Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks: Key Players to Watch in NLDS

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 04: Brandon Drury
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 04: Brandon Drury /
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Dodgers
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 04: Robbie Ray /

Robbie Ray

While Zack Greinke gets the title of the team “ace,” Robbie Ray has been the Dodgers kryptonite this season. Ray is coming off of a breakout season, in which he made his first ever All-Star team. Ray went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA with 218 strikeouts in 162 innings. Pretty impressive numbers.

What’s concerning for Dodger fans is how Ray has faired against LA. In 5 starts this season, Ray went 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings. Ray had some dominant outings against the boys in blue. Including 7 2/3 scoreless innings in his last start against the Dodgers in September.

On the bright side, the Dodgers could get away with only having to face him once. Ray was used on Wednesday night out of the bullpen and threw 34 pitches in 2 1/3 innings. This was a little surprising when you consider that Ray was supposed to start game 1. But I can understand Torey Lovullo’s decision to use him because their spot in the NLDS was not guaranteed.

Ray is scheduled to start in game 2, so there still is a chance the Dodgers could face him twice. But that would mean pitching three times in one week. The Dodgers have seen Ray 5 times this season, so hopefully, Turner Ward develops a scouting report to shift the dominance.