Game 2 of Dodgers-Nationals NLDS postponed until Sunday
The effects of Hurricane Matthew are being felt along the east coast on Saturday and are wreaking havoc on several sporting events. That’s especially true in Washington D.C., where Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals was officially postponed.
According to Major League Baseball, Game 2 will be played on Sunday at 1:08 p.m. ET. That means both teams will lose a critical off day and will be forced to travel to Los Angeles for a quick turnaround with Game 3 scheduled for Monday afternoon.
The starting pitching matchup will remain the same, with the Dodgers starting veteran left-hander Rich Hill against Nationals 16-game winner Tanner Roark. Manager Dave Roberts can’t be too excited that the game was postponed, but is probably relieved he won’t have to manage Rich Hill’s blister problems in the rainy conditions. Hill’s blisters forced him to miss several starts during the final two months, including one start in Colorado that was complicated by wet conditions.
The postponement is also complicating Roberts’ plans for later in the series.
Dave Roberts says the rainout means Clayton Kershaw can't start Game 4. The team would need Rich Hill on short rest in Game 5 then.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 8, 2016
The original plan was to start rookie Julio Urias unless it proved to be an elimination game for Los Angeles. Now it’s going to be Urias regardless, which could be a dicey proposition. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they won Game 1 behind Clayton Kershaw and some timely offense, so they’re in good shape for now. They’ll start Kenta Maeda in Game 3.
As for Washington…
Rizzo said he doesn't think the rainout should change Nats rotation this series.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) October 8, 2016
That means Roark and Gio Gonzalez are still on track for Games 2 and 3 respectively. If Game 4 is required, it would likely come down to Max Scherzer or Joe Ross, depending on the circumstances.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
