Diamondbacks Game 1 Starter Merrill Kelly Has Been Historically Bad Against Dodgers in Career
Tonight marks the beginning of yet another postseason at Dodger Stadium with early signs pointing toward a win in the series opener against the Diamondbacks.
Arizona sends Merrill Kelly on the hill against LA's potent lineup and history indicates that Dave Roberts' lineup should feast on the otherwise great starter.
The Snakes lost three of four games that Kelly started against LA this season which could indicate an early series lead for the NL West champs in the NLDS.
Kelly's most recent start against the Dodgers only comes to solidify these struggles after he gave up seven runs and 12 hits in five innings of work.
Such a record stands to benefit the Dodgers who hope to redeem themselves after a failed 2022 playoff run.
It's a similar story this season after an inferior opponent by record took out a division champion to face LA on the road in a playoff series.
Of course, last year's disaster with the Padres is a distant memory, but fans rightfully maintain some nerves due to the similar nature of this season's iteration.
Last season, LA dominated throughout the regular season and inexplicably lost three straight games to fumble their record-breaking regular season win total.
A new roster and new mentality helped this year's roster reach another 100-win campaign but Dave Roberts has been here before.
2020 marked the team's first World Series title since 1988 but critics continue to discredit the pandemic season for several factors.
Led by new veterans, exciting rookies and plenty of superstar talent, LA knows they have the roster to make a deep postseason run.
Such a quest will start against Kelly and if history repeats itself, it should be a fruitful start to a championship pursuit.
Kelly and Clayton Kershaw face off tonight with baseball's ultimate prize on the line and plenty of expectations for both teams.
