Rocktober magic is alive and well in LoDo. After defeating the Chicago Cubs Tuesday night, the Rockies are now tasked with trying to slow down the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers.
Antonio Senzatela will take the mound for the Colorado Rockies in Game 1 of the NLDS Thursday afternoon. The start against the Brewers is his first-career playoff appearance, but Senzatela has been really strong of late.
Senzatela was 6-6 in 13 starts this year, but the Rockies are 4-1 in his last five starts. With the team playing on short rest, Senzatela is a reliable option for manager Bud Black in Game 1.
On the other side, Milwaukee has not announced who will make the start. We do know that the Brewers are planning on using multiple pitchers in the game though. Earlier this week, manager Craig Counsell told the media that he planned on making the first game a bullpen outing.
The Brewers closed the regular season with a seven-game winning streak and have not lost since Sept. 22, so it will be interesting to see if this approach suits them well in the series opener.
In the lineup, the Brewers (91-72) have multiple bats that can hurt the Rockies, but the biggest threat is obviously right fielder Christian Yelich. Much like Giancarlo Stanton in New York, Yelich has had a lot of success since leaving the Marlins. In 2018, Yelich is one of the frontrunners for the NL MVP after finishing the regular season with a .326 batting average, 36 home runs and 110 RBI.