The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up a dominant regular season by completing a Freeway Series sweep of the L.A. Angels to finish with the best record in baseball at 43-17.
The club now shifts their focus to the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series, which begins with a Game 1 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Walker Buehler will start in the playoff opener for a second consecutive year, with Clayton Kershaw getting the nod in Game 2. In aligning that order, both pitchers will take the mound on an extra day of rest.
However, should a win-or-go-home Game 3 be necessary, the Dodgers are still considering their options. Among them are Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Julio Urias — each of whom will be active in the opening round.
“It’s more of opponent-driven,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of deciding who may start against the Brewers in a potential Game 3. “You look at Julio and Tony, they’re more neutral as far as their splits.
“Where Dustin is more dominant against right and then not as dominant against left. So I think the opponent certainly matters; that’s kind of the main driver. They’ve all shown they can pitch well out of the ‘pen.
“Truth of the matter is, you have one spot in that first round for three different guys that are more than capable. We’ve got a tough and good decision to make.”
Of the trio, Gonsolin arguably enjoyed the most success during the regular season. He went 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA, 2.29 FIP and 0.84 WHIP across 46.2 innings and nine appearances (eight starts).
May put up similar numbers, which were bolstered in Sunday’s finale against the Angels. He did not allow a run in four innings of work, lowering his ERA on the year to 2.57.
As for Urias, he was also effective, finishing the year with a perfect 3-0 record, 3.27 ERA, 3.72 FIP and 1.15 WHIP over 55 innings and 11 appearances (10 starts).
Dodgers considering Gonsolin, May for ‘bulk’ relief pitchers in postseason
Should the Dodgers defeat the Brewers and advance to the NL Division Series, the club will have to rely on their starting pitchers more so than in recent years due to the lack of off days.
The Dodgers are perhaps best-equipped to deal with this change with the depth in their rotation and bullpen. Gonsolin and May, though starters by trade, have shown a capability of pitching in either role.
Depending on the matchup and situation, the Dodgers will consider utilizing them in a bulk reliever role if the opportunity presents itself.
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