Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has a plethora of options on who he wants on the mound for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.
But it appears that Tarik Skubal will get the nod in Saturday’s contest at Dodgers Stadium.
The left-handed ace was the Dodgers’ biggest midseason acquisition when the two-time Cy Young winner joined the two-time defending World Series champions from Detroit in a blockbuster trade. He initially struggled in his first few starts but got back into the form that made him one of baseball’s most feared pitchers.
Skubal finished the regular season 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in eight starts for the Dodgers. The team will want to lean on Skubal as much as they can in the postseason, especially as he is expected to one of the biggest free agents this winter.
His start could then allow Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Blake Snell to start for the Dodgers for Game 2. The Dodgers (93-60) are in the postseason for the 14th consecutive season, tying the Braves’ record from 1991-2005.
As for the Braves, it remains to be seen who skipper Walt Weiss will go with. Presumably it would be Chris Sale, but the staff ace pitched in both Game 2 and Game 3 of the wild-card series against the Phillies.
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