Dodgers NLDS Game 1 Starter Revealed, And It's a Surprise

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a surprise decision for their starting pitcher in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.

Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal is getting the start in NLDS Game 1, as first reported by The Athletic.

That means right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player award winner, will not start Game 1, but instead factor into the series down the line.

When exactly he pitches, however, remains to be seen.

Tarik Skubal Starting NLDS Game 1 for Dodgers

When the Dodgers acquired Skubal ahead of the trade deadline, the move was seen as more of a luxury.

However, injuries depleted the team's rotation in the second half, and he's now a necessity atop the rotation.

While Skubal didn't look like a reigning two-time Cy Young award winner in all 10 of his starts with LA, he was still dominant, accruing a 2.61 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 62 innings.

He also believes he can be even better, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.

“Those numbers are great. I think there’s just some things where I could be better,” Skubal said after his final start of the regular season. “[My last start] was a really good day, but I’ve also had some kind of poor performances. Especially the walk number to me kind of stands out. That might be showing me that I’m a little timid subconsciously. I’m not attacking the way I know how to attack. I had two last game. I feel like the last five or six starts I’ve had a walk in every single game.

“My stuff’s too good to give a guy a free pass. Let him earn it. … I’ve got eight guys behind me, too. So let them earn their way on instead of giving a free pass. There’s always room for improvement. I’m not really satisfied with anything I’ve accomplished so far.”

How Has Tarik Skubal Done in the Postseason in his Career?

Skubal has made six career postseason starts over the last two years, compiling a 2.04 ERA with 56 strikeouts over 39.2 innings.

Most of that damage, however, came in Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS, where he allowed five runs over six innings. In four of his six postseason starts, he's allowed one or zero runs.

Last year, Skubal made three starts for the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs, finishing with a 1.74 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 20.2 innings.

Why Isn't Yoshinobu Yamamoto Starting Game 1?

It's a bit of a surprise that Yamamoto is not starting Game 1 considering the team doesn't like him pitching on shorter rest.

By pitching in Game 1, Yamamoto would have been in line to start Game 5, too.

At the same time, the Dodgers couldn't have really made a wrong decision with their Game 1 starter. Between Skubal, Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, manager Dave Roberts said the team had four aces.

“To be honest, we can kind of really put all four guys in a hat and run them out there,” Roberts said this week.

Now, the Dodgers have a decision to make for the rest of their series.

After Yamamoto pitched in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday — continuing his once-a-week pitching schedule — he may be pushed back to Tuesday's Game 3 in Atlanta. Thus, Snell would likely start Game 2, and Glasnow would be in line for Game 4.

Then, if the series goes the distance, Skubal would be ready to start a win-or-go-home Game 5.

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