Score a run?

The Milwaukee Brewers were shut out twice by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series. That’s something interesting in October baseball because something unexpected could happen. During the regular season, the Brewers pitching staff were excellent. They posted a 3.50 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Opponents only batted .218 against the Brewers pitching staff. In addition, they had 19 shutouts, leading among 30 teams. In particular, the Cubs were shut out four times by the Brewers this season. Also, Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader threw a combined no-hitter against the Indians on September 11.

The Braves had two shutout victories against the Brewers in the NLDS. During the regular season, the Braves completed 18 shutouts. Among those 18 shutouts, Max Fried tossed two shutouts this season. Additionally, the Braves won 10 games against the Mets and they shut out the Mets four times in 2021. In the NLDS, the Giants had two shutout victories against the Dodgers. During the regular season, the Giants pitching staff completed 18 shutouts. Among those 18 shutouts, Anthony DeSclafani had 2 shutouts. From 2014 to 2020, DeSclafani tossed only 1 shutout over 125 games. Additionally, the Giants only had a shutout against the Dodgers during the regular season and they shut out the Dodgers twice in the postseason. The Dodgers pitching staff posted a 3.01 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, both were the best during the regular season. Opponents only hit .207 against the Dodgers' pitchers. Moreover, the Dodgers pitching staff tossed 17 shutouts. However, Trevor Bauer is the only Dodger pitcher to throw a complete game this season. It wasn’t a shutout. Among those 17 shutouts, the Padres were shut out four times by the Dodgers this year. Moreover, the Cardinals had 15 shutout victories this season. One shutout was tossed by Adam Wainwright who turned 40 in August. Wainwright threw a shutout against the Pirates on August 11 and the Pirates were shut out four times by the Cardinals. Furthermore, the Blue Jays had 14 shutout wins this year. Additionally, the White Sox, the Yankees and the Rays each completed 13 shutouts in 2021. However, the Rangers had only 3 shutout wins. In the postseason, the Braves had two shutout wins against the Brewers in the NLDS. The Giants didn’t let the Dodgers score twice in the NLDS. In the American League, the Rays had a shutout win against the Red Sox in the first game of the ALDS. Moreover, the Red Sox didn’t score a run in Game 6 of the ALCS. They were shut out by the Astros and eliminated. It’s not easy to complete a shutout in the majors. MLB batters can do damage and a pitcher has to locate his pitches well. As we can see, the Brewers, the Braves, the Giants and the Dodgers each have good pitching depth and they each had an ERA under 3.90 during the regular season. They just don’t let opponents score easily and sometimes, opponents can’t score a run against them. Meanwhile, 24 pitchers tossed a shutout or more this season. In 2019, 23 pitchers threw a shutout or more. Moreover, 19 pitchers each threw a shutout in 2018.