Update: Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told Bill Shakin of the Los Angeles Times that the team will start Ricky Nolasco in Game 4, not Clayton Kershaw.
Ricky Nolasco will start Game 4 for Dodgers
The team considered pitching Kershaw on three days rest, but will turn to Nolasco instead.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Original: The Los Angeles Dodgers are considering starting Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the NLDS despite winning Game 3, according to Ken Gurnick and Austin Laymance of MLB.com
Reports came out Sunday that Kershaw could pitch in Game 4, but only if the Dodgers lost Game 3 to the Atlanta Braves and faced elimination. The Dodgers ended up winning 13-6 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is still weighing his options, telling reporters after the game that he’d “like to be able to close this out (Monday). You never know what happens. Twist and turns of the game.”
More Dodgers: LA overpowers Atlanta 13-6
Kershaw threw a shortened bullpen session on Saturday, keeping open the possibility of starting on three days rest. The southpaw has never pitched on short rest before, but threw 124 pitches over seven innings to help the Dodgers win Game 1 on Thursday.
Ricky Nolasco is still scheduled to start for Los Angeles, but would understand the decision to start Kershaw:
“This isn’t about me, this is about the team. Whatever decision they make is going to be the best decision for the team. So I’m with whatever. They’re the ones who get paid to make those decisions. So I’ll be here ready to take the ball whenever they ask me to pitch.”
Nolasco pitched well for the Dodgers after coming over from the Miami Marlins in a mid-season trade, going 8-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 15 starts.
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