L.A. to start Snell in Game 1, Ohtani later in NLCS

MILWAUKEE -- The Los Angeles Dodgers volition commencement lefty Blake Snell successful Game 1 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers connected Monday nighttime portion righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto volition get the shot successful Game 2. It means Shohei Ohtani volition get conscionable 1 commencement successful the series, during the mediate limb backmost successful Los Angeles.

"He'll transportation astatine immoderate point, but we conscionable don't cognize which day," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said connected Sunday.

Unlike successful erstwhile spots, the Dodgers are not acrophobic with pitching Ohtani earlier a time off, choosing to maximize remainder for the different starters arsenic the squad embarks connected its archetypal best-of-seven bid this postseason.

"Not arsenic important," Roberts said. "I deliberation conscionable appreciating having 4 starters successful a imaginable seven-game bid and who tin transportation perchance twice, and that's benignant of the impetus, versus Shohei having that time disconnected aft a game."

Ohtani is hitting conscionable .148 this period with a 4.50 ERA implicit six postseason innings. Roberts was asked if the pitching program for him was related to his slump astatine the plate.

"No, not astatine all," Roberts answered. "I deliberation it was conscionable benignant of Shohei's going to transportation 1 crippled this series. So it's 1 crippled and past you person 2 different guys that perchance tin transportation connected regular rest."

The Brewers are apt to antagonistic with an opener successful Game 1 earlier handing the shot to a starter for "bulk" innings.

"Game 1 looks, 'okay, who connected our squad that tin springiness america length,'" Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "[Jose] Quintana, [Quinn] Priester, thing similar that -- springiness america bulk."

Murphy indicated righty Freddy Peralta would commencement Game 2 and past they'll fig retired Game 3 aft that. He wasn't definite yet if rookie Jacob Misiorowski would commencement a crippled oregon transportation aggregate innings retired of the bullpen.

"I don't know," Murphy stated. "I truly don't know. That hasn't been factual yet. There's a anticipation he'd start."

Rosters don't person to beryllium turned successful until Monday greeting but the Dodgers are considering carrying conscionable 2 catchers arsenic Will Smith's manus wounded isn't a large concern. He caught the entirety of Games 3 and 4 successful the NLDS.

"I person a mates of conversations to person shortly," Roberts said. "But yeah, that's a bully thought."