A date with the San Diego Padres in the NLDS is what MLB fans and Los Angeles Dodgers fans wanted. Everyone got their wish, and Game 1 is set for Saturday at 5:38 PM at Dodger Stadium.
The consensus was that Jack Flaherty would get the nod from Dave Roberts to start Game 1, but looks like a change has been made.
Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Andrew Friedman stated that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 1, and Jack Flaherty will pitch Game 2 on Sunday.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Named Game 1 Starting Pitcher For Los Angeles Dodgers
After missing nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain, Yamamoto finished the 2024 regular season with a 7-2 record, 3.00 ERA, 105 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.11.
If Shohei Ohtani was the prized signing of the offseason (he was), Yamamoto was a very expensive, but extremely talented second fiddle.
He signed a 12-year, $325 million contract, which was the longest and most lucrative contract for a pitcher in Major League History.
He is still only 26 years old, so plenty of time to make a name for himself in Los Angeles, but if he can go out in Game 1 and make a statement for his team and for the City, it will speak volumes and show that his talent could very well be worth the price tag.
By pitching in Game 1, it would indicate that he would be available to pitch the winner-take-all Game 5, if it gets to that point.