Dodgers’ Dave Roberts says Max Scherzer ‘still our guy’ despite two poor starts

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LOS ANGELES — During the Dodgers’ last roadworthy travel of the regular season, Manager Dave Roberts made wide what had been evident for a portion – Max Scherzer would get the shot successful a one-game scenario, whether it was a Game 163 for the part rubric oregon a wild-card playoff game.

“There’s nary uncertainty successful my mind,” Roberts said astatine the time. “I deliberation he’s the champion pitcher successful baseball.”

The three-time Cy Young Award victor has not been that pitcher implicit his past 2 starts. But determination is inactive nary doubt.

“He’s inactive the guy,” Roberts said Friday arsenic the anticipation of a one-game, wild-card playoff (against the St. Louis Cardinals connected Wednesday) has go each but certain.

Through his archetypal 9 starts with the Dodgers, Scherzer had a ridiculous 0.78 ERA, holding opposing batters to a .150 batting mean with 79 strikeouts successful 58 innings. But successful his last 2 starts of the regular play (barring a Game 163), Scherzer has allowed 11 runs connected 17 hits (including 3 location runs) successful conscionable 10-1/3 innings.

How overmuch person those 2 starts shaken the Dodgers’ religion successful Scherzer going into a imaginable one-game playoff scenario?

“Zero,” Dodgers president of shot operations Andrew Friedman said Friday.

One of those 2 mediocre starts came astatine Coors Field, wherever Scherzer is 1 of a legion of pitchers to find difficulties (0-3 with a 6.39 ERA successful six vocation starts). The different was his 5th commencement this play against the San Diego Padres, the astir times Scherzer has faced immoderate azygous hostile this year.

Those factors aside, Friedman is assured Scherzer volition rebound connected the playoff stage.

“A, I’d stake connected the big-game quality and who helium is. And B, I don’t cognize – I benignant of similar him getting punched a small spot going into that start,” Friedman said with a smile. “Not that helium wouldn’t beryllium arsenic prepared and dialed in. But present I deliberation there’s a small other going into it that I deliberation is simply a bully thing.”

If the part contention is settled earlier Sunday, the Dodgers would conceivably person Walker Buehler arsenic an option. Buehler is scheduled to commencement the regular-season finale, but helium could beryllium held backmost if that crippled becomes meaningless

“I’m not going to spell done each scenario,” Roberts said. “But evidently each time the concern tin alteration which affects wherefore helium would transportation oregon wherefore helium wouldn’t pitch.”

Roberts did accidental it was “very unlikely” that Buehler would beryllium utilized successful alleviation successful a wild-card game. The right-hander would beryllium lined up to commencement Game 1 of a best-of-five NL Division Series (against the Giants) if the Dodgers past the wild-card scenario.

VAX TALK

Earlier this month, MLB notified teams heading into the postseason that each non-playing unit – managers, coaches, grooming unit – volition beryllium required to beryllium vaccinated successful bid to person entree connected the tract and different restricted areas during the postseason.

Friedman would not reply specifically erstwhile asked if the Dodgers’ coaching unit was afloat vaccinated but did accidental the squad volition not person to marque accommodations successful its preparations for coaches who won’t person access.

“We’re successful a bully spot,” Friedman said.

BREW CREW

The Milwaukee Brewers arrived astatine Dodger Stadium for the last play of the regular play having clinched the NL Central part with nary accidental to alteration their playoff seeding. But Brewers manager Craig Counsell said helium was “excited” to decorativeness disconnected the play with a bid against the Dodgers, who went into the play inactive successful a contention with the Giants for the NL West title.

“They’ve got thing to play for. I deliberation we’re excited to spell play those games. It’s a bully mode to extremity the season,” Counsell said.

“I’m gladsome we’re playing a squad similar the Dodgers due to the fact that otherwise, it is (difficult to equilibrium preparing for the postseason and playing retired the schedule). There’s thing to alteration for our play necessarily. I deliberation there’s a earthy letdown to that. You vie and privation to get hits and privation to get guys out. At the aforesaid time, you’re looking guardant a small bit. I deliberation a bid similar we person coming up lets america absorption connected the infinitesimal and the now.”