ATLANTA – The Dodgers broke with expectations and started Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, not Clayton Kershaw.
They won’t do that again.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw will start the team’s next playoff game – whether that is Game 5 of this NLDS (if the Braves win Game 4 Monday) or Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers (if the Dodgers win and close out the Braves Monday).
An NLDS Game 5 would be Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.
The NLCS will start Friday in Milwaukee.
“It was pretty simple,” Roberts said. “I think that we had our reasons why we decided on Game 1 vs. Game 2. But if there’s a potential Game 5, we feel very confident that Clayton should be the guy taking the baseball.”
Kershaw made best postseason start of his career in Game 2, holding the Braves to two hits in eight scoreless innings. Afterward, he admitted that he took a little extra pleasure from the performance because of the Dodgers’ decision to start Ryu ahead of him.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said with a smile after Game 2. “Maybe a tick, for sure.”
If the Dodgers advance to the NLCS, they will not have the home field advantage. If Kershaw is not needed to pitch against the Braves again, it’s likely Kershaw and Walker Buehler would start Games 1 and 2 (both on extra rest) at Miller Park with Ryu held back to Dodger Stadium, where he has been dominant this season (including seven scoreless innings in Game 1 against the Braves).