Dodgers vs Mets: Lineups, Pregame Matchups, and More for August 31

The Dodgers won the first game of this potential postseason preview series, and while Dave Roberts said they would approach the series with an eye on the postseason, Tuesday night’s game didn’t bear much resemblance to what the Dodgers will throw out there in October. Justin Turner and Will Smith got the day off, and the Dodgers only had four available relievers, two of whom weren’t on the active roster Tuesday morning.

Still, the Dodgers pulled out a 4-3 victory, and having one in the bank is nice, because it doesn’t get easier from here. In game two of the series, All-Star lefty Tyler Anderson will take the mound for the Dodgers against Jacob deGrom of the Mets.

Anderson has been solid all season, but he’s been outstanding lately. His 1.78 ERA over his last four starts has lowered his season mark to 2.69, fifth-best in the National League. He doesn’t strike many guys out — just 111 in 140.2 innings this season — but his changeup and cutter keep hitters off balance and prevents them from making good contact. On the season, Anderson is in the 96th percentile in average exit velocity allowed (just 85.2 mph) and the 95th percentile in hard-hit percentage (29.8 percent).

Among current Mets, only Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha have faced Anderson 10 or more times, with only Escobar having any notable success (4-for-13 with a double). Brandon Nimmo and Darin Ruf each have one career homer against Anderson.

On the other side, deGrom is maybe the best pitcher in baseball when he’s healthy. He will be making his sixth start of the season after missing the first four months on the injured list, and he appears to be roughly as good as he’s ever been. He has 46 strikeouts and just two walks in 29.1 innings this season, and just two home runs allowed. Sandy Alcantara and Corbin Burnes are both good — Burnes won last year’s Cy Young Award, and Alcantara is like to win this year’s — but they’re not Jacob deGrom, so don’t expect a huge offensive explosion in this game.

Former NL East stars Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner have both faced deGrom plenty, with Freeman posting a .737 OPS in 71 plate appearances and Turner putting up a .608 OPS in 45 PA. Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Max Muncy have all faced him at least a dozen times, and each has a homer against him. Chris Taylor is 3-for-6 with a homer (although he understandably sits today), and Joey Gallo is 1-for-2 with a homer.

Gallo gets the start in left field tonight, while the rest of the lineup is basically the classic 2022 Dodgers lineup.

Today’s #Dodgers lineup at Mets: pic.twitter.com/2C5DZw4P6T

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 31, 2022

Today’s game will mark the 129th game of the season for LA. They are currently 90-38, on pace for nearly 114 wins. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 pm PT.

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