The Los Angeles Dodgers look to even up the National League Division Series after suffering a blowout loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1.
Bobby Miller makes his first career postseason start and hopes for better results after Clayton Kershaw retired just one of eight batters faced on Saturday. “Just disappointing, embarrassing,” Kershaw said after the performance.
“You feel like you left everybody down. Whole organization looks to you to pitch well in Game 1, and it’s just embarrassing really. I just feel like I let everybody down.
“It’s a tough way to start the postseason. Obviously, we still have a chance at this thing, but that wasn’t the way it should’ve started for me.”
Miller, who was under consideration to start Game 1, has enjoyed a solid rookie campaign as he finished with 11-4 record, 3.76 ERA, 3.51 FIP and 1.10 WHIP in 124.1 innings during the regular season.
The right-hander went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 12 innings over two starts against the Diamondbacks. The first outing was six scoreless innings at Chase Field, but Miller then gave up four runs at home in late August.
The Dodgers won both of Miller’s starts against the Diamondbacks.
Miller had better splits on the road this season, but owns a 3.30 ERA, 3.42 FIP and 0.83 WHIP in five starts at Dodger Stadium since the All-Star break.
The Diamondbacks counter with Zac Gallen, who is pitching on normal rest after last starting in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. The 28-year-old allowed two runs on five hits and collected four strikeouts over six innings of work in the clinching 5-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Gallen, who earned his first career All-Star Game selection this season, went 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 1.12 WHIP and 9.4 strikeouts per nine in 210 innings pitched across 34 starts.
Gallen owns a 1-4 record, 3.48 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 10.4 strikeouts per nine in 11 career starts against the Dodgers. However, he has struggled to the tune of a 9.90 ERA and 2.10 WHIP in two outings against L.A. this year.
Gallen faces a Dodgers lineup that is the same from Game 1, and a group that didn’t score until Will Smith’s two-run triple in the eighth inning.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: J.D. Martinez
RF: Jason Heyward
LF: David Peralta
CF: James Outman
SS: Miguel Rojas
Diamondbacks lineup
RF: Corbin Carroll
2B: Ketel Marte
DH: Tommy Pham
1B: Christian Walker
C: Gabriel Moreno
LF: Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
CF: Alek Thomas
3B: Evan Longoria
SS: Geraldo Perdomo
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