NL Wild Card Series 2023: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers Storylines and Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers are the one team that needs to receive more love in the World Series discussion.

Milwaukee enters the National League wild-card round with the best pitching staff in Major League Baseball.

The Brewers have three starters who can control a series and beat any opponent, starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The NL Central champion sits in a significant advantage entering the wild-card round because it organized its pitching staff to have its best arms throw in Games 1 and 2.

Arizona's struggle to clinch a wild-card berth last week pushed Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly back to Games 2 and 3.

The Diamondbacks need to find a way to survive Game 1 to have a chance of springing an upset behind their best pitchers.

Milwaukee Holds Pitching Advantage

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MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 24: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot park on September 24, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

The best pitching staff in baseball contains three quality starters in Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff.

Burnes and Peralta both eclipsed the 200-strikeout mark, while Woodruff has turned in some solid appearances since returning from a stint on the injured list.

Milwaukee's relentlessness on the mound continues with the bullpen, which is led by Devin Williams.

Williams produced a 1.53 ERA in 61 games and struck out 87 batters in 58.2 innings.

Milwaukee's best path to victory is to have its starter go six or seven innings, turn the ball over to the setup men and then have Williams close out the game in the ninth.

That formula can be perfected against an Arizona offense that scored three runs over its last four games, all of which were losses.

Arizona benefited from the struggles of other teams in the wild-card race to get into the postseason, and its recent offensive issues could be compounded by whomever the Brewers choose to start in Game 1.

Arizona Needs to Survive Game 1

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 28: Corbin Carroll #7 of the Arizona Diamondbacks slides into third base during the third inning in the game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 28, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Arizona's nightmare scenario unfolded in the final week of the regular season.

The Diamondbacks were unable to clinch a playoff berth before Saturday, which meant they had to throw Gallen and Kelly in the season-closing series against the Houston Astros.

Gallen and Kelly are in line to start Games 2 and 3, but the series could be lost before the top two pitchers take the mound.

Arizona needs Brandon Pfaadt to put together a decent outing that does not tax the bullpen and an offensive spark must be found.

The Diamondbacks could draw confidence from a loss if their offense looks better than it did against Houston and their best bullpen arms are fresh to back up Gallen and Kelly.

However, there is a chance the Brewers hold the D-Backs to their fifth straight performance with zero or one runs.

Arizona won two of its final seven games, and that poor finish could hover over it in Game 1 and suck away any momentum the team could have gained ahead of a Gallen start in Game 2.