Although the Los Angeles Dodgers face the Milwaukee Brewers on the final day of the regular season, much of the focus remains on the National League West race.
With a six-game winning streak and on the brink of tying a franchise record for most wins in a single season, the Dodgers have done everything in their power this past week to catch the San Francisco Giants.
If L.A. manages to complete a sweep and the San Diego Padres win their series at Oracle Park, it will force a Game 163 to decide the NL West.
Walker Buehler looks to do his part in helping the Dodgers keep with upholding their end of the bargain. The right-hander is coming off an encouraging outing after struggling through September and faces the Brewers for the first time since Game 1 of last year’s Wild Card Series.
Limited by a lingering blister issue, Buehler only went four innings and allowed two runs on three hits, but did collect eight strikeouts.
As for this season, he’s 15-4 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 32 starts. Buehler has reached 200 strikeouts and 200 innings in a single season for the first time in his career.
He reached the thresholds behind seven scoreless innings against the Padres, which came after a 7.32 ERA through four starts in September.
Having already clinched the NL Central and with no playoff seeding implications at stake, the Brewers are relying on Brett Anderson as an opener of sorts in a bullpen game. Anderson spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Dodgers.
This year he’s 4-9 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 23 starts.
All games across baseball are scheduled for a 12:05 p.m. PT start, which adds another layer of intrigue to the race between the Dodgers and Giants.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
2B: Trea Turner
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
LF: AJ Pollock
CF: Chris Taylor
P: Walker Buehler
Brewers lineup
2B: Jace Peterson
SS: Willy Adames
1B: Rowdy Tellez
RF: Avisail Garcia
3B: Luis Urías
C: Omar Narváez
LF: Tyrone Taylor
CF: Jackie Bradley Jr.
P: Brett Anderson
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