http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh1AfvnkEPs

Remember hearing that Shaun Marcum was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers? Remember hearing just days later that former Cy Young Winner Zach Greinke would join him on the 2011 pitching staff? If you do, then like many fellow Brewers fans, the realization clicked that GM Doug Melvin was attempting to go all in on what might be Prince Fielder’s final season as a Brewers slugger.

Nine months and 96 wins later, it’s evident that the big moves paid off as the Central Division champs prepare themselves for just their third MLB postseason in franchise history.

As October baseball gears up this weekend, let’s examine the Brewers chances in their first series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Can Marcum, Greinke, and the Brewers bats–headlined by Fielder and Ryan Braun–take out the NL West champion D-Backs?

The obvious reason that the Brew Crew steamrolled their way to October was the revamped starting pitching. All five starters picked up at least 11 wins and the only starter with an ERA above 4.00 was the fifth starter Chris Narveson–who, barring injury, won’t start in the postseason. Look for Yovani Gallardo to suit up in game one on Saturday, with Marcum pitching game two, and Greinke on the road in game 3.

The Diamondbacks meanwhile, may not have the big names like the Brewers, but they do have dark horse Cy Young candidate Ian Kennedy. Kennedy sports 21 wins and a sub 3.00 ERA in just his second season as a full time starter. Their other starters aren’t slouches either. They all own an ERA below 3.58 yet Daniel Hudson, Josh Collmenter, and Joe Saunders fail to achieve much recognition. But can this rotation hold up under the pressure? I know, I know, the Crew’s lineup of starters have little to no playoff experience, but with the exception of Saunders, none of these young pitchers have started more than two full seasons.

MVP candidates Braun and Fielder, who hit 38 and 33 homers respectively, sit in the middle of a power heavy Brewers lineup. As a team the Brewers jacked 182 home runs: second in the NL. In addition to packing a punch with their bats, center fielder Nyjer Morgan always seems to add to that punch with his mouth. He tweets insults at Cardinals first basemen Albert Pujols, frequently delivers eccentric interviews with reporters, and most importantly brings energy to the Brewers clubhouse. Morgan, aka TPlush, may be considered a potential liability, but look for him to provide a playoff spark when it matters most. One concern to monitor is the hitting (and fielding) of oft-criticized left infielders Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt. If this duo can manage to scrape together a few postseason hits, then the Brewers lineup will be a dangerous postseason squad.

The D-backs didn’t have the most consistent hitters–no one owns a batting average north of .293–but, like the Brewers, they sure can hit the long ball. Four regulars (Justin Upton, Chris Young, Ryan Roberts, and Gerardo Parra) hit at least 18 homers led by Upton’s 31. The Crew received a taste of this power back in July, when Arizona hit ten home runs on their way to winning four of the seven meetings between the teams.

So who’s going to step up and advance to the NLCS against either the Phillies or the Cardinals? Look for game one to be the decider. If the Brewers, behind Gallardo, can take a one game lead and defeat Kennedy, than I’d be surprised to see Arizona spark a comeback. Remember this is just a five game series, so the loser of game one must then win three out of four to advance. Gallardo occasionally blows games early, but if he pitches like his last three outings (4 earned runs and 36 strikeouts) than the Brewers should have no problem winning game one. My prediction is that the Diamondbacks will keep the games close, but the Brewers sweep in three. Gallardo and Marcum shut down the D-Backs at home–where the Brewers were an MLB best 57-24–and then Greinke picks up his first postseason win on the road in Phoenix. Watch for the Crew to stick to their “plushdamentals” (A Nyjer Morgan coined term) and play their way to their first postseason series victory since 1982.

Written by Brewer Blogger Morgan Foy