After stealing a win in Game 1 against the Brewers, Dave Roberts revealed the Dodgers’ pitching plan for the rest of the NLCS.
After watching Blake Snell turn in the game of his life in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers, throwing eight scoreless innings while facing off against the minimum, Dave Roberts has revealed the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching plans for the rest of the NLCS.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to take the mound in Game 2 before the series heads to Los Angeles, Roberts reveals when his other two aces, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, will pitch next, as reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
“Tyler Glasnow will pitch Game 3. Shohei Ohtani will pitch Game 4,” Nightengale wrote. “This allows Glasnow to start a potential Game 7 and use Ohtani out of the bullpen in Game 7.”
Now, as Nightengale noted, the idea of having Glasnow and Ohtani go in Games 3 and 4 isn’t just about Game 3 and 4 but also about Games 5, 6, or even 7, should the series goes that long. With just three more wins needed to get back to the World Series thanks to the masterful efforts of Snell and Blake Treinen in Game 1, the Dodgers might not need to call on “Snellzilla” again this series, or might need to go all-in on Game 7 in order to give him the ball once more against the AL Champions.
Positioning Glasnow to start in Game 3 and 7 is a smart call considering how his last start looked against the Philadelphia Phillies, all the while positioning Ohtani to still contribute on the mound if need be, even if it would have to come at the end of the game when it seemed like it would be unlikely to return to the plate in regulation.
With Game 2 rapidly approaching and fans at the American Family Field looking for revenge after having to watch eight scoreless innings before a failed comeback attempt in the ninth, it’s clear Yamamoto will have his work cut out for him in order to get LA another win in Milwaukee. But regardless of the Dodgers’ record heading into Game 3, it’s clear they have a solid plan for the rest of the series, not to mention the World Series, if it comes to that point.
