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Dodgers will start Kershaw, Buehler in first 2 playoff games

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Los Angeles Dodgers have set two-thirds of their playoff rotation for the wild-card series.

Ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw will start Game 1 of the team's best-of-three series next week, with right-hander Walker Buehler following him in Game 2, manager Dave Roberts announced Wednesday, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

The team's Game 3 starter - if one is needed - hasn't been chosen yet, Roberts said.

Kershaw leading the Dodgers into the playoffs is hardly surprising - the three-time Cy Young Award winner owns a sparkling 2.15 ERA and 0.76 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and only eight walks this season, despite missing some time early on due to a back issue.

Buehler is currently on the injured list with a blister, but the club expects to activate him Thursday. The 26-year-old owns a 3.86 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in seven starts this year, and a lifetime 2.72 ERA in the postseason.

L.A. will use southpaw Julio Urias in relief Wednesday to prepare for the playoffs, with reliever Joe Kelly starting in his place as an opener. The Dodgers made the move to get Urias used to pitching out of the bullpen if he needs to in the postseason, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.

Fellow young starters Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin may also pitch in relief during the final regular-season games in preparation for the role in October, Roberts said, per Gonzalez.

The Dodgers clinched their eighth straight NL West title and the NL's No. 1 seed on Tuesday. L.A. would host the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card series if the playoffs started today.

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