LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Monday that Julio Urías will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Padres on Tuesday. Clayton Kershaw will then go in Game 2 on Wednesday.

In four starts against the Padres this season, Urías was 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 24 innings. The left-hander has made five postseason starts for the Dodgers since 2016 and owns a 3.52 playoff ERA.

“I think for us you could essentially flip a coin,” Roberts said. “They’re both aces in our eyes. I think that Julio has been fantastic for us all year. Kind of just making that decision to give him that opportunity, we all felt good about it.”

Before officially announcing their pitching plans on Monday, the Dodgers had contemplated starting Kershaw in Game 1 despite Urías’ stellar regular season. Kershaw was also solid against the Padres in 2022, going 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts.

But the decision wasn’t based on success against San Diego; instead it was centered around which pitcher the Dodgers would want on the mound on full rest in a potential Game 5. They ultimately landed on Urías.

Had the Dodgers gone with Kershaw in Game 1, the likely future Hall of Famer would’ve been fully rested for a Game 5 if necessary. That’s significant because the Dodgers have been cautious with Kershaw’s workload this season, given he’s missed time with separate back injuries.

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Given Urías’ ability to come out of the bullpen, which he’s done in consecutive postseasons, the Dodgers were initially intrigued about the possibility of using a similar strategy. Urías would’ve been available on short rest, though that would’ve burned him for multiple games if they advanced to the NLCS.

With their current choice, the Dodgers have their ace available for two of the five games and have Kershaw available for a potential Game 1 in the NLCS.

“Hopefully we can get through the series,” Roberts said. “Then Clayton will be even more prominent in the next series. That’s kind of how it works.”

Urías gets the honor of starting the first game of the Dodgers’ postseason run for the first time in his career. After all, when Walker Buehler and Kershaw both went down with injuries earlier this season, the Dodgers were in desperate need of a pitcher to establish himself as the team’s ace.

All-Stars Tyler Anderson and Tony Gonsolin were having great seasons, but it was Urías who took his game to a different level.

Urías, the lone 20-game winner in 2021, had one of the best stretches of his career in the second half of the regular season, going 9-1 with a 1.26 ERA in 13 starts since the All-Star break. Urías allowed two or fewer runs in all of those starts. He used that dominant stretch to finish the ‘22 season with a 2.16 ERA, becoming the first Mexican-born pitcher to win the NL ERA title.

“I have never been excited to walk into the batter’s box against Julio,” said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. “I think everyone felt the same way as I’ve felt this year against him.”

Since signing with the Dodgers in 2016, lofty expectations have followed Urías. He rose through the Minors, quickly becoming a top prospect. Given that he’s a Mexican left-hander, the easy – and probably unfair – comparison was Fernando Valenzuela.

Every step of the way, however, Urías has risen to each challenge. He was the one who asked for the ball in relief during the ‘20 postseason, recording the final out in the NLCS and World Series. Last October, he was open to pitching behind an opener in Game 5 against the Giants in the NLDS and out of relief in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Braves.

There will be no mystery this postseason. Urías will be the Dodgers’ ace and he’ll be leading the way for a 111-win team that is looking to add the most important 11 wins of the season.

“That’s the beautiful thing about this,” Urías said in Spanish. “You go through good things, some bad things, but at the end of the day, they were all opportunities to prepare you for this moment. It’s a really nice sentiment and to take full advantage of it would be great.”