Dodgers Not Showing Hand with NLDS Pitching Rotation
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts does not appear to be in the business of showing his hand to the opposition as far as the postseason pitching staff is concerned. According to Roberts, the organization knows exactly when Clayton Kershaw will start in the postseason, but is not ready to reveal the information.
Dave Roberts said he knows when Kershaw will start in NLDS, but not ready to announce it. #Dodgers
— . (@THEREAL_DV) September 29, 2019
The Dodgers organization, through the media interviews of manager Dave Roberts, have implied that they are heavily considering a Game 4 bullpen game. Outside of that, the Dodgers have yet to announce what order Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler, and Clayton Kershaw will handle the first three games of the NLDS in.
Not Bleeding Cards
Following the final game of the regular season on Sunday, Dave Roberts expressed that the decision has been made already internally.
“I have an idea when he’s starting. We’re just not ready to say it now. We’re close.”
It is a very smart move on the Dodgers part to not show their hand too early to either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Washington Nationals, ahead of their Wild Card face off on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee
The Brewers (89-73) are starting right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff in the Wild Card Game, the pitcher who infamously took Clayton Kershaw yard in last year’s NLCS. After Woodruff, who holds a 3.01 FIP on the season, the Brewers pitching staff gets a lot murkier which would be a huge benefit to the Dodgers.
Washington
The Nationals (93-69) carry three of the best pitchers in the league in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin, which could be deadly in a short series. The Dodgers would match up well potentially considering Scherzer will be starting in the Wild Card Game and he would only be physically capable of starting once in the series. The Nationals’ fourth starter would most likely be Anibal Sanchez who they inked to a long-term deal in the off-season.
Overall
It’s all about matchups in October and the Dodgers are certainly doing their part to try and maintain a competitive advantage in an effort to reach the World Series for the third consecutive season.
Everyone talking up the nationals but they have a bullpen ERA of over 5. You can’t get through 2 or 3 teams with that kind of pen. If we’re goikng go beat them we need to get their starters pitch counts up and our starters need to match them inning for inning then we can score off the pen
Nats follower here. 2 ,3 & 4 batters in month long slump. Not feeling optimistic.
On other hand, some players have been squaring ball up. Should that become contagious, pressure might build against Dodgers.
Also, most poorly performing closers won’t be on roster. Of remaining, Suero and Rodney are wild-cards. Doolittle has not been at his best, however.