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The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers continue their National League Division Series with a pair of unheralded pitchers starting Game 2 on Saturday after solid seasons.
On a staff with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark led the Nationals with a 2.83 ERA in 2016, with 172 strikeouts and 73 walks in 210 innings.
“It's definitely a dream come true. You know, to get your first start in the post-season,” Roark told reporters on Friday. “But you've got to go out there and be confident in everything that I do, and, you know, be aggressive and keep doing what I did all during the season.”
Rich Hill was playing in independent leagues as late as August 2015, but parlayed four strong September starts with the Boston Red Sox into a one-year free agent contract with the Oakland A’s. The 36-year-old left-hander was 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA in 20 starts in 2016, including a 1.83 ERA in six starts after getting traded to the Dodgers.
This will be his second postseason start, and his first since 2007 with the Chicago Cubs.
“Every single day becomes monotonous or becomes almost, it's your routine, and you prepare for days like tomorrow. So it's no bigger than any other game. Yeah, is it bigger than any other -- of course it's bigger than other games. It's the post-season,” Hill explained on Friday. “However, when you look at it from the standpoint of preparation, you prepare and prepare and prepare, so when you get to these moments, it's the same as a regular-season game.”
NLDS Game 2 info
When: 4:08 p.m. ET
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports Go app or Postseason.tv
Radio: ESPN Radio