Even with a litany of challenges throughout the year, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched a fourth consecutive National League West title and are division champions for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons.
However, as the Dodgers look to repeat as World Series champions, they’ll first need to emerge from a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Despite facing the prospect of playing an extra round this October, the Dodgers generally managed to map out their starting rotation to give them plenty of flexibility heading into the playoffs.
Shohei Ohtani’s last two starts of the season came one week apart and on a Tuesday, and Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto both pitched in time to be available for the NL Wild Card.
Snell was named the Dodgers’ starter for Game 1, and while speaking before a Wild Card Series workout on Monday, manager Dave Roberts confirmed Yamamoto is poised to start Game 2.
After initially saying the Dodgers did not have a starter for Game 3, Roberts acknowledged it “probably” would be Ohtani if the Wild Card Series got to that point.
The Dodgers enter the playoffs with a starting rotation that rounded into form over the last month-plus. The group was buoyed by Snell and Tyler Glasnow coming off the injured list, Clayton Kershaw remaining plenty effective in his 18th season and Emmet Sheehan’s impressive return from Tommy John surgery.
Sheehan is now poised to fill a role out of the bullpen and but Kershaw won’t be on the Dodgers’ playoff roster for the Wild Card roudn.
“I couldn’t feel more confident with the starting staff. And you know what, not to have a recency bias, but the last couple days with the ‘pen, I feel really good about some things,” Roberts said this week.
“The offense, the defense, has been fantastic. But the starting rotation, I’ll pit us against anyone.”
Dodgers Wild Card Series starters
Sept. 30, Game 1: Blake Snell
Snell is poised to pitch in his 13th career playoff game and 12th start. He’s previously started a Game 1 three times for the Tampa Bay Rays, with each instance coming during the 2020 postseason.
That year saw Snell start openers in the American League Wild Card Series, Division Series and Championship Series as the Rays marched toward a matchup with the Dodgers in the World Series.
Oct. 1, Game 2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yamamoto last started a Game 1 in the 2024 NLDS. He’s 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four career postseason starts.
Yamamoto’s only Game 2 start in the postseason up to this point was in the World Series last year. His outing in the Wild Card Series is going to come on five days of rest.
Oct. 2, Game 3 (if necessary): Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers appeared to be lining up Ohtani to start in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium, but now there is not a guarantee he will pitch in a Wild Card game. Ohtani’s postseason pitching debut will occur in the Wild Card Series if there is not a sweep.
Otherwise, he conceivably would be an option to start Game 1 of the NLDS should the Dodgers advance.
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