Nationals roster set for NLDS against Dodgers
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LOS ANGELES -- The Nationals did not make many major overhauls to their roster from Tuesday’s National League Wild Card Game win over the Brewers, adding Austin Voth and Wander Suero to the postseason bullpen and removing their third catcher Raudy Read and extra pinch-runner and outfielder Andrew Stevenson for the NL Division Series against the Dodgers.
• NLDS presented by Utz, Game 1: Tonight, 8:30 p.m. ET on TBS
Michael A. Taylor remains on the bench as an extra outfielder despite limited playing time in the Majors after being sent to the Minors in the middle of the season.
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 3 | LAD 6, WSH 0 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 4 | WSH 4, LAD 2 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 6 | LAD 10, WSH 4 | Watch |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 7 | WSH 6, LAD 1 | Watch |
| Gm 5 | Oct. 9 | WSH 7, LAD 3 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: During their three-run rally in the eighth inning on Tuesday night at Nationals Park, Washington saw firsthand the benefits of having a deep bench. Manager Dave Martinez inserted Stevenson to pinch-run, Ryan Zimmerman to pinch-hit and Taylor to pinch-hit and stay in right field for the top of the ninth, and all contributed to stealing a win from the Brewers. Although the club can’t keep as deep a bench for a full series as it did for the single-elimination game, the Nationals opted to carry an extra position player over extra reliever.
Voth makes his way onto the roster after a strong season as the team’s fifth starter, posting a 3.30 ERA in 43 2/3 innings with a 44/13 K/BB ratio and 3.79 FIP.
The biggest key for the Nationals this series will be finding someone they can rely on in the bullpen. Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson will handle high-leverage situations late in games, but it will be worth watching to see if Martinez will show a willingness to use them early in games if a big spot arises. He did a fine job of managing the Wild Card Game, using Stephen Strasburg to piggyback Max Scherzer and having Hudson warm up early in the game when Scherzer got into trouble, and we’ll see how he manages over a full series.
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Here's the Nationals' 25-man roster for the NLDS:
Pitchers (11)
Patrick Corbin, Sean Doolittle, Daniel Hudson, Taylor Rainey, Fernando Rodney, Aníbal Sánchez, Max Scherzer, Steven Strasburg, Hunter Strickland, Wander Suero, Austin Voth
Catchers (2)
Yan Gomes, Kurt Suzuki
Infielders (7)
Matt Adams, Asdrúbal Cabrera, Brian Dozier, Howie Kendrick, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman
Outfielders (5)
Adam Eaton, Gerardo Parra, Victor Robles, Juan Soto, Michael A. Taylor