Throughout the playoffs, so many column inches have been devoted to the pitching that it is tempting to focus entirely on that element as the key to the game. Both of these teams have impressive talent in the bullpen and can rely on bringing in a great mix of speed and movement from either side of the plate in almost any situation.
Atlanta will start everyone’s favorite starting pitcher, Charlie Morton. Seriously, nobody in the world can have a bad word to say about him. He has great control and a lot of movement on his pitches, relying primarily on a sinker, a cutter, and a curveball. Look for him to generate lots of whiffs and soft contact.
For Houston, Framber Valdez will perform a similar function from the southpaw delivery. He sticks almost exclusively to a sinker that comes in clocking low 90s and a curveball with crazy movement on it. He has a changeup and a four-seamer but will only go to those as punch-out pitches when he is up in the count.
Between the two, Houston is more likely to play a bullpen oriented game, bringing on pinch hitters and getting short work out of their staff. But Atlanta can play that game too, and play it very well if they need to.
