The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Julio Urías will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Dodger Stadium.
Clayton Kershaw was named the starter for Game 2 the following day.
Although the Dodgers had already informed their starters of the order they will pitch in, they were holding the information private as both president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts declined to reveal their Game 1 starter during the team’s first NLDS workout on Friday.
Friedman did reiterate the decision was not based on the results of the NL Wild Card series between the New York Mets and Padres that determined who the Dodgers would face in the NLDS.
“It’s not opponent-driven,” Friedman said. “We feel like we have two exceptionally deserving pitchers who have been huge parts of our past success and are going to be big parts of what we do this October.
“You can argue different things. I think some of it will be getting with them and talking. We just don’t have to figure that out right now, so we’re more focused on things that are a little bit more time-sensitive. Both are great candidates for Game 1, and the other will be a really strong two.
“If we’re fortunate enough to get through the DS, there’s implications of what then looks like in the CS. Again, you could argue a lot of different things, and from my standpoint, it’s a good problem to have with two guys so deserving.”
With Urías going Game 1, he would be on regular rest for a potential Game 5, which would also line up Clayton Kershaw as the starter for Game 1 of the NL Championship Series if the Dodgers advance.
Urías arguably took over as the ace of the Dodgers this year. The 26-year-old pitched 175 innings and led the NL with a 2.16 ERA to go along with a 0.96 WHIP and 166 strikeouts over 31 starts.
Although Kershaw missed a significant portion of the season due to lower back pain, he has continued to perform at a high level when he’s on the mound. The future Hall of Famer pitched 126.1 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 137 strikeouts over 22 starts.
Who will pitch Games 3 and 4 for the Dodgers?
The probable starters to follow Urías and Kershaw are Tyler Anderson and Tony Gonsolin, although the order has not been announced.
Roberts previously announced Anderson would be in the postseason rotation, and Gonsolin was able to return from an injury and build his arm up to provide roughly four to five innings.
If the Dodgers advance to the CS, then Andrew Heaney and Dustin May would be candidates to join the rotation as the fifth starter.
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