Dodgers NLDS Schedule: LA opens the postseason on Saturday, October 5th

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers won the National League West for the third straight time and the 11th time in the last 12 years and will be no worse than No. 2 Netherlands. That means they get a bye after the wild card round and begin their postseason with Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Saturday, October 5 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers already had a better record than the Brewers, winners of the NL Central, on Wednesday. That means the Dodgers (95-64) or the Phillies (94-65) will be the No. 1 seed in the NL playoffs and the other will be the No. 2 seed. If the Phillies finish the regular season with the same record, keep they got the tiebreaker ahead of the Dodgers.

In the Division Series, the No. 1 seed plays the winner of the No. 4-5 wild card series, while the No. 2 seed plays the winner of the No. 6 seed Brewers wild card series.

The Dodgers’ rotation has too many question marks for them to survive an additional round of the postseason. No Tyler Glasnow, no Gavin Stone, and Clayton Kershaw’s return becomes less likely with each passing day on the calendar. Walker Buehler has been uneven at best.

As of September, the Dodgers rotation has a 6.06 ERA while averaging 4⅔ innings per start.

Their top two starters are Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the latter of whom was on the injured list for nearly three months and has only made three short starts in the majors since then, not quite ready for the postseason.

And considering that the Dodgers won’t be using Yamamoto for four days of rest, which he really hasn’t done in his entire career in Japan and the United States, Yamamoto wouldn’t have been able to do that if the Dodgers got into the wild card round Pitch would have been relegated as he is scheduled to start his final practice session of the regular season on Saturday at Coors Field.

“It’s the goal. Certainly it would be helpful where we are, and it is in our own hands. That would certainly be welcome,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday of the departure. “This is something we still have to earn. We still have some work to do.”