The Los Angeles Dodgers have set their starting rotation for the National League Championship Series (NLCS) with a focus on replicating their previous success against the Milwaukee Brewers. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Tarik Skubal will be the Game 1 starter on Sunday, facing Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski. This decision follows the Dodgers' elimination of the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series (NLDS) earlier this week.
In a strategic shift from the NLDS, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2, moving up from his previous position as Game 3 starter. During the NLDS, the Dodgers opted to keep Yamamoto on a once-per-week pitching schedule, which resulted in Blake Snell starting Game 2 instead. Snell's performance in that game raised concerns as he pitched only 3 ⅔ innings, allowing one run and issuing five walks. However, Yamamoto's strong performance in Game 3, where he pitched seven innings and allowed only one run, improved his career postseason ERA to 2.14, the second lowest in the last century among pitchers with at least 10 playoff starts.
Yamamoto is now set to pitch twice in the NLCS, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday, followed by a potential Game 6. Snell is expected to pitch in Game 3, while Tyler Glasnow is likely to start Game 4. Skubal may pitch in Game 5 on four days of rest.
The Dodgers' pitching rotation is considered a significant advantage against the Brewers. In last year's NLCS sweep, the Dodgers' pitchers, including Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani, allowed only two runs in 28 ⅔ innings and recorded 35 strikeouts against the Brewers. A key factor in their success was the use of off-speed and breaking pitches, which led to the Brewers swinging and missing more often than usual. The Dodgers aim to replicate this strategy with Skubal replacing the injured Ohtani in their rotation as they pursue a third consecutive NL pennant.