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It was no secret that the Brewers’ farm system lacked lefthanders. Aaron Ashby, a 2018 fourth-round pick, was the only southpaw ranked among the organization's preseason Top 30 Prospects.
Coincidentally or not, the Brewers went heavy after lefthanders in the 2019 draft, beginning in the first round when they selected Mississippi State lefthander Ethan Small with the 28th overall pick.
With just two picks among the first 132 selections, the Brewers went for a lefthander in the second round as well, drafting Antoine Kelly of Wabash Valley (Ill.) JC. The Brewers traded their supplemental first-round selection to the Rangers in December for lefty reliever Alex Claudio and forfeited their third-round pick for signing free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal.
That left the Brewers with the second-lowest draft bonus pool among the 30 teams, so it made sense to place an emphasis on college players. Among their 39 selections, 18 were college pitchers, including eight lefties, six of whom were taken in the first 13 rounds. Overall, the Brewers drafted 21 pitchers.
“We took some shots on some upside guys in that mix,” scouting director Tod Johnson said. “We didn’t necessarily target lefthanded pitching. We are not going to draft for need. The pitchers we landed on ended up being primarily lefthanded.”
Mississippi State's appearance in the College World Series delayed Small's signing with the Brewers, but the Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year throws mostly in the low 90s with his fastball. He led the conference with 160 strikeouts in 96 innings, and he issued just 27 walks while holding opponents to a .190 average.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 Kelly led all junior college pitchers with an average of 19.1 strikeouts per nine innings, and he signed for $1,025,100, the full slot value for the 65th overall pick.
“He has well above-average velocity,” Johnson said of Kelly, who regularly throws in the upper 90s. “We’re pretty excited because it’s some of the best lefthanded pure stuff in the draft.”
MICROBREWS
— The Brewers' 32nd-round pick, 18-year-old righthanderJefferson Figueroa, didn't attend a physical high school. Instead, he was drafted out of Florida Virtual School, an online school with no baseball team. Figueroa moved to the U.S. from Venezuela and played on travel ball teams, which helped him draw the attention of scouts.
— The Brewers drafted Texas shortstopDavid Hamiltonin the eighth round despite the fact he missed the entire season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Brewers knew Hamilton would not be able to play professionally until 2020, but they expect him to make a complete recovery.
LOS ANGELES – Walker Buehler will start Game 1 of the National League wild card series Wednesday for the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw will start Game 2.
By handing the opening assignment to Buehler, Manager Dave Roberts resolved the most immediate question about the Dodgers’ postseason plans Sunday. Buehler missed three starts down the stretch with a blister on his right index finger. He returned Wednesday to pitch four shutout innings against the A’s, and afterward declared himself fit for the postseason.
Both Buehler and Kershaw have maintained a posture of ambivalence over who starts when. In a best-of-three series, it’s nearly a moot point.
“There’s not a lot that really needed to go into it,” Roberts said of the decision. “We feel really good that both are great options.”
Buehler went 1-0 with a 3.44 earned-run average in eight starts this season. He struck out 42 batters and walked 11 in 36 2/3 innings. Buehler threw 65 pitches in his last start and has thrown as many as 92 in a game this season.
After missing his scheduled Opening Day assignment with a back injury, Kershaw went 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 10 starts. He’s the only Dodger starter to throw 99 pitches in a game this year – none threw 100 or more – and completed seven innings on three occasions.
As for who will start the if-necessary Game 3, and who will claim the final “three, four, or five” postseason roster spots up for grabs, that will be determined largely by the Dodgers’ first-round opponent.
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The Milwaukee Brewers (29-31) clinched the number-8 seed in the National League despite losing to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Milwaukee held the tiebreaker over the San Francisco Giants, who also finished 29-31, by virtue of their superior record in intradivisional games.
The Brewers went 19-21 against the rest of the NL Central, while the Giants went 18-22 against the NL West.
Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Julio Urías are candidates to start Friday’s game if needed. The two pitchers who do not start will head to the bullpen. That will only bolster an area that is arguably the Dodgers’ greatest strength to begin with. Through Saturday, Dodger relievers led the National League in earned-run average (2.80) and wins (25).
“I thought we were very prepared the last four years,” Roberts said. “What’s different? I think we have a deeper bullpen. Certainly adding Mookie (Betts) makes us better. The experience. All that stuff combined gives us a better chance this year.”
BETTS OUT
Mookie Betts was held out of Sunday’s game with a sore left hip, which absorbed a 90-mph sinker from Angels pitcher Julio Teheran on Saturday. Kiké Hernandez started in right field instead.
Roberts said Betts will take at-bats in a simulated game Tuesday in preparation for the postseason opener Wednesday.
The decision to start Hernandez in right field and Chris Taylor at second base was at least a partial playoff preview.
“Looking out, I think Chris Taylor is going to play a considerable amount of second base,” Roberts said. “Kiké is just so valuable because he can play anywhere on the diamond.”
ALSO
Justin Turner drew a walk, extending his on-base streak to 31 games, the longest in the major leagues. … The Dodgers finished interleague play with a 16-4 record, tied for the best in franchise history. … Roberts said the team will not practice Monday and hold a simulated intrasquad game Tuesday.