The Dodgers have lined up a heavyweight trio for the NLDS, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the ball for Game 3 against the Braves.
After Tarik Skubal opens the series and Blake Snell follows in Game 2, Los Angeles is turning to Yamamoto with the matchup still in the balance. The right-hander gives the Dodgers another frontline arm, and they’ll be counting on him to steady things as the series moves along.
Yamamoto’s case is built on more than reputation. He posted a 2.53 ERA in the regular season while striking out 182 batters across 185 innings, both career highs. His 5.9 bWAR was also a new personal best, and he earned his second All-Star nod along the way.
He also delivered one of the season’s biggest pitching moments just after the All-Star break, throwing his first regular season complete game against the New York Yankees. It was his first complete game since last year’s postseason, when he worked through six appearances with a 1.45 ERA and won World Series MVP.
The Braves have not announced their Game 3 starter yet, though signs point to Chris Sale making his second appearance of the postseason.
The Dodgers’ first two choices are no small-time setup, either. Skubal, acquired by Los Angeles at the deadline, has handled the move to the National League with a 2.61 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 62 innings.
His postseason track record is even sharper, with a 2.04 ERA in six starts and 56 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. Saturday will be his first postseason start at home.
Snell has given Los Angeles another left-handed weapon. He put together a 1.90 ERA in nine regular-season starts after an injury delayed his season, striking out 55 in 42.2 innings. His October résumé is already deep, too: 18 appearances, a 3.27 ERA, and 102 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.
With Skubal, Snell and Yamamoto fronting the series, the Dodgers are set up to lean hard on pitching as they try to move past Atlanta and keep their push for a third straight World Series title alive.
In Other News...
Dodgers Let NLDS Control Slip Away After Another Offensive Letdown
Blake Snells afternoon never found a rhythm, and the Dodgers could not do enough offensively to take advantage of the opening it created. Los Angeles dropped a 3-2 decision to the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, a result that evened the series at one game apiece and left the Dodgers searching for the timely hit that has been missing too often in October.
Snell issued a season-high five walks, and the game turned on a chaotic stretch that included a wild pitch from Braves reliever Kris Bubic before Atlanta grabbed the go-ahead run. Freddie Freeman also came through for the Braves with a home run, his first since Sept. 2, adding another swing that helped flip the momentum and leave the Dodgers with a split instead of control. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Lineup Decision That Could Test Braves In Game 3
After getting bottled up by the Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers are staring at a familiar October problem: how to jolt an offense that went quiet when it needed to answer back. Atlanta leaned on multiple pitchers to keep Los Angeles in check, and now Dave Roberts is weighing a lineup tweak for Game 3 as the series shifts into a more urgent phase for a team trying to avoid elimination.
The concern centers on center fielder Andy Pages, whose postseason struggles have become hard to ignore, and that has opened the door for Enrique Hernandez to potentially step in and give the lineup a different look. Hernandez has earned a reputation as a reliable October bat, which is part of what makes this decision so interesting for the Dodgers, who need more than just better at-bats now - they need a spark that can change the feel of the series. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Real Andy Pages Lineup Dilemma
Andy Pages arrived at October with the kind of profile the Dodgers hoped would translate, but through two postseason games he has not found much traction. He has gone hitless in eight plate appearances, drawing one walk and striking out four times, and the swing-and-miss issues have stood out even more because they are so far above his regular-season norms. For a Dodgers lineup built to keep pressure on opposing pitching, that kind of drop-off from a regular contributor quickly becomes hard to ignore.
Dave Roberts has already made one adjustment by limiting Pages ability to challenge calls, a small but telling sign that the club is trying to manage both the player and the moment. If the struggles continue, the Dodgers do not appear short on alternatives, which only adds to the tension around Pages spot. In October, even a young hitter with legitimate upside can find himself one rough stretch away from a lineup debate. [Read more 🡒]