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Both starting pitchers allow for minimum, the offensive play will be in the background today

Braves and Dodgers met seven times this season. Braves were better with five wins but all matches were played in the first part of the season where Dodgers were seriously out of shape

The great series starts in Atlanta where the champions of NL East Division, Atlanta Braves, and the champions of NL West, LA Dodgers, meet. This could very easily become a series where the pitchers will dominate and silence the batters because these teams are more or less famous for their very good pitchers and the defense. First two matches will be played on Atlanta's Turner Field, the place where they play great and where it is very difficult to defeat them. Braves made a 56-25 ratio on that stadium, best in the National League, and there is no doubt that very hard work is ahead of Dodgers.

The combined ERA of Braves pitchers on Turner Field is impressive 2.70, the pitchers of Dodgers don't have problems with away matches where they have 3.45 ERA which is quite solid. Today's match will surely be marked by the pitching duel and very little runs are expected at the end of the match, because two of the best pitchers of both teams will go to the mound.

The series will be started by the starter of Braves Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11 ERA) who is in phenomenal shape, almost untouchable. In the last six matches he allowed for unbelievable four runs and the opponents simply don't have a solution for him which is the reason why he got the honor of starting the first match in the series. In his last start of the regular season, Medlen demolished Philadelphia when he allowed no runs in eight excellent innings.

 - This was an incredible day for me because I faced a team who have good statistics against me, but I managed to simply run them over. It was simply a good feeling - said the satisfied Medlen after the match.

In the last ten matches this pitcher made 7-2 ratio with phenomenal 1.64 ERA. In total, in the last 66 innings he allowed only 13 runs. On home field he made 2.26 ERA in this season. Against Dodgers he never lost in his career and made 3-0 ratio with 1.23 ERA.

The away team will rely on their pitcer ace Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83 ERA) who will most likely win the prestigious CY Young award for the best pitcher of the National League in this season. His 1.83 ERA is the best in MLB. He did a phenomenal job and rarely an offense managed to play against him so the team really believes in him.

 - I faced him a couple of years ago in L.A. He locates his fastball, and he has that huge curveball that's really, really good; it's sharp. He keeps you in the back of your mind, so you never know what he's going to throw, and he can throw any pitch any time he wants to - described the best batter of Braves Freddie Freeman about his experience against Kershaw.

The lefty Kershaw made a 6-3 ratio and 1.73 ERA in the last ten matches. He ended the season in style when he left Colorado with no runs through six innings and allowed them only three hits. In the last two starts he didn't allow any runs with only seven allowed hits and 18 strikeouts.

In this season he has 2.14 ERA away, and against Braves he has 29 innings where he was never participating in the decisive moments but he made a very good 2.45 ERA in those matches. This season he hasn't faced them yet.

Braves and Dodgers met each other seven times this season. Atlanta was better five times and it is obvious how the batters didn't do much in those matches. Five matches ended with less runs and we will most likely see that again today. It is important to note that all of their head-to-head series this season they played in the first part of the season when Dodgers were not in shape and were still searching for their performance which they got in the second part of the season.

Dodgers are left without a very important batter Matt Kemp who got injured again and he is not at manager Mattingly's disposal to the end of the season. Andre Ethier is still in pain and he is only available as a pinch hitter in this series because the Dodgers don't want to risk another injury with this important player. Braves threw out of their roster the most expensive player Dan Uggla. They opted for such a surprising move because Uggla disappointed this season and they think that he simply cannot help them in the playoffs playing like that. For Braves the first catcher Brian McCann is questionable as he still has problems with an injury he had a few days before the end of the regular season.

Favoring Dodgers can only be justified because of Clayton Kershaw who is an excellent pitches, but it is obvious that it is forgotten who pitches for the Braves. The series will be opened by the starter of Braves Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11 ERA) who is in phenomenal shape, almost untouchable. In the last six matches he allowed for unbelievable four runs. The opponents simply don't have a solution for him and it is the reason why he got the honor of starting the first match in the series. In his last start in the regular season, Medlen demolished Philadelphia when he didn't allow them any runs in eight great innings. In the last ten matches this pitcher made a 7-2 ratio with a phenomenal 1.64 ERA. In total, in the last 66 innings he allowed only 13 runs. On home field he made 2.26 ERA this season. Against Dodgers he never lost in his career and made a 3-0 ratio with 1.23 ERA. Apart from having a great pitcher, the Braves are the best home team of the league with 56-25 ratio and to win on their Turner FIeld is really a great challenge. The away team will have to rely on their pitcher ace Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83 ERA). His 1.83 ERA is the best in MLB. In this season he had 2.14 ERA away, and against Braves he has 29 innings where he never participated in the decision but he scored a very good 2.45 ERA in those matches. This season he didn't face them yet. This is a match that could very easily end with a football result (1-0) or something like that, so under is also a good option (4/10). I think this match is completely even and Braves cannot be this much of an underdog. In the last series against Dodgers on Turner Field they won all three matches.