SAN FRANCISCO — Blake Snell eased lingering concerns about his left groin tightness with a solid final regular-season tuneup Saturday, throwing four innings of one-run ball before the Dodgers secured a 4-3 win over the Giants at Oracle Park, their 99th victory of the season.
Snell exited his previous start with left groin tightness, and the Dodgers wanted to see close to a full start without pushing him. He finished after 77 pitches (50 strikes), allowing one run on five hits while striking out three Giants. "There's a balance between getting your work in, making sure you feel good coming out of it," manager Dave Roberts said before the game.
His status had been the primary concern surrounding Los Angeles' daunting four-man postseason rotation that also features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal and Tyler Glasnow. Now through his final tuneup, the main question is how to line up the four for the National League Division Series, which begins Oct. 3 at Dodger Stadium. "To be honest with you, you could put them all in a hat, and you could make a case for any order you put them in," Roberts said.
The Dodgers feel good about any of the four making a Game 1 start, so the decision comes down to getting the most out of the group. Rest is a key consideration. Los Angeles ran a six-man rotation for most of the season, meaning starters are accustomed to five days' rest. Yamamoto has not started a game on less rest than that — although he did pitch on back-to-back days to clinch MVP honors in last year's World Series — while Skubal, Snell and Glasnow all have experience pitching on four days' rest.
That could shape the NLDS alignment when the Dodgers reset their rotation. Starting Yamamoto in Game 1 would allow him to start a potential Game 5 on his usual rest, while Skubal, Snell or Glasnow could start Game 2 and still be available for a potential Game 5 on four days' rest.