Tarik Skubal Gets the Ball for Dodgers in NLCS Game 1

Tarik Skubal is getting the ball for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS. Dave Roberts made it official Friday: Skubal starts Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers and their ace, Jacob Misiorowski, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto set for Game 2 on Monday at American Family Field, per FOX Sports and the Associated Press.

That is about as heavyweight as a series opener gets. Two-time Cy Young winner on one side, a Brewers flamethrower who has owned the Dodgers on the other, and a trip to the World Series on the line. The series opens in Milwaukee, so the Dodgers have to go steal one on the road right away.

Skubal was nasty in the NLDS opener

Skubal also started Game 1 of the Division Series against Atlanta and set the tone. The lefty went six innings, allowed one run on two hits, struck out seven and walked two in a 5-3 Dodgers win.

The Braves pushed back in Game 2, beating Blake Snell and the Dodgers 3-2 to even the series, but Los Angeles took the next two. Yamamoto struck out 10 over seven innings of one-run ball in Game 3, and Andy Pages ripped a two-out, two-run go-ahead single in the seventh inning of the 4-1 clincher at Truist Park.

So Roberts is rolling out the same one-two punch that just knocked out Atlanta. Skubal in the opener, Yamamoto, last year's World Series MVP, right behind him.

Misiorowski is the problem

Here is why Dodgers fans should not get comfortable. Misiorowski has seen this lineup three times, two regular season starts plus a relief outing in last year's NLCS, and the numbers are ugly for L.A. Across those 17 innings he has a 1.59 ERA with 27 strikeouts and three walks.

That is a pitcher's duel on paper. If you are building a Game 1 pick'em card, the under on runs is going to look awfully tempting with these two on the mound.

Roster calls before Sunday

Roberts said the Dodgers were talking about adding a pitcher for the best-of-seven series, which would mean dropping a position player. Rosters are due Sunday morning.

The other name to watch is Miguel Rojas. The 37-year-old utility man left Game 3 against Atlanta with lower back pain, and imaging mostly showed old back issues. He took ground balls and a couple rounds of batting practice at Dodger Stadium on Friday. Rojas has said he is leaning toward retiring after the season, so every postseason at-bat matters to him.

"Today was encouraging," Roberts said. "We still have a flight to get on and see how he comes in tomorrow for the workout there, so there's nothing definitive."

Skubal against Misiorowski, Sunday in Milwaukee, pennant on the line. Clear your schedule, because Game 1 of this NLCS could be decided by one swing.