Brewers NLCS Roster and Playoff Predictions

As long as I can remember I have been very superstitious around the game of baseball. I don't know what it is about baseball that brings out so many superstitions but it is a part of the game and has been for years. That being said, I am sticking to my roster and playoff predictions for each round as it worked out in the NLDS for the Brewers! Even though a lot of my predictions were incorrect, the Brewers won the series and moved on!

The Brewers will have more tough decisions to make now having to worry about a 7 game series instead of a 5 game series. It will be interesting to see how the Brewers line up their pitching against the aces of Kershaw, Ryu and Buehler from the Dodgers. But I will give it a shot and support my claims once again for the Brewers roster and the League Championship Predictions. I will start with my locks once again:

• Catchers: Manny Pina, Erik Kratz
• 1st Base: Jesus Aguilar
• 2nd Base: Jonathan Schoop, Hernan Perez
• Shortstop: Orlando Arcia
• 3rd Base: Mike Moustakas, Travis Shaw
• Outfield: Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich
• Starting Pitchers: Jholys Chacin, Wade Miley
• Relief Pitchers: Corey Knebel, Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress, Joakim Soria, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff

This scenario puts us at 11 position players and 8 "out-getters" as Craig Counsell would call them. Leaving us with 6 positions to fill once again. 

• Keon Broxton- I think the Brewers need to keep Keon once again just because he is their one guy off the bench they can use to pinch run and can also be used as a defensive replacement
• Curtis Granderson- Counsell needs to have a lefty bat to come off the bench. I think his experience will now give him the spot over the red-hot Domingo Santana. 
• Gio Gonzalez- I believe with a longer series will provide at least 1 start for the Brewers in this 7 game series. 
• Xavier Cedeno- I was shocked he did not make the roster in the NLDS, I imagine with the lefties in the Dodgers order, he would be on the roster in the NLCS
• Junior Guerra- I believe he has thrown well enough in relief appearances in September and he can provide you early to mid innings in a bullpen game, that Counsell will keep him around again. 
• My last spot will go to...
• Zach Davies, I think Davies provides you stuff that is more successful against Dodgers hitters than Freddy Peralta. I would rather go soft with change-ups and curveballs then trying to challenge the Dodger order with Peralta fastballs. 

I will once again state these are just my thoughts and opinions and really don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things as long as the Brewers move on to the World Series! 

On top of my League Championship predictions, I am going to provide my expected pitching matchups in the NLCS because I think that is more of a game than anything right now for the Brewers. 

NLCS: 

1. Game 1 in Milwaukee : Kershaw vs. Chacin
2. Game 2 in Milwaukee: Ryu vs. Woodruff and bullpen game for the Crew since they have a travel day after
3. Game 3 in LA: Buehler vs. Miley
4. Game 4 in LA: Hill vs. Gio Gonzalez
5. Game 5 in LA: Kershaw vs. Chacin
6. Game 6 in Milwaukee: Ryu vs. Bullpen- and the Brewers win the series in 6!

ALCS: 

1. Astros beat the Red Sox in 7 games

I will leave you with Brewer highlights from the last week! Hopefully there are more highlights next week! Go Crew!