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By Peter Chawaga
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have hopes of sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the playoffs this year, which would put them up against the powerhouse Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.
In the first game of their series with the Reds, the Dodgers enjoyed a strong showing from starting pitcher Blake Snell. For the second game, they are hopeful for the same with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound. And if Yamamoto is able to deliver, that means they will have a fresh Shohei Ohtani ready to start a game against the Phillies.
However, even if the Dodgers sweep the Reds, manager Dave Roberts revealed that the team might not start Ohtani in the first game of the next round.
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“The Dodgers have so much flexibility, in fact, that manager Dave Roberts declined to say that Ohtani would start Game 1 of the division series if the Dodgers close out the wild-card series Wednesday," according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
From the outside looking in, it seems pretty clear that Ohtani would be the most effective starter option following Snell and Yamamoto. But Roberts was only willing to announce that he’d likely pitch in one of the first two games against the Phillies following a potential sweep of the Reds.
“You’re getting ahead,” Roberts said of a potential Phillies series, per Shaikin, “but one of the first two games, probably.”
It’s hard to say who the Dodgers might prefer to place on the mound against the Phillies if they are able to head into the division series after just two games against the Reds. Roberts’ unwillingness to flat out commit to the choice being Ohtani in that potential first game was a surprise.
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