The Los Angeles Dodgers will open postseason play Saturday evening, facing the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of a National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium, trying to avoid a repeat of last season’s early exit.
“I think that with what happened last year and how quick the exit was, I still think that looms with a lot of guys,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at a news conference Friday, referring to the four-game loss to a San Diego Padres team that won 89 games in the regular season, 22 fewer than the Dodgers’ team-record 111.
“I felt we were ready last year and we won Game 1 and just ended up not winning another game after that. But I feel good. So, baseball, it’s so unpredictable, and that’s why we can all have thoughts about this series and no one knows until we play the game.”
The Dodgers entered the 2023 season amid uncertainty following the departures of three everyday starters and two starting pitchers, but went 100-62 to win the National League West for the ninth time in 10 seasons.
The Diamondbacks were second in the National League West with an 84-78 record, 16 games behind the Dodgers, qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2017, then swept the National League Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
“They’ve got a really good speed and power combination in their lineup,” said Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ Game 1 starting pitcher. “They’ve got a lot of guys swinging their bats well.”
Arizona was second in Major League Baseball with 166 stolen bases, behind Cincinnati’ 190, and first in triples with 44.
The Dodgers were 8-5 against the Diamondbacks during the regular season, winning the last five games, sweeping a two-game series at Chase Field Aug. 8-9 and a three-game series at Dodger Stadium Aug. 28-30. The Dodgers were 5-2 against Arizona at Dodger Stadium and 3-3 at Chase Field.
“I know it was a little bit of a grind last time we were here, but we’re a totally different team right now,” said Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, like Roberts a UCLA alumnus. “We’re in the big dance. We’ve advanced through the Wild Card round. And this team feels very good about where they’re at.”
To Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, the key is getting “the big hit.” He cited the team going hitless with runners in scoring position in 18 consecutive at-bats from Games 2 through 4 during last season’s Division Series loss.
“If we can just get the big hit this year I think we’ll be OK,” Freeman said.
Kershaw was 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA this season. He was on the injured list from June 30 until Aug. 10 because of what the team described as “left shoulder soreness.”
The Dodgers were 17-7 in the 35-year-old left-hander’s 24 starts.
Kershaw was 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts against Arizona.
“When No. 22 is on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers you feel good about it,” Freeman said. “Might not be throwing 95, like I used to face him 15 years ago, but he knows how to pitch and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer for a reason.”
Merrill Kelly will start for the Diamondbacks. The right-hander is 0-11 lifetime against the Dodgers, the most career losses without a win against a single opponent entering a postseason start against that team all-time, according to the sports analytics company Opta Sports.
Kelly called his record against the Dodgers “a bit of a mystery, a bit of a puzzle for me to solve, which going into the playoff game against them I’m looking forward to trying to solve in this game. We are diving into some different stuff and some different numbers and some different video to kind of figure out the different pieces of that puzzle.”
Kelly said he is “well overdue” for a victory over the Dodgers.
“I think they just prepare really well,” the 34-year-old Kelly said. “They do a lot of things that other teams don’t. Whatever analytics or preparation department that they have over there, I think they do a really good job of game planning and I think they do a good job as a lineup, one through nine, sticking to that game plan.
“For whatever reason there are certain players and certain teams throughout your career and your life in baseball that you kind of run into that just seem to have your number. Unfortunately, throughout my career, this team seems to be that team for me.
“But I’m as confident as ever. I think if I start thinking about my previous games and how they’ve gone and how bad my numbers are against these guys, I think I lose before I even step on the mound.”
Kelly was 0-2 with a 3.98 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers in 2023 and 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA for the season, fifth in the National League. Opposing batters hit .222 against him, the sixth-lowest in the league, and his .600 winning percentage was ninth in the league.
“He’s pitched in some huge baseball games for us,” Lovullo said. “He’s delivered and made pitches and has been able to slow the game down in this stretch drive. We asked a lot of him and Zac (Gallen), and he won a lot of very, very important ball games.”
Kelly was placed on the injured list July 27 due to right calf inflammation and reinstated July 25.
The game is set to begin at 6:20 p.m. and will be televised by TBS.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early with auto gates opening at 3:50 p.m. Dodgers first baseman-turned broadcaster Eric Karros will throw the ceremonial first pitch.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series will be played Monday, also at Dodger Stadium. Game 3 will be played Wednesday at Chase Field, as will Game 4, if necessary, on Thursday. Game 5, if necessary, would be played next Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
Tickets for the games at Dodger Stadium are available at dodgers.com/postseason. Fans are also encouraged to check the postseason ticket inventory available on the Dodgers’ secondary market partner, StubHub.