The National League Championship Series kicks off Sunday, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are rolling out two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to face the Milwaukee Brewers’ staff ace Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1. This is going to be an insane pitching battle right from the jump, but the Dodgers are also dealing with some serious roster drama right before first pitch.
Pitching Showdown Is Absolutely Stacked
Skubal already proved he’s built for October, starting Game 1 of the NL Division Series. He was straight-up dominant in that outing, pitching six innings, allowing just one run on two hits. The Dodgers took a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in that one, with Skubal racking up seven strikeouts and only two walks. Talk about setting the tone, right? After that performance, it’s no wonder manager Dave Roberts is sending him out again.
The Brewers, though, aren’t backing down. They’re countering with their own staff ace, Jacob Misiorowski. This dude has some serious history against the Dodgers from the regular season, plus a relief appearance in last year’s NLCS. Over those 17 innings facing LA, Misiorowski has posted a ridiculous 1.59 ERA, striking out 27 and walking just three. The Dodgers hitters know what they’re up against.
And it doesn’t stop there. For Game 2 on Monday at American Family Field, Roberts confirmed they’re going with last year’s World Series MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He was lights out in Game 3 of the NLDS, striking out 10 batters over seven innings, giving up only one run, four hits, and one walk. This guy is a postseason monster. Remember Blake Snell, another two-time Cy Young winner, struggled in Game 2 against the Braves? That loss tied the best-of-five series 1-1, but the Dodgers rallied hard and ended up eliminating Atlanta 3-1. You can see why they’re leaning into their top arms.
Rojas Injury Creates A Major Roster Headache
Beyond the pitching matchups, the Dodgers have a big decision looming. They’re talking about adding another pitcher for the best-of-seven NLCS, which would mean cutting a position player. Rosters are due Sunday morning, and it feels like this move hinges on utility player Miguel Rojas.
Rojas, who’s 37 and said he’s leaning toward retiring after this season, had to exit Game 3 against the Braves during an at-bat with lower back pain. Imaging on his back mostly showed prior issues, but man, you don’t want a key guy hurting right now. He was out there Friday at Dodger Stadium taking ground balls and a couple rounds of batting practice, which is a good sign. Roberts even called his progress “encouraging,” but he’s not ready to make a call yet. “We still have a flight to get on and see how he comes in tomorrow for the workout there, so there’s nothing definitive,” Roberts said. This means it’s a true game-time decision that could reshape their bench for the series.
So, get ready for an absolute battle. Game 1 kicks off Sunday, then Game 2 on Monday, and it’s going to be wild watching these pitchers go at it while we wait to see what the Dodgers do with their roster. What a way to start the NLCS!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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