Two teams with something to prove begin their National League Division Series on Friday evening, with the Washington Nationals hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 at Nationals Park.
Dodgers vs. Nationals 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch NLDS Game 1
Scherzer vs. Kershaw in the opener in Washington D.C.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Fox Sports 1 will televise the series opener in Washington D.C., which starts at 5:38 p.m. ET, the third of four games on a busy Thursday MLB schedule.
The Nationals won the National League East for the third time in five years in 2016, but are looking to advance past the opening round for the first time since moving to Washington. The Dodgers have won four consecutive National League West titles, but have lost in the NLDS in each of the last two seasons.
Both teams were guided by new managers this year, with Dave Roberts guiding the Dodgers to 91 wins in his first season as a skipper. Dusty Baker, who like Roberts, played for the Dodgers in his career, won 95 games in his first year with the Nationals, his fourth different team he has led to the playoffs, joining the Giants, Cubs, and Reds.
Max Scherzer starts in Game 1 on Friday for the Nationals in his second season of a seven-year free agent contract with Washington. The right-hander won 20 games in 2016 with a 2.96 ERA in 34 starts, and led the National League in both innings (228⅓) and strikeouts (284), the latter a career high.
Clayton Kershaw gets the call for the Dodgers in the series opener, his fourth consecutive NLDS Game 1 start. Kershaw was on his way to arguably his finest season until a herniated disc in his back sidelined him for 10 weeks. But he made it back for five starts in September, ending his season 12-4 with a 1.69 ERA in 21 starts, with 172 strikeouts and an absurd 11 walks in his 149 innings, falling 13 innings shy of qualifying for the ERA title.
”He feels good, and feels strong,” Roberts said on Tuesday. “He’s used to throwing 220 innings, and his arm usage is definitely less this season.”
Scherzer (1,283) and Kershaw (1,173) rank No. 1 and 2 in baseball in strikeouts in the last five seasons.
The Dodgers won five of the six meetings between these two teams this season, including 2-of-3 in Washington.
NLDS Game 1 info
When: 5:38 p.m. ET
Where: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports Go app or Postseason.tv
Radio: ESPN Radio
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