SAN FRANCISCO — With a National League West title on the line, the Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to their precocious rookie starting pitcher, Walker Buehler, who will face the Colorado Rockies from Dodger Stadium in Monday’s tiebreaker, a 4:09 p.m. ET start on ESPN.
Buehler will face fellow right-hander German Marquez after the Dodgers and Rockies won on Sunday by a combined score of 27-0. The Dodgers swept the Rockies at the start of last week to take a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL West, but the Rockies have since won nine of 10 and both clubs now sport a 91-71 record.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was initially going to start Buehler against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Sunday, but appeared to change his mind after the Washington Nationals decided not to start Max Scherzer against the Rockies at Coors Field.
Roberts could have elected to save Buehler for a potential Wild Card game on Tuesday, but he wants to do his best to avoid that.
“Our goal is to win the division,” said Roberts, who would have deployed what basically constituted a bullpen game had he not chosen Buehler. “With Walker rested, having an extra day — right now, he’s our best. To win this game, to win the division — it’s in our hands.”
Buehler, who will take the mound on five days’ rest, has a 1.70 ERA over his last 11 starts, with 20 walks and 84 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old last faced the Rockies in a Sept. 19 start in which he overcame a 36-pitch first inning to allow two unearned runs in six innings, striking out 12 and walking one.
Marquez, who will be on his normal four days’ rest, threw seven shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in his last start and owns a 2.57 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers this season.
The winner of Monday’s game will have home-field advantage against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series, which begins Thursday. The loser will travel to face either the Chicago Cubs or the Milwaukee Brewers — who will play their own tiebreaker at Wrigley Field on Monday — in the Wild Card game.
“Obviously it’s not do or die,” Roberts said of Monday’s game, “but obviously it’s a must-win game. To win the game and to get a couple of days off, and to host a Division Series, is very important.”