FEVER PITCH
Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:30 p.m. today. TV: TBS. Radio: KMVP-FM (98.7), KTAR-AM (620), KSUN-AM (1400).
Coming off Wednesday night’s dramatic wild-card victory, D-Backs fans are fired up. ¶ Up next: the National League Division Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team with Major League Baseball’s best record this season. ¶ The D-Backs head into the series elated, but also exhausted and short-handed after their 11-8 win over the Rockies. ¶ Anticipation is running high. And so are expectations. ¶ The Diamondbacks and Dodgers have never played each other in the MLB postseason. ¶ Until now. ¶ Arizona went 11-8 against Los Angeles this season, making it one of only two teams with a winning record against the Dodgers. ¶ Arizona and Los Angeles open the best-of-five series tonight in LA.
LOS ANGELES – With right-hander Taijuan Walker tabbed as the Game 1 starter on Friday night against the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks appear to be leaning toward starting Robbie Ray and Zack Greinke in the following two games.
That, of course, depends on how Ray bounces back after logging 2 1/3 innings in relief in Wednesday night’s wild-card win over the Colorado Rockies. Judging by his comments on Thursday, Ray is feeling good.
“(I’m) ready to go whenever they ask me to,” Ray said. “Obviously, they haven’t decided anything yet. But I’m sure that’s something we’ll talk about today and leading into tomorrow and figure something out.”
Asked to compare the way he feels Thursday to the
day after a start, Ray said, “Not even close. It feels like a day after a bullpen.”
If Ray starts Game 2, he would then be able to start a potential Game 5 on regular rest. And having him available to face the Dodgers twice if the series goes that long would figure to be a huge factor for the Diamondbacks.
In five starts against the Dodgers this season, Ray has posted a 2.27 ERA with 53 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 31 2/3 innings. The numbers are even better at Dodger Stadium: 0.92 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with eight walks and 37 strikeouts.
“I feel like I’ve had a good amount of success against them this year,” Ray said, “and I feel like I match up pretty well against this lineup.”
Walker has thrown well against the Dodgers, as well. He has a 3.24 ERA in three starts against them, including a 1.64 ERA in two starts in Los Angeles.
Walker said he watched the Rockies’ Jon Gray and the Yankees’ Luis Severino pitch poorly in their postseason debuts the previous two nights and hopes he’ll be able to apply some lessons he took from their struggles.
“I think the biggest thing is controlling our emotions and taking it one pitch at a time,” Walker said. “I think you can’t go out there and let the adrenaline really get to you. You have to take a deep breath every pitch and really focus on each pitch.”
Walker, of course, will be matching up against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, whose 2.31 ERA was the best in the National League. Kershaw faced the Diamondbacks twice this season, allowing just one run in 15 1/3 innings.
“I think the biggest thing is to just focus on myself, focus on my game plan, focus on the pitches I have to execute,” Walker said. “Kershaw is the best in the game. It’s definitely going to be a fun one tomorrow, but I think I’ve just got to focus on myself.”