What the Los Angeles Dodgers are certain of at this point is their postseason run will begin Friday, Oct. 6, at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Their opponent remains somewhat of a mystery.
The Arizona Diamondbacks clinched the top Wild-Card spot, which has the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers contending to qualify for the one-game playoff. Any Rockies’ win or Brewers’ loss will send Colorado to Chase Field on Wednesday.
The Dodgers need a win, or a loss by each the Cleveland Indians or Houston Astros to clinch home-field advantage in the World Series. Otherwise, the some of their attention can be placed on the forthcoming playoffs.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed the expected by naming Clayton Kershaw the starter for Game 1 of the NLDS, but stopped short of setting the rotation, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
Roberts was not ready to announce the rest of his rotation for the best-of-five NLDS, although it is expected to include right-hander Yu Darvish and left-hander Rich Hill. The Dodgers are considering putting Alex Wood in the bullpen and having fellow lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu as the potential fourth starter.
It was presumed when the Dodgers acquired Yu Darvish at the non-waiver trade deadline that he would serve as the right-handed complement to Kershaw at the front of the rotation. Darvish has come on of late, which Roberts said is lending to more confidence in the 31-year-old.
Alex Wood was once pegged as the probable starter for Game 3 of the NLDS. But his second-half slide and Rich Hill’s resurgence has thrown doubt on the possibility.
What’s more, it remains plausible Wood will be placed in the bullpen, with Hyun-Jin Ryu entering the picture as a fourth starter. He struggled Friday night against the Rockies, but Roberts told reporters one outing would not factor heavily into the club’s decision.
