Needing victories over the weekend to secure another postseason berth, the Los Angeles Dodgers used Clayton Kershaw during their series with the San Francisco Giants. Back-to-back wins at AT&T Park left open the possibility of the Dodgers clinching the National League West.
After news of the Washington Nationals deciding against starting Max Scherzer against the Colorado Rockies in the regular season finale, the Dodgers reversed course and handed the ball to Rich Hill on Sunday.
That meant saving Walker Buehler for a potential Game 163 that would decide the NL West champion. That scenario came to fruition, and Buehler, having voiced supreme confidence in himself, went out and dominated the Rockies.