98. Corey Knebel, with that four-seam fastball riding, has three walks and 33 strikeouts since the beginning of September; he has the second-best strikeout That best belongs to teammate Josh Hader, who struck out nearly 50 percent of the batters he faced; only Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel (twice) have a higher strikeout percentage in any season in history. Hader had 143 strikeouts, most by any reliever since Brad Lidge in 2004. Closer Jeremy Jeffress had a 1.29 ERA in 73 appearances; Eric Gagne and Ted Abernathy are the only pitchers to post an ERA that's low in a season of 70 appearances. The Brewers are nearly unbeatable when they lead after six innings, and have Knebel, Hader and Jeffress lined up.

Christian Yelich: He is going to win the NL MVP. He has made this team to 96 wins and a division title with a fabulous second half, and he got so many great hits, especially when they were needed most. "How can anyone be this great?" Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "They have been so good, we can not understand them. Brewers infielder Travis Shaw said, "Yellie's beat-to-ball skills are better than any player I've played with." Yelich has so many hits on the barrel this year, when he has broken down six seasons (which is remarkably low). But the Brewers are more than just Yelich. They hit the second-most home runs in the NL. Shaw hit 32 homers. Ryan Braun had a great September. Lorenzo Cain has solidified the leadoff spot with an OBP of .402. "This team reminds me of the Royals' championship team with the way we pitch out of the bullpen and the way we play defense," said Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas, who was a member of that Kansas City squad. "But the one thing that this team has the Royals did not like that was as great as Yellie."

Defense: The Brewers have had one Gold Glove winner – Carlos Gomez in 2013 – since Robin Yount in 1982. Yet, they have really upgraded their defense. only the Diamondbacks had more defensive runs saved. Cain has made a huge difference in center field, so has Moustakas and Yelich, and Orlando Arcia is a magician at shortstop. But a difference made by Counsell, who played 15 years in the big leagues mainly because of his defense. Counsell is the rare, if not the only manager who carries a glove around with him during every day of the day, another reminder of the importance of defense.

One reason I will be completely wrong

The Rockies are rolling: They won 10 of their past 12 games. They played the three games in three different time zones, under intense pressure, and won two of them. "I love this team, nothing phases us," Bud Black said. They can beat you so many ways, mostly with the power of Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story, and now David Dahl, who hit the house by August, but nine in September. Arenado and Story anchor an excellent infield defense, which helped win the wild-card game against the Cubs. But the biggest difference in the Rockies is their bullpen; since Sept. 1, it has posted the second-best ERA in the NL to the Brewers. Adam Ottavino, Seunghwan Oberg and Oberg have thrown up a lot of zeroes lately, including in the wild-card game, getting closer to the ball Wade Davis.

Three reasons the Dodgers will beat the Braves

Los Angeles and Atlanta are 2,000 miles apart, and have been the expectations of these teams going into the 2018 season. The Dodgers have been determined to win the World Series for the first time since 1988, not losing in Game 7 as they did last year. The Braves were hoping to get to the corner, then turn it in and contend in 2019. Instead, the Dodgers needed to win a tiebreaker to clinch their sixth straight National League West title, and the Braves, from nowhere, won the NL East. Now these two teams, from different directions, meet in the NLDS.

Power: Teams win these days by hitting the ball out of the ballpark. The Dodgers hit the most home runs, 235, in the NL this year. They hit more homer than any team in Dodgers history. Late in the season, they hit a home run in 23 straight games, tying a club record. They have hitters from 1-8 in the order that can go deep. They had 10 players with at least 13 home runs. They were at least 20 years old, and they were very good, they were playing games where they had 100 home runs sitting on the bench. There is no escaping the Dodgers' power.

Starting pitching: Clayton Kershaw, on full rest for Game 1, is not the Clayton Kershaw of old after battling various injuries, including back again, the past three years. But he is still a very, very good pitcher. He had a 2.73 ERA this year, a 1.04 WHIP and struck out nearly a batter per inning. His postseason numbers are famously a-Kershaw-like – 7-7, 4.35 ERA in 24 games (19 starts) – it's time to bury the narrative that he can not win a big game in October, because he can, and he has. Still, he is so wildly competitive and is driven as hard as anyone to win the World Series. He also has a lot of help with the emergence of rookie Walker Buehler, who won the tiebreaker game against the Rockies with another dominating performance. Rich Hill is also in this series, also. The Braves will counter in Game 1 with Mike Foltynewicz, who has overpowering stuff and has 2.85 ERA, but after him, it does not appear the Braves can match up with the Dodgers' rotation. It helps the Dodgers that they have the home field.

Experience, and hunger: The Dodgers who were there last year will never forget the feeling of losing in Game 7 of the World Series. It surely will drive them this year to let it happen again. With Kershaw and Chase Utley and Kenley Jansen and others around to remind everyone of their mission, you have to like the Dodgers' mindset going into the postseason. More, they have been acquired, including shortstop Manny Machado and second baseman Brian Dozier. They also are free agents at the end of the season, meaning they are playing for a new contract and a chance to advance in the playoffs.

One reason I will be completely wrong

Youth and talent: There is an old cliche in baseball that is a young and very talented person. Such is the case with the Braves. Ronald Acuna Jr., age 20, is so gifted he just overpowers the game with his athleticism and skill. The lift he has given the Braves since his recall in April, and his insertion into the leadoff spot in July, can not be overstated. He is not alone. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is awfully impressing as well. Plus, the Braves have a nice veteran blend with Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and others. But another one of the young guys, shortstop Dansby Swanson, might not be able to get out of bed. The Braves will be 100 percent healthy if they are going to beat L.A.