LOS ANGELES — After the Giants forced the Dodgers to the brink of elimination with a 1-0 win in Game 3 of the NLDS on Monday in Los Angeles, Dave Roberts was left with no choice.
The Dodgers manager wanted to save right-hander Walker Buehler for a potential Game 5 in San Francisco on Thursday, but to get to a winner-take-all matchup, Roberts is calling on Buehler to pitch on short rest for the first time in his major league career.
“Once he came today and felt good, it was a no-brainer,” Roberts said. “How long he can go, that will be dictated by how he’s throwing the baseball and how he feels.”
The All-Star right-hander took the loss in Game 1 of the NLDS against Giants ace Logan Webb, but he’s been outstanding against San Francisco this year as the former first round draft choice has posted a 2.49 ERA in seven starts including the one he made on Friday at Oracle Park.
The Giants, however, have won four of the seven games in which Buehler has pitched this year, securing comeback wins on May 28 and July 22 before tagging the former Vanderbilt star for six earned runs on September 5 and three more in Game 1 of the NLDS.
The Giants will counter Buehler with a similar lineup to the one he faced in Game 1 of the series when Buster Posey and Kris Bryant each homered off of him. One of the minor changes for San Francisco is that Darin Ruf will play first base after Wilmer Flores started at the position in Game 1 of the series.
#SFGiants vs. Dodgers, NLDS Game 4 (Giants lead 2-1)
Yaz
Wade BryantCrawford La Stella
Longoria RufDeSclafani
Posey
— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) October 12, 2021
Steven Duggar, who has homered and tripled off of Buehler this year, did not start Game 1 of the series and will not start Game 4 after playing excellent defense in center field in the Giants’ Game 3 shutout win.
SF Giants’ Game 4 lineup
- Tommy La Stella – 2B
- Darin Ruf – 1B
- Brandon Crawford – SS
- Buster Posey – C
- Kris Bryant – RF
- LaMonte Wade Jr – LF
- Evan Longoria – 3B
- Mike Yastrzemski – CF
- Anthony DeSclafani – RHP
Roberts had indicated Monday that Vacaville native and St. Mary’s product Tony Gonsolin could start or play a major role in Game 4, but with the Dodgers’ backs against the wall, Buehler will pitch on three days’ rest while Los Angeles will turn to lefty Julio Urías if it’s able to force a Game 5 on Thursday.
Buehler will face Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who was announced as the team’s Game 4 starter by manager Gabe Kapler following the team’s 1-0 win on Monday. DeSclafani’s numbers against the Dodgers are awful this year as the veteran starter posted a 7.33 ERA in six starts, but he was brilliant in his final outing of the season against Los Angeles as DeSclafani led the Giants to a win with six shutout innings of two-hit ball on September 3 at Oracle Park.
The Giants’ Game 2 starter, Kevin Gausman, will likely be available out of the bullpen on Tuesday, but Kapler is expected to save Webb for a potential Game 5. The Giants may need Gausman to take down at least one inning in Game 4 after right-handers Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval each threw more than 20 pitches in Game 3.
Rogers matched his season-high with 29 pitches over 1 2/3 innings while Doval needed 22 pitches to record a six-out save.
If the Dodgers force a Game 5, Roberts said lefty Julio Urías will start at Oracle Park on Thursday.