It took until the last game of the season for it to fall in place, but the Dodgers-Cardinals playoff rematch is all set.
They’ll tangle in the National League Division Series, with Game 1 Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
The Pirates helped set it up by losing to the Reds, 4-1, in the last game of the season Sunday, giving the Cardinals the NL Central title before they even took the field.
Last year the Cardinals ended the Dodgers season in the National League Championship Series by rocking Clayton Kershaw, en route to a, 9-0, win in Game 6.
Adrian Gonzalez says this time around his squad will be better.
“We got our whole outfield healthy. Hanley [Ramirez] is healthy. We, basically, got our whole team healthy. It looks like [Hyun-Jin] Ryu will be able to pitch, so I think going into it healthy will be a big factor,” the Dodger first baseman told reporters after Sunday’s game.
A good portion of their prep time will be spent studying video, but Gonzalez says he’s pretty well versed on what to expect from Cardinals pitchers.
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“They’re a team that in big situations they don’t like to throw fastballs. That’s one thing that I already know, that they like to go soft in big situations,” he said.
Gonzalez knows a little about what he’s talking about. He hit .300 (6-for-20) with two doubles, two home runs and three RBI’s in last year’s series.
The Dodgers go into the NLDS on a five-game winning streak. The Cardinals finished the season taking two of the three from the Diamondbacks.
