The Los Angeles Dodgers face the San Francisco Giants in the second game of the regular season’s final series.
The Dodgers will rotate in veterans with something to provide heading into the postseason, with Freddie Freeman notably absent for Saturday’s game.
Dodgers Lineup
1. Mookie Betts, SS
2. Shohei Ohtani, DH
3. Will Smith, C
4. Teoscar Hernandez, LF
5. Kyle Tucker, RF
6. Miguel Rojas, 3B
7. Andy Pages, CF
8. Kike Hernandez, 1B
9. Tommy Edman, 2B
The Dodgers are facing lefty Matt Wilkinson, which lets Rojas and Kike Hernandez enter the mix in a favorable matchup with a righty-heavy lineup.
The biggest note of the game is that once again, Mookie Betts is batting leadoff, while Shohei Ohtani is hitting second.
Manager Dave Roberts has made it clear that Ohtani wasn’t guaranteed to hit leadoff against lefties, and with Betts continuing to deliver quality plate appearances, the Dodgers skipper is willing to start the order with Betts.
At-bats from Andy Pages, Kike Hernandez, Miguel Rojas, and Tommy Edman are all worth monitoring. Pages is still somewhat fresh off the injured list, while Tommy Edman has been in a slump.
Rojas and Hernandez feature so inconsistently that they are always worth following whenever they play.
Who is pitching for the Dodgers?
Blake Snell starts against the Giants after being pulled early in his last outing. Snell, who has a history of groin injuries, had some groin soreness surface against the Cincinnati Reds last week.
Initial concern about his postseason viability grew, and as a key member of the rotation, the Dodgers could ill-afford to lose him.
The injury doesn’t seem major, and Snell has a chance to get some pitching work before October kicks into high gear.
In terms of actual pitching production, Snell sits at the top, with elite stuff and sharp command.
If he is fully sharp, Snell can carry a team in the postseason, and while the Dodgers don’t need that this week, next week will be a different story.
