The early part of the 2013 Major League Baseball season wasn't kind to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Expected to compete for a division championship right from the start, L.A. struggled out of the gates, playing so poorly that they fell 9.5 games back in the National League West by June 22. Though the club had to deal with injuries to All-Stars Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp, the organization made the decision to add highly regarded prospect Yasiel Puig to the lineup. Puig went on a tear - driving in 42 runs while smacking 19 home runs - from the moment he arrived and thanks to his efforts and the tremendous pitching of Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke, the Dodgers were able to right the ship and claim the National League West.
"The way he plays is infectious," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of Puig. "Stadium-wise, there's an excitement among fans. He's created a lot of attention for himself and for the club with the way he's played. Within that, you've got guys who have played for six or eight years seeing a young guy like this with energy, and that's fun to see. I think he created a competition among guys, if you don't step up, you might not play. I think that's healthy. They didn't get somewhere without competition. It's not Little League where everybody plays. If you do well, you'll play."
Finishing with a record of 92-70 - thanks to a 62-28 stretch of their final 90 games - the Dodgers are now set to travel to Atlanta where they'll face a talented Braves team in the National League Division Series.
Despite the fact that his club posted a 13-14 overall record in the month of September, Braves Game 1 started Kris Medlen knows his team is capable of turning their recent struggles around. The right-hander also doesn't think the lack of attention Atlanta will receive as opposed to their opponents will bother the club.
"All the attention, I mean, we're not running for prom king," the 27-year-old said. "We're ready to play this series and play this team, which is a quality team. It's really not that big of a deal that they may get more attention than us. At the end of the day, I hope we're getting all the attention with the World Series."
Medlen can certainly bring some added attention to the Braves with a strong performance in Game 1. Going up against Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw - who posted a 16-9 record with a 1.83ERA in 33 starts this season - won't be easy, but the Braves are certainly capable of playing well in this series, especially since they own home field advantage.
NLDS Game 1: LA Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves - DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Thursday, October 3
TIME: 8:37pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: TBS
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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