NLDS Schedule 2014: TV Info, Previews and More for Both Series

The San Francisco Giants ended "Buctober" and set up a thrilling National League Division Series all in the process of one game Wednesday in the Wild Card Round.

Now, baseball fans will be treated to a best-of-five showdown between the Giants and the Washington Nationals in one series and the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers in the other series.

Here is a look at the schedule and broadcast information for both National League series.

NLDS
NLDS
Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV Info
1	SF at WSH	Fri., Oct. 3	3:07 p.m.	FS1
2	SF at WSH	Sat., Oct. 4	5:37 p.m.	FS1 or MLBN
3	WSH at SF	Mon., Oct. 6	TBA	FS1 or MLBN
4*	WSH at SF	Tues., Oct. 7	TBA	FS1
5*	SF at WSH	Thurs., Oct. 9	TBA	FS1
Game	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV Info
1	STL at LAD	Fri., Oct. 3	6:37 p.m.	FS1
2	STL at LAD	Sat., Oct. 4	9:37 p.m.	MLB Network
3	LAD at STL	Mon., Oct. 6	TBA	FS1 or MLBN
4*	LAD at STL	Tues., Oct. 7	TBA	FS1
5*	STL at LAD	Thurs., Oct. 9	TBA	FS1

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

It will be business as usual for the Cardinals and Dodgers, as the two teams will meet in the postseason for the second straight year.

While the Cardinals dispatched of the Dodgers in six games in 2013’s National League Championship Series, the two squads have actually split their last 20 meetings. If nothing else, fans could be in for a thrilling, back-and-forth showdown.

Offensively, 2014 was not a banner year for St. Louis. After leading the league in runs scored in 2013, the Cardinals tied for ninth in the National League in the same category, thanks largely to a .254 batting average with runners in scoring position (it was a ridiculous .330 last year). St. Louis also finished last in the National League in home runs.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Dodgers, on the other hand, averaged an impressive 6.24 runs a game in September, as Carl Crawford hit .448 in the final month and Matt Kemp led the National League with 17 home runs after the All Star break.

Adrian Gonzalez led the MLB with 116 RBI, and superstar Yasiel Puig can change the game at a moment’s notice with his bat, glove or arm.

The hitting is one thing, but the pitching may be the main attraction here. Clayton Kershaw anchors the Dodgers rotation after turning in an MVP-worthy campaign with a 1.77 ERA, 21-3 record and .196 batting average against. Zack Greinke was pretty good himself with a 17-8 record, 2.72 ERA and a 4-0 September mark. 

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The Cardinals counter with an ace of their own in Adam Wainwright, who went 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in September. Lance Lynn was also great this season with a 2.74 ERA, and Stan McNeal of Fox Sports Midwest gave fans a glimpse at the full rotation:

It is incredible that you could almost call the starting pitching a draw even though the Dodgers have Kershaw, who may or may not be an actual machine built for the sole purpose of pitching baseballs.

The Cardinals have actually found some success recently against the southpaw considering Kershaw is 1-4 with a 3.89 ERA in six starts against St. Louis the past two years.

While so much of playoff baseball boils down to who has the better pitching, it will be the Dodgers offense that carries the day in this series, along with home-field advantage. Los Angeles has simply been red-hot recently at the plate, and the Cardinals will not be able to put up enough runs to keep up. 

Even if the Cardinals have proven Kershaw to be mortal the past two years, the Dodgers simply have too much offense in this one.

Prediction: Dodgers in four

San Francisco Giants vs. Washington Nationals

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The Giants set up this series thanks to Madison Bumgarner’s complete game shutout and Brandon Crawford’s dramatic grand slam Wednesday night against Pittsburgh.

They will have to turn over a new leaf quickly, though, because Stephen Strasburg will be waiting in Game 1 for the Washington Nationals. Interestingly, Strasburg idolized Jake Peavy growing up, and that will likely be the pitching matchup in the first game of this series.

Remember, Strasburg was controversially shut down in 2012 when the Nationals reached the playoffs, but manager Matt Williams seemed to think it paid dividends, according to Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press, via ABC News, "Without passing any judgment one way or the other, it's probably a really important reason why he's here right now."

Don Wright/Associated Press

Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez will likely follow Strasburg in the rotation, while Tim Hudson, Bumgarner and Yusmeiro Petit will probably follow Peavy for the Giants.

It is certainly somewhat of a disadvantage for San Francisco that it already used its ace, Bumgarner, in the Wild Card Round and will only trot him out once in the series. Fortunately for the Giants, Hudson is 18-5 with a 2.35 ERA in his career against the Nationals.

Washington did go 5-2 against the Giants this year and should have the momentum in this series because San Francisco went 13-12 in September and 51-54 since June 1. It doesn’t help that leadoff hitter Angel Pagan is out for the year.

The fact that the Giants will only be able to send Bumgarner to the mound once is absolutely critical in our prediction. Yes, Hudson has been impressive against Washington in his career, but much of that came in his prime. He finished with a 4.73 ERA in the second half of the season and isn’t quite the same pitcher he was in past years.

San Francisco may have picked up the critical win Wednesday, but it struggled down the stretch. The Nationals have turned in an incredible season and will be ready to go at home. 

Prediction: Nationals in five

*Stats used for the Dodgers and Cardinals series courtesy of McNeal of Fox Sports Midwest.

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