LOS ANGELES, CA—The stage is set, the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game Wild Card Series matchup, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave his thoughts on a possible Game One starter.
While not officially announcing any set rotation, when asked by the media who would start the first game on Tuesday, Roberts stated it was a “good bet” that lefty Blake Snell would take the ball. However, Games Two and a potential Game Three were left ambiguous.
Once the Dodgers officially confirm their decision, Snell will make his postseason debut with the team after five days of rest.
Overall, this will be Snell’s 13th career playoff game and his 12th start. He has previously started in Game One three times for the Tampa Bay Rays, all during the 2020 postseason.
The decision to go with Snell Game One makes sense for several reasons, such as Snell’s recent postseason experience and having a 3.33 ERA across those thirteen appearances.
However, perhaps the most logical reason as to why the Dodgers picked Snell versus the Reds is how bad they’ve been against left-handed pitching this season, ranking 26th in wRC+, along with a 23% strikeout rate.
Since his activation, Snell has a 2.41 ERA and has been a massive reason why the Dodgers’ starting rotation over the final two months ranked top two in ERA, FIP, and fWAR.
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