Los Angeles @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 19, 2018 ) LA Dodgers 2, Milwaukee 7

The Milwaukee Brewers have been dominant at home most of the season and will get a chance to reach their first World Series since 1982 on Saturday at friendly Miller Park when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers for Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. The Brewers finished with an NL-best 51-30 record at home during the regular season and have won four of five at Miller Park in the playoffs after Friday’s 7-2 victory in Game 6.

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell told reporters the fans “put a crazy amount of energy into the dugout” on Friday, and the Brewers fed off that with four first-inning runs before adding on later to allow top reliever Josh Hader to stay in the bullpen. The Brewers are set up for Game 7 with their top starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin on the hill and the Dodgers will go with talented rookie Walker Buehler, who could be followed by three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Los Angeles will try to make back-to-back World Series appearances for the first time since 1977 and 1978, but it was held to five hits on Friday and could not take advantage after David Freese led off the game with a homer. Chris Taylor recorded one of the five hits by the Dodgers in Game 6 and is 7-for-20 in the series, but Manny Machado will have to recover from an 0-for-4 effort with two strikeouts.

TV: 8:09 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Walker Buehler (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Jhoulys Chacin (2-0, 0.00)

Buehler gave up four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out eight over seven innings to suffer the loss in Game 3 on Monday. The 24-year-old Vanderbilt product, who pitched to a 1.58 ERA over his last 11 starts of the regular season to finish at 8-5, has allowed nine runs over 12 innings in two playoff starts. Orlando Arcia went deep in Game 3 against Buehler, who posted a 3.45 ERA on the road as opposed to a 1.93 mark at home during the regular season.

Chacin has been outstanding in two postseason starts, permitting six hits and five walks across 10 1/3 scoreless innings while recording a pair of wins. The 30-year-old Venezuelan, who won a career-high 15 games during the regular season, beat Buehler in Game 3 as he registered six strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames. Matt Kemp has belted three homers while Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson have gone deep twice against Chacin, who recorded a 3.79 ERA at home in the regular season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Los Angeles RHP Kenley Jansen, who also was not used on Friday, has allowed two hits and registered seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 scoreless innings this postseason.

2. Milwaukee 1B Jesus Aguilar knocked in three runs Friday and has hit three doubles in his last two games.

3. The Dodgers were 47-34 on the road during the regular season and have dropped three of five such contests in the playoffs.

PREDICTION: Brewers 4, Dodgers 2