Atlanta Braves (3) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2), 4:00 PM ET

ATL: Johnny Wholestaff, LAD: Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.72 ERA, 70 DRA-)

*shrug*

We can talk about the Braves potentially screwing themselves out of pitching ace Chris Sale twice in this series another time—maybe even tomorrow. For now, it’s a bullpen game, though at the moment the likeliest candidate for bulk work is JR Ritchie. The 23-year-old rookie has solid stuff—his curveball especially is very nice—but if you want to know why he’s likely to be featured in Game 1 of the NLDS, look no further than this list:

• Spencer Schwellenbach
• Spencer Strider
• Hurston Waldrep
• Bryce Elder
• Reynaldo López
• Martín Pérez
• Joey Wentz

Those are all of Atlanta’s starting pitchers on the IL right now. In my estimation, six of them (all but Wentz) would probably get the ball over Ritchie in a Game 1 if they were available, but they aren’t, so Atlanta is making do with what they have. I should stress that this is not an insult towards Ritchie, who again, has nice stuff and a chance to be a good pitcher in this league. But the fact that he’s going to be thrown to the wolves like this speaks to how dire Atlanta’s situation really is. As such, don’t think Walt Weiss is going to let him hang around for long. Or maybe he will, because how are the Braves going to fill nine—or eight—innings otherwise?

The Dodgers are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Their rotation is an embarrassment of riches and, as it just so happens, all the big arms are healthy in time for the postseason. Because of that, Dave Roberts had the luxury of choosing his starter based on matchup, not just talent. The name he drew out of the hat was Skubal’s, the hired gun who in a month’s time will become the most coveted free agent in the sport. Why Skubal and not playoff hero and fellow bonafide stud Yamamoto? Simple: the Braves struggle mightily against left-handed pitching. Optimizing between Cy Young contenders—so gross it’s almost admirable.

Skubal has gone under the radar since being traded to the Dodgers, understandably so given the collection of stars alongside him. He also had a couple of only okay starts in the first few weeks of his Dodgers tenure, which turned some people off, but under the hood he’s been mostly the same, a power lefty who pumps strikes with heat and an elite changeup. Skubal has made subtle tweaks as a Dodger: fewer sinkers in exchange for more four-seamers, more back-door sliders to righties, etc.

The big lefty hasn’t faced these Braves hitters all that often. He did pitch seven great innings against them in late April, but that might as well have been a lifetime ago. It’s a fresh slate, a dominant arm on the mound for LA, and a great matchup ahead of him.