Buehler to start opener over Kershaw for Dodgers
The Dodgers will hand the ball to the youngest of their “Big Three” starting pitchers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series today.
Walker Buehler will oppose Washington Nationals right-hander Patrick Corbin in the opener of the best-of-5 series, the team announced Wednesday.
Buehler, 25, went 14-4 with a 3.26 ERA and was an All-Star for the first time this season, his second full major league season. Veteran left-handers Clayton Kershaw, a threetime Cy Young Award winner, and Hyun-Jin Ryu, a contender for this year’s award, are expected to start Games 2 and 3 in some order.
Buehler’s entire postseason experience consists of four starts during the Dodgers’ 2018 postseason run. He started their only World Series win, shutting out the Boston Red Sox for seven innings in Game 3. In his first three starts, Buehler allowed 10 runs in 16 2/3 innings, a 5.40 ERA. He has never started Games 1 or 2 of a playoff series, though he did start the NL West one-game playoff against the Rockies last October.
After getting off to a slow start, Buehler finished the 2019 season strong. No Dodger threw more innings after the All-Star break (78 1/3) or struck out more batters (102) than Buehler.
Ryu finished the season 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA, the lowest in baseball. Kershaw went 16-5 with a 3.03 ERA.
For Roberts, the logic of throwing Buehler twice in the series is fairly transparent. The Nationals hit left-handed pitchers better (an .828 on-base plus slugging percentage) than they did right-handers (.785) during the regular season. The Dodgers will carry no other right-handed starters during the postseason.
Buehler faced the Nationals twice this season. On May 11, he pitched seven scoreless innings in a Dodgers loss in D.C. On July 28, he allowed seven runs (four earned) and eight hits in 5-1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium.
Buehler allowed two runs in five innings against the San Francisco Giants on Friday in his final outing of the regular season, walking four and striking out eight. After the game, he said he was “tinkering” with his mechanics. BRAVES HEALTHY GOING INTO NLDS OPENER >> Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuña Jr., two keys to Atlanta’s lineup who suffered late-season injuries, say they are healthy for the Braves’ NL Division Series opener today against the Cardinals.
Acuña, the 21-year-old outfielder, has not played since Sept. 24 due to tightness in his left hip. The injury ended his chase for a rare 40-40 season. He finished with 41 homers and 37 steals.
Freeman has struggled with bone spurs in his right elbow and at one point last month could not straighten his right arm. He returned for Atlanta’s final regular-season series against the Mets.
Acuña and Freeman played in a simulated game Tuesday. Acuña says he is “back to 100 percent” and Freeman says he felt no pain in the elbow.
Atlanta left-hander Dallas Keuchel will face St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas in Game 1 of the best-of-5 series.