2011 National League Division Series Playoffs Lines
The 2011 National League Division Series Playoffs lines were available for the series and for Game One for both the Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee and Cardinals vs. Phillies.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (94-68) vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS (96-66)
Series Line: Milwaukee -170, Arizona +150
Game 1 Line & Total: Milwaukee -139 & 7 over -120
Series Schedule (Best of 5)
Game 1 at MIL: Saturday, 2:07 p.m. EDT
Ian Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA) vs. Yovani Gallardo (17-10, 3.52 ERA)
Game 2 at MIL: Sunday, 4:37 p.m. EDT
Daniel Hudson (16-12, 3.49 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.83 ERA)
Game 3 at ARI: Tuesday, Time TBD
Shaun Marcum (13-7, 3.54 ERA) vs. Joe Saunders (12-12, 3.69 ERA)
Game 4 at ARI: Wednesday, Time TBD (if necessary)
TBA vs. TBA
Game 5 at MIL: Friday, Oct. 7, Time TBD (if necessary)
TBA vs. TBA
The Diamondbacks and Brewers have known they were playoff-bound for quite some time now, and they finally kick off postseason play on Saturday in Milwaukee. This series will be a strong test of whether or not the crafty Diamondbacks pitchers will be able to tame the potent bats of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks. Game 1 in Milwaukee will go a long way in determining that with ace Ian Kennedy on the hill for Arizona, always a strong candidate to throw a gem.
Milwaukee finished the season 57-24 (.704) in Miller Park, by far the best home mark in baseball. The Brewers are also filled with a number of scorching-hot players, like Ryan Braun, who despite missing out on the batting title, hit .350 in the second half of the season with a 1.050 OPS. The lineup is too much for the D-Backs to handle.
Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA) has been nothing short of dominant this season. He closed out the year with the Diamondbacks winning his last seven starts and 14 of his last 15. In his career, Kennedy has made three starts against the Diamondbacks, with a 1-1 record and 2.70 ERA. However, he does have slightly worse road splits this season (3.19 road ERA versus 2.64 home ERA) and isn’t a strong value play.
Yovani Gallardo (17-10, 3.52 ERA) did not finish the season as well as Kennedy with a 4.35 September ERA, but has other numbers that make his case. He has dominated the Diamondbacks in his career, with a 5-0 record in five starts. In those games, he has a 1.20 ERA and .188 opposing batting average – play on him.
Daniel Hudson (16-12, 3.49 ERA) has been a reliable piece of the D-backs rotation all season. But he has struggled in his career against the Brew Crew with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts against them. He’ll need to be at his best form if he wants any hope at beating Greinke on the road.
Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.83 ERA) has not been unhittable the way he has been in the past this season, but provides one main reason why he is the play in this game: his home record. In 11 home starts this season, Greinke has gone unbeaten, a masterful feat. Ignore his 6.12 career ERA against the Diamondbacks for this start – focus on his dominant home splits in 2011.
Whereas Greinke was the perfect pitcher to start at home, Shaun Marcum (13-7, 3.54 ERA) is the ideal call to get Milwaukee’s first road start. Although his home numbers have been pedestrian, he has a 2.21 road ERA this season and an 8-3 record away from Miller Park. He is 1-0 in his career against Arizona in two starts with a 5.73 ERA, but is still the play here.
Joe Saunders (12-12, 3.69 ERA) is an unexciting play. He was 3-5 in Arizona this year and earned a no-decision in his one start against the Brewers this season. The Diamondbacks may ultimately be favored in this game as the home team, but as long as the lines are close, play on Marcum as a dominant road pitcher to win this game.
The starters for a potential fourth game in the series are not set. Randy Wolf will likely go for the Brewers, though it is less clear who the Diamondbacks would send out there. A potential fifth game would probably net a rematch between the team’s aces, Kennedy and Gallardo, a certain treat for baseball fans across the country.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (90-72) vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (102-60)
Series Line: Philadelphia -300, St. Louis +240
Game 1 Line & Total: Philadelphia -215 & 7 over -115
Series Schedule (Best of 5)
Game 1 at PHI: Saturday, 5:07 p.m. EDT
Jaime Garcia (13-7, 3.56 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA)
Game 2 at PHI: Sunday, 8:07 p.m. EDT
TBA vs. Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA)
Game 3 at STL: Tuesday, Time TBD
Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.79 ERA) vs. TBA
Game 4 at STL: Wednesday, Time TBD (if necessary)
Roy Oswalt (9-10, 3.69 ERA) vs. TBA
Game 5 at PHI: Friday, Oct. 7, Time TBD (if necessary)
TBA vs. TBA
The Cardinals completed an epic comeback to overtake the Wild Card from the Braves in September and now get to face the MLB-best Phillies in the NLDS as their reward. The Cardinals finished September with a 17-8 record, and will be no cakewalk for the Phillies as one of the hottest teams in baseball.
The Cardinals do not have the pitching talent to match the four aces from Philadelphia in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Phillies’ starters this season had a combined 2.85 ERA, a full point better than the Cardinals at 3.85. They also have loads more experience in the postseason, as does most of the Phillies lineup.
Jaime Garcia (13-7, 3.56 ERA) has been strong in his second full season, and has fared quite well in six career outings (four starts) against the Phillies. In those six starts, he has a 2-1 record and 1.20 ERA. Still, for a win he’ll need some help from his bullpen – he’s gone six innings or fewer in seven of his past 10 starts. This will be his first start in the playoffs.
Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA) gets the job done by himself and is always a candidate for a complete game. Despite his long career, he has only made four starts against the Cardinals, going 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA. He is undoubtedly the play in this game, especially at home where opponents had a .557 OPS against him this year. Halladay dominated in his first postseason last year, going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 20 K to just 3 BB in 22 IP.
It has yet to be announced who is starting for the Cardinals past Game 1, but Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA) will start Game 2 for Philadelphia. The 2011 All-Star and former Cy Young winner has incredible splits against the Cardinals, making him the pick here regardless of who the birds toss out against him. In four career starts, he has gone 30.1 innings for a 3-1 record and 1.48 ERA. He has also outstanding in his postseason career, going 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 80 K in 76 innings.
The Phils will try Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.75 ERA) in Game 3. The lefty is not in the same class as Halladay or Lee, but is still an elite starter. He did cool down in the second half of this season though, with a 3-5 record and 3.44 ERA after the break. Depending on who he is matched up against, look to play on St. Louis in this game. He is not as dominant as Lee, and the Cardinals have the 6th highest OPS in baseball against southpaws at .768. Hamels has been pretty clutch in the postseason though, winning MVP Awards for both the 2008 NLCS and World Series. In 12 career playoff starts, he is 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 69 K in 75.2 innings
Should a series require a fourth game, Roy Oswalt (9-10, 3.69 ERA) will likely pitch for the Phillies while a fifth game would net a repeat of Halladay.
The Cardinals have a wide variety of options for setting their postseason rotation. After Garcia, Wednesday’s winner Chris Carpenter (10-9, 3.59 ERA) will likely start Game 2 or Game 3, depending on whether or not manager Tony La Russa wants to have him pitch at home or on the road. Edwin Jackson, the midseason acquisition, is also in the mix for those starts and could be a strong play with a 5-2 record in a Cardinals uniform. The fourth person in consideration is Kyle Lohse, who is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball with a 1.37 September ERA.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
