Let’s face it; the Dodgers pretty much rolled over every opponent they faced during the COVID-19-shortened 60-game 2020 regular season, having lost only one of the 19 series that they played and finishing the season with an MLB-best 43-17 record.

Well guess what?

The Atlanta Braves, with whom the Dodgers will open the 2020 National League Championship Series on Monday evening at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, and whom they did not face during the regular season, lost only five of their 19 series in 2020.

In other words, the Dodgers are about to face a very worthy opponent in their quest to make it to the World Series for the third time in the last four years.

The Dodgers started the season with a 30–10 record, matching their best 40-game start in franchise history. Their last such starts came in 1977, joining only the 1888 and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. This was also the best 40-game start in major league baseball since the 2001 Seattle Mariners 31-9 record. The Mariners would go on to win 116 games.

For the third consecutive year, the Dodgers led the National League in runs scored (349) and fewest runs allowed (213). They also led MLB in home runs (118) and finished the regular season with an MLB-best 43–17 record to win their eighth consecutive NL West title. More recently, they swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series and the San Diego Padres in the 2020 NL Division Series.

However, the 2020 Braves led MLB in hits (556), doubles (130), runs batted in (338), on-base percentage (.349), slugging percentage (.483 – tied with the Dodgers), OPS (.832), total bases (1,001) and plate appearances (2,344).

A worthy opponet indeed.

Stay tuned…

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