Joe Torre still seems undecided when it comes to his NLCS starting rotation against the Phillies. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com has more:
There are strong indications that Torre will have the 21-year-old Kershaw start Game 1 of the NL Championship Series, too, and as a bonus, Torre’s probably getting Hiroki Kuroda back after Kuroda missed the first round of the playoffs.
The Dodgers manager, though, was confirming nothing Tuesday. He said he won’t announce until Wednesday who would start the first two games of the series against the Phillies, to be played Thursday and Friday at Dodger Stadium. Against the Cardinals, Wolf started Game 1 and Kershaw started Game 2.
Gurnick also mentions that Cole Hamels will likely start Game 1, with Cliff Lee likely holding off until Game 3. This makes games 1 and 2 crucial for the Dodgers, and their pitching matchups will have to be perfect if they want to take the series from the Phillies.
Torre should go with Kershaw in Game 1, Randy Wolf in Game 2, and Kuroda/Billingsley in 3. If they decide to go with a 4-man rotation, Vicente Padilla deserves to pitch in Game 4 Either Kuroda or Billingsley (whoever doesn’t start) will likely be in the bullpen for the series, as will Jon Garland, giving Joe Torre the resources to pull the plug on a starter early if they aren’t performing up to his standards.
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