Short-handed Braves rotation faces rested Dodgers staff in NLDS

LOS ANGELES -- If the Braves are going to dethrone the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers, they will need to do so while pitting an injury-depleted rotation against a well-rested one.

While the Braves were playing the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series this past week, the Dodgers were resting their collection of elite starters.

Here is a look at how the two rotations should look through the first few games of this best-of-five series.

Braves

Game 1
TBA, likely bullpen game
Ray Kerr won’t be available to work his magic like he did in Thursday’s winner-take-all game against the Phillies. But the Braves could go with another left-handed opener, possibly Brent Suter, and then give the ball to Grant Holmes for at least a couple of innings. Holmes threw just 28 pitches over two innings on Thursday.

Game 2
Chris Sale, LHP

Before Sale came out of the 'pen to record the final four outs of Thursday’s win over Philadelphia, there was reason to at least debate whether he would go in Game 2 of this series. He’s just four days removed from his Game 1 start in the NL WC Series. The last time he made starts four days apart was in April. But even if the 37-year-old lefty can give Atlanta four solid innings in this one, he seems to be the best choice. Pitching here keeps him in play to start Game 5, if necessary, on regular rest.

Game 3

Likely Tyler Mahle, RHP

Mahle felt a tweak in his abdomen just before he began his strong seven-inning effort against the Phillies on Wednesday. As of Friday, manager Walt Weiss still seemed confident the right-hander would be able to make this next start. In his first career postseason start, Mahle scattered six hits, walked one and limited the Phillies to one run while striking out six.

Dodgers

Game 1
Tarik Skubal, LHP

The Dodgers consider themselves to have four No. 1 starters in their postseason rotation, so they had no shortage of options to hand the ball for Game 1. Rather than go to their ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they tabbed Skubal, their big Trade Deadline acquisition. Manager Dave Roberts said that Skubal's comfort with starting on four days' rest was one of the drivers behind the decision, which not only took into account the Dodgers' needs for the NLDS but also how things could line up for the NLCS, should they advance.

Game 2
Likely Blake Snell, LHP

The Dodgers have yet to announce their rotation past Game 1, but it seems likely that Snell will start Game 2 given that Yamamoto threw in a simulated game on Wednesday. By making a final regular-season start in San Francisco, Snell eased concerns about the left groin tightness that caused him to exit his penultimate start after one inning.

Starting Skubal and Snell in the first two games would allow the Dodgers to optimize the matchups against the Braves' offense, which was notably weaker against southpaws in the regular season, recording a .696 OPS against left-handers compared with a .730 OPS against right-handers.

Game 3
Likely Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP
By not starting Yamamoto in Game 1, the Dodgers will likely only have him available to start one game in the NLDS, as he has not started a game on fewer than five days' rest in his career. Of course, he pitched in relief on short rest in last year's World Series with a championship on the line, closing out Game 7 the day after he started Game 6. This season, Yamamoto was better on the road (1.77 ERA) than at home (3.13 ERA), so this could be another way for the Dodgers to optimize their usage of their postseason rotation.