Milwaukee and Los Angeles enter a game shaped by pitch counts and the first relief handoff. Milwaukee has been extending plate appearances, while Los Angeles has put runners on without often driving them in. Chicago and Philadelphia present a different contest, with both sides able to move from the first midfield pass into the box. Their changes in central midfield make the space after turnovers especially important.
Snell faces a Milwaukee order that has resisted chase pitches and built rallies through walks, contact and steals. Turang and Bauers can lengthen his early counts before Contreras and Yelich bat with runners on. Gasser's sweeper meets a Dodgers lineup with Betts, Freeman and Pages, so the middle innings bring both starters and the first relievers into the same contest.
Roberts expects Ohtani to start after he played the previous game, and Yelich also played and drove in runs for Milwaukee. The Brewers have several relief options behind Gasser, while the Dodgers have used much of their bridge in the series. I expect the early count battles to carry into those handoffs, with Milwaukee's runners and contact keeping pressure on Los Angeles. That's why I'm siding with Milwaukee to stay close.
In Chicago, Salétros can release Bamba and Haile-Selassie toward Lewandowski, a route that produced repeated box entries against Vancouver. Philadelphia's Sullivan and Westfield have connected down the right for Damiani, and its press has also turned loose passes into Iloski chances. Both attacks have a route through their opponent's central cover.
Chicago's D'Avilla is suspended after playing against New York, while Philadelphia's Jean Jacques is out after playing against Salt Lake. Their replacements step into the first-pass and screening battles that set up each attack. Philadelphia can press Chicago's initial pass, and Chicago can answer through its wings when that pressure opens space. That's why I'm siding with more goals in the Chicago–Philadelphia match.
