NL playoffs

[msstate7]

Who will win the NL?

Here's September records for the contenders:

Braves 10-13
Cards 16-8
Reds 14-9
Pirates 12-12
Dodgers 11-12

If it ended today here's the matchups:

Wildcard -- reds vs pirates

Nlds:

Cards (homefield) vs wildcard winner

Braves (homefield) vs dodgers

[smootness]

Those matchups are still very much in limbo, but the way the Braves are playing, they'll probably end up that way.

I'll say the Reds win the playoff. I actually like Liriano slightly more than Latos or Cueto if that is the pitching matchup, but I like the Reds' offense, and I think Billy Hamilton is a serious weapon in a one-game scenario.

I like the Cardinals over the Reds, especially with the Reds losing one of their top starters as an early option after the wildcard game.

As an unbiased observer, I would have to take the Dodgers over the Braves. The Dodgers' starting pitching is a nightmare in a short series. The Braves' offense has been dreadful recently, though the Dodgers haven't lit it up, either. The thing that will give the Braves a chance is that they have several guys who can win a game with one swing of the bat. They don't need several guys hitting at once; they may not manufacture a ton of runs, but one swing per game can be the difference.

If it is Cards-Dodgers, I'm still going with the Dodgers because of the starting pitching.