The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially announced their starters for the first two games of the National League Division Series.
As anticipated, right-hander Jack Flaherty is set to start Game 1 on Saturday, followed by right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will take the mound for Game 2.
Flaherty, 28, arrived in Los Angeles at the trade deadline after compiling a 2.95 ERA over 106.2 innings with the Detroit Tigers. With the Dodgers, he posted a 6-2 record and a 3.58 ERA across 55.1 innings.
Although Flaherty has struggled recently, giving up 10 earned runs over his last three starts (14 innings), his ability to go deep into games makes him the likely choice for Game 1.
He’s pitched at least five innings in nine of his 10 outings for the Dodgers, including four starts where he went six or more innings, with a season-high of 7.1 innings in early September.
Yamamoto will start Game 2, still easing back from a midseason shoulder injury that sidelined him for nearly three months. He’s made four starts since returning from the injured list, with his longest outing lasting five innings, while the others ranged from three to four innings.
For the season, Yamamoto finished with a 3.00 ERA over 18 starts (90 innings), allowing six earned runs over his last four starts (16 innings).
In Game 3, the Dodgers will most likely turn to Walker Buehler who is coming off one of his best starts of the season. Buehler didn’t get a decision against the San Diego Padres on Thursday but he he threw a strong five innings against them in a game that ended with the Dodgers clinching the division.