LOS ANGELES — It ain’t broke.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the Dodgers will “run the same (starting) rotation back, for sure for the first two (games of the World Series).”
That means Blake Snell will start Game 1 in Toronto on Friday night with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 on Saturday night. Roberts said “we’ll kind of see” how it sets up from there, but most likely it will be Tyler Glasnow in Game 3 and Shohei Ohtani in Game 4 – the same rotation that the Dodgers used to sweep the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
That foursome held the Brewers to two runs on nine hits while striking out 35 in 28⅔ innings. They haven’t allowed more than one run in a game since Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies – their only loss of the postseason.
In three starts this postseason, Snell has allowed just two runs on six hits while striking out 28 in 21 innings. In his NLCS start, he faced the minimum 24 batters in eight scoreless innings, allowing one hit and picking the runner off.
In their 10 postseason games, Dodgers starting pitchers have a 1.40 ERA and 0.75 WHIP while holding batters to a .132 average.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching was stretched by their seven-game ALCS against the Seattle Mariners. Jays manager John Schneider has not announced his rotation or Game 1 starter.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman started Games 1 and 5 of the ALCS but also pitched in relief in Game 7. Rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage started Game 6 and went 5⅔ innings. But he would be on four days of rest for Game 1 on Friday night. Game 4 starter Max Scherzer would also be available.
UP NEXT
World Series Game 1 – Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell, 3-0, 3.86 ERA) at Blue Jays (TBA), Friday, 5 p.m., FOX (Ch. 11), 570 AM