Skubal Set To Headline Dodgers' NLDS Rotation Against Braves
Skubal Set To Headline Dodgers' NLDS Rotation Against Braves
Tarik Skubal is expected to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Manager Dave Roberts had multiple options for the opener, but the left-hander appears to have won the assignment.
Skubal arrived in Los Angeles at the midseason trade deadline in a blockbuster deal from the Detroit Tigers, making him the Dodgers' most prominent in-season addition. The two-time Cy Young Award winner struggled in his first several outings with his new team before settling into the dominant form that made him one of the league's most feared arms. He finished the regular season 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA across eight starts for Los Angeles. ставки на американский футбол
The Dodgers, who went 93-60, are in the postseason for a 14th straight season, matching a run of consecutive playoff appearances the Braves put together from 1991 through 2005. Giving Skubal the ball in Game 1 could set up Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Blake Snell to start Game 2, giving Los Angeles a formidable one-two punch atop its rotation as it pursues a third straight World Series title.
Atlanta's starting plans remain less settled. Chris Sale is the presumed choice as the Braves' staff ace, but he already pitched in both Game 2 and Game 3 of Atlanta's wild-card series against the Philadelphia Phillies, leaving manager Walt Weiss with a decision to make on turning him around for the Division Series opener. Skubal is also expected to be one of the most sought-after free agents this winter, giving the Dodgers added incentive to lean on him as heavily as possible this postseason.
