Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to deploy an opener for Monday’s series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Rather than have right-hander Emmet Sheehan take the mound in the first inning, it was left-hander Anthony Banda who got the start.
The Phillies had two left-handers — Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper — batting second and third in the lineup, respectively. Thus, Roberts wanted to play the matchups and potentially get a quick 1-2-3 inning to open the game, before passing the ball to Sheehan in the second.
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“Anthony is going to play an important role in this series,” Roberts said before the game.