Anibal Sanchez Replaces Max Scherzer Hours Before Dodgers vs. Nationals Game 3

The Los Angeles Dodgers won’t have to face Max Scherzer at the start of Game 3 of their National League Division Series.

According to the Canadian Press (h/t TSN), the Washington Nationals elected to start Anibal Sanchez for Sunday’s game instead of Scherzer after the latter pitched in relief during Friday’s Game 2.

Washington decided on the change less than nine hours before the 7:45 p.m. ET start time.

This will likely come as something of a relief for the Dodgers given Scherzer’s status as one of the best pitchers of his generation and a three-time Cy Young winner. He also finished in the top five of the award’s voting in each of the last six years and is once again a candidate in 2019 after finishing the season with a 2.92 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 243 strikeouts in 172.1 innings.

He was dominant in Friday’s game, striking out the side in the eighth inning and helping preserve what eventually became a 4-2 win to even the series.

Sanchez was solid this year with a 3.85 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 134 strikeouts in 166 innings, but he cannot match Scherzer’s ceiling.

Still, the Dodgers will surely see the daunting right-hander again at some point in this series. Washington has the chance to win the series on its home field in the next two games and can turn to Scherzer in Game 4 or even Game 5 if needed.

He already proved he can come out of the bullpen and can provide a formidable one-two punch with Stephen Strasburg if the season is hanging in the balance.