The Los Angeles Dodgers hope to put Saturday’s brutal loss behind them and even the National League Divisional Series in Monday’s Game 2 before travelling to Arizona for Game 3.
Los Angeles never had a chance to recover in the opener after veteran Clayton Kershaw only managed to induce one out while surrendering six earned runs. It’s tough to say if it was a Kershaw collapse, a case of the Diamondbacks making all the right decisions, or a combination of the two. Regardless, the start was the shortest of Kershaw’s illustrious 16-year MLB career.
In any event, the Dodgers will send 24-year-old righty Bobby Miller to the mound on Monday in what will surely be the most significant start of his young career. Miller had a solid freshman regular-season campaign, compiling an 11-4 record and a 3.76 ERA with 119 punchouts over 124-1/3 innings of work. His numbers might look mediocre at face value, but there were certainly flashes of brilliance that suggest the fireballer should be a pillar of the Los Angeles rotation for years to come.
Miller started two games against the Diamondbacks during the 2023 regular season and earned a win in both starts. The first contest was in early August, as Miller threw six shutout innings with four strikeouts in route to a 2-0 victory. He struggled a bit in the second win on August 28, but his club gave him enough offensive support after he gave up four earned runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings.
The weird thing about Miller is that he has reverse pitcher splits, meaning that he’s much more successful against lefty hitters than right-handed ones. He faced 237 right-handed batters and allowed a .252 batting average against, while posting a .203 BAA against 268 lefty batters.
Although the Diamondbacks are predominantly a right-handed hitting team, the fact that Miller is familiar with the Arizona attack could play into his favor. Miller has an advanced repertoire with decent command for a 24-year-old, highlighted by a four-seam that often touches triple digits.
Arizona will counter with 28-year-old right-hander Zac Gallen, who posted an impressive 17-9 record this season with a 3.47 ERA and 220 strikeouts over 34 starts and an even 210 innings of work.
Gallen earned his first All-Star honors in 2023, highlighting his best MLB season to date. He faced the Dodgers twice this year at Dodger Stadium and lost both contests.
In the season opener against Los Angeles on March 30, Gallen lasted 4-2/3 innings after surrendering five earned runs on two walks and six hits. He suffered the second defeat in late August after allowing six earned runs on nine hits and three walks in 5-1/3 innings.
Lifetime, Gallen is 1-4 against the Dodgers in 11 starts.
First pitch for Monday’s contest is set for 6:07 p.m. Pacific time.