The Los Angeles Dodgers, who are mere hours away from taking the field for Game 7 of their National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves, have finally revealed the identity of their starting pitcher. It won't be Tony Gonsolin, as expected. It won't be Julio Urias, either. Rather, it's Dustin May, according to SB Nation's Eric Stephen, among others.
May, 23, will be making his third appearance of the series. He pitched in relief in Game 1, then started Game 5. That "start" was more of an "open," as he was limited to two innings, 11 batters, and 55 pitches. May will be working on one day's rest, suggesting he's unlikely to pitch beyond an inning, maybe two if he's efficient.
Once May is finished, the Dodgers will presumably turn things over to Gonsolin. This being an all-hands situation, they could also get Julio Urias involved on short rest. The Dodgers do have one particular pickle to be concerned about heading into Game 7, and that pertains to their endgame trio of Pedro Baez, Blake Treinen, and Kenley Jansen. All three have pitched on consecutive days, meaning they could (and likely will) be pitching for a third day in a row.
During the regular season, May made 12 appearances (10 starts) and accumulated a 2.57 ERA (165 ERA+) and 2.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
May, by the way, will be opposed by Braves right-hander Ian Anderson. Anderson started Game 2 for the Braves and held the Dodgers to no runs over four innings. He did walk five batters and allowed a hit, suggesting he was a touch fortunate to escape without any damage.
The winner will claim the National League pennant and advance to the World Series to meet the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays, of course, punched their ticket to the Fall Classic on Saturday, defeating the Houston Astros in their own Game 7.
