Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts formally announced Rich Hill will start Wednesday against the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the World Series, Yu Darvish is taking the ball in Game 3 when the series shifts to Minute Maid Park, and Alex Wood is scheduled for Game 4.
With Clayton Kershaw starting Game 1 against Dallas Keuchel, the Dodgers are keeping with their same rotation from the National League Division Series and Championship Series. Though, Wood was not needed in the NLDS because of the three-game sweep.
When asked Saturday about his rotation, Roberts said the Dodgers would hold off on making a decision until Game 7 of the ALCS was played.
In each of the past two series, Hill was slotted for Game 2 due to his success in pitching at Dodger Stadium. Nonetheless, in six career games (three starts) at the Astros’ home park, Hill is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 0.79 WHIP.
Darvish has also fared well when facing the Astros on the road, going 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in six career starts. He allowed just one run over seven innings in an outing this season.
While both pitchers have career success to lean on, there wasn’t much impetus for the Dodgers to alter what’s yielded positive results in the playoffs thus far.
Hill has pitched a combined nine innings in his two starts, holding opponents to a .188/.278/.375 batting line while allowing just three runs on six hits, and striking out 12.
Darvish went 2-0 and yielded a minuscule 1.59 ERA, allowed just eight hits and struck out 14 in 11.1 innings of work. Opponents batted a combined .195/.233/.341 off the right-hander in his two outings.
Wood allowed three runs, each scoring on a solo homer, four hits overall, and struck out seven against the Chicago Cubs in 4.2 innings of his first career postseason start.
In addition to naming Keuchel their starter for Game 1, the Astros previously announced ALCS MVP Justin Verlander would take the mound in Game 2. Manager A.J. Hinch has not provided further details on his rotation.
