SAN FRANCISCO -- When Blake Snell took the mound for the final time in the regular season on Saturday afternoon, he eased any lingering concerns the Dodgers may have had after the southpaw exited his previous start with left groin tightness.
The Dodgers wanted to see Snell make close to a full start in order to feel good about him taking the ball going forward, but they weren't going to push him. So Snell's outing was finished after he had thrown four innings on 77 pitches (50 strikes), allowing one run on five hits while striking out three Giants.
"There's a balance between getting your work in, making sure you feel good coming out of it," manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers' 4-3 win at Oracle Park, their 99th of the season.
The Dodgers had initially hoped to have Snell pitch five innings, but he was not at his sharpest, having thrown only one inning in the past two weeks due to his groin issue. But it was better to brush the rust off now than in the postseason.
"Really encouraged by it, and just happy to get my legs underneath and get going and completely move past the groin," Snell said. "I mean, it felt great today, and the velo was good. And was inconsistent -- I’ve got to figure my body out a little more, but I got a week to do so, and I'm really looking forward to that."
Limited to only nine regular-season starts by left shoulder fatigue, loose bodies in his left elbow and the groin issue, Snell is not only determined to get back to where he was last postseason, when he recorded a 3.18 ERA through six outings (five starts). He wants to continue to grow.
"I want to be better than what I was last October. I think I can definitely do that," Snell said. "But we all need each other. I think that's the biggest thing."
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Snell's status had been the primary concern surrounding L.A.'s daunting four-man postseason rotation that also features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal and Tyler Glasnow. Now that Snell has made his final regular-season tuneup, the main question for the Dodgers is how to line up their starting four for the NL Division Series, which begins on Oct. 3 at Dodger Stadium.
"I think as a pitching staff, we're going to be OK," said Kiké Hernández, who hit a game-winning solo homer in the top of the ninth inning. "So it's up to the offense to do what we're capable of doing."
There is a compelling case for each of those four starters to be the ace in any given rotation in the Majors. The Dodgers feel good about any of them making a Game 1 start, so the decision essentially comes down to how they can get the most out of their starting four.
"To be honest with you," Roberts said, "you could put them all in a hat, and you could make a case for any order you put them in."
One consideration is rest. The Dodgers ran a six-man rotation for most of this season, meaning their starters are accustomed to five days' rest. Yamamoto has not started a game on less rest than that -- although he did pitch on back-to-back days to clinch MVP honors in last year's World Series. Skubal, Snell and Glasnow all have experience pitching on four days' rest.
Here's what that could mean for the NLDS, when the Dodgers can reset their rotation to their liking: Yamamoto starting Game 1 would allow him to start a potential Game 5 on his usual rest. Skubal, Snell or Glasnow could start Game 2, then be available for a potential Game 5 on four days' rest.
It may also be on the table for whoever does not start Games 1 and 2 to be available out of the 'pen, like in last year's NLDS, when Glasnow pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief in the series opener before starting Game 4.
The aim for the Dodgers, Roberts said, is to "maximize those four guys," who are the strength of their pitching staff.
"We're only as good as our starters," Snell said. "And I love our starters, I love the staff, the way we push for each other to be great and support each other. … It's what we've all been waiting for, and now it's time to prove it. It's an important time for us."