Dodgers Announce Pitching Plans, Decision on Shohei Ohtani for Games 3, 4 of NLCS

Dave Roberts has lined up his pitchers for the next few games against the Brewers.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will start Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Dave Roberts has made his pitching decisions for the next few games.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers' manager announced that Tyler Glasnow will start Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, while Shohei Ohtani will start Game 4. That follows Blake Snell's start in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2.

L.A. entered Tuesday with a 1–0 lead over the Brewers in the series after a tight 2–1 win in Game 1 that featured a truly absurd double play.

It's easy to extrapolate from there that Snell would be back on the mound for Game 5 if necessary, with Yamamoto following for a potential Game 6, then Glasnow for Game 7 if the series goes that far.

Game 4 will mark Ohtani's second start of the postseason. He earned the win on Game 1 of the NLDS against the Phillies when he went six innings and allowed three runs on three hits while striking out nine.

Dodgers starting pitchers are dominating the postseason

So far during the 2025 playoffs, L.A.'s starting rotation is dominating the competition. The Dodgers have played seven games, and their starters are a combined 5–1 with a 1.65 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, and opponents are hitting .141 off of them. They have also only allowed two home runs as a group. The WHIP and ERA are both the best among active teams.

Snell has been phenomenal. After being sidelined for much of the season due to shoulder issues, the 32-year-old lefty has been outstanding since the postseason began. Through three starts, the two-time Cy Young Award winner is 3–0 with a 0.86 ERA, a 0.52 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts against five walks in 21 innings. Opponents are hitting .090 off of him.

Yamamoto (1–1, 2.53 ERA) and Glasnow (0–0, 0.00 ERA) have also been solid, though the latter has only made one start and thrown 7 2/3 innings.

L.A.'s weak spot all season has been the bullpen, and that has continued into the playoffs. While Roki Sasaki has helped solidify the ninth inning a bit, as a group Dodgers' relievers have a 5.91 ERA, a 1.92 WHIP and 18 strikeouts against 18 walks in 21 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .280 off the team's bullpen.

If L.A.'s starters continue to dominate and go deeper into games, their weakness at the back end won't be as troubling.

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