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View Winners → Sports Oct 09, 2023
Pitcher Bobby Miller. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Dodgers/X
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The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to even their National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at one game a piece Monday evening at Dodger Stadium, with rookie right-hander Bobby Miller set to make his postseason debut.
“I have a lot of confidence out there going against these guys,” the 24-year-old Miller said at a news conference Saturday. “I faced them twice already. They got to me a little more the second time against them. But I’ll do my best not to let it happen a third time.”
Miller allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings and was the winning pitcher in a 7-4 victory over the Diamondbacks Aug. 28 at Dodger Stadium.
Miller pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits, when he first faced Arizona Aug. 9, leaving the game when it was scoreless. The Dodgers scored twice in the eighth for a 2-0 victory at Chase Field.
Dodger manager Dave Roberts said he expects Miller “to have some nerves” Monday.
“I think that’s a good thing. That’s normal,” Roberts said at a news conference Sunday. “But once you get out there, you make your first pitch, I would assume that things kind of slow down. And that’s kind of my expectation.”
The Dodgers selected Miller’s contract from their Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate May 23 to replace Julio Urías in the starting rotation. The Dodgers placed Urías on the 15-day injured list May 20, retroactive to May 19, due to a left hamstring strain.
Miller made his major league debut May 23 and was the winning pitcher in an 8-1 victory at Atlanta, limiting the Braves to one run and four hits over five innings, striking out five and not walking a batter.
Miller had an 11-4 record with a 3.76 ERA in the regular season, with the Dodgers posting a 15-7 record in his 22 starts.
Miller will be facing an Arizona team that had 13 hits, including four home runs, off Clayton Kershaw and five relievers, in an 11-2 victory in Game 1 Saturday.
Kershaw had the worst start in his illustrious 16-season major league career, allowing six runs and six hits in one-third of an inning and was the first pitcher in Major League Baseball postseason history to allow five hits and five runs before recording an out.
“It was one of those days that you tip your hat to those guys,” Roberts said. “They executed a game plan and we’ve got to learn from it and get better.”
Right-hander Zac Gallen will pitch for the Diamondbacks. He was 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA in the regular season while Arizona was 19-15 in his 34 starts. The 28-year-old was 0-2 with a 9.90 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.
Gallen’s 17 victories were the second-most in the National League behind Atlanta’s 20-game winner Spencer Strider. He was third with 220 strikeouts and was the league’s starter in the All-Star Game.
Gallen was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of a Wild Card Series Wednesday despite a rocky start. He allowed two runs, three singles and walked a batter during a 32-pitch first inning, then pitched four shutout innings, allowing two hits, on 68 pitches in a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers to complete the sweep of the best-of-three series.
“He expects perfection from himself and we know nobody’s perfect,” said Arizona manager Torey Lovullo, like Roberts a UCLA alumnus. “But he strives for it with every pitch he throws.”
The game is set to begin at 6:07 p.m. and will be televised by TBS.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early with auto gates opening at 3:37 p.m. Dodgers first baseman-turned broadcaster Adrián González will throw the ceremonial first pitch.
If the Dodgers lose Monday, history will be squarely against them. Of the 88 Major League Baseball teams to have trailed a best-of-five series 2-0 entering the 2023 postseason, 10 have rallied to win the series, 11.4%.
