Diamondbacks vs Brewers Game 1 MLB Playoffs 2011 Odds: After dethroning the San Francisco Giants, the National League West kings, (94-68) Arizona Diamondbacks [+129 ML] hit the road for Game 1 of the 2011 NLDS against the MLB Point Spreads favorites, (96-66) Milwaukee Brewers [-139 ML].
Game 1 of this best-of-five series is scheduled to get underway Saturday afternoon from Miller Pak, beginning at 2 PM ET on TBS Sports. According to MLB Picks specialists, the D-Backs and the Brewers are projected to combine and score an OVER/UNDER total of 7 runs this evening.
MLB Payoffs are all about pitching. So without further ado, let’s check out today’s pitching matchup! Toeing the hill for Arizona this afternoon will be former Yankees prospect, RHP Ian Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA), as he takes on Mexican-born, RHP Yovani Gallardo (17-10, 3.52 ERA). This is going to be a great pitching match up in Game 1!
"I'm just going to go out there and do the same thing I've been doing all year," Gallardo said. "I'm sure all the guys, we're all very excited. We can't wait for [Saturday]. But yet again, we still have to go out there and it's going to be tough but you have to look at it as another game."
As an avid Yankees fan, I waited, and waited, to see exactly what we saw from Kennedy this season — but in pinstripes, of course. Finally coming into his own and emerging as one of the best young arms in the game, the kid from Huntington Beach, CA, had a magical year in the desert. What I like the most about what this 26-year-old righty did was the way he finished the season… very strong!
Kennedy went on a roll at the end there, finishing with an 8-1 mark in his final 10 games of the season. Thus, I actually like the D-Backs to not only win the opener, but also the series.Do you know who this team reminds me of right now? Last year's SF Giants!
"It's going to be a battle through the whole game," Kennedy said. "It's going to be fun, just because it's the playoffs."
According to MLB Odds makers, the Brewers are projected as the betting odds winners in this series. However, after watching Arizona fight off the Giants the way they did to win their Division, automatically deters me from betting against them this postseason. With Ian Kennedy on the hill today for Game 1, I like the Diamondbacks to take home-field advantage from the get go.
