After splitting the first two games at Wrigley Field, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs now meet for a series rubber match that is sure to draw heightened attention due to Shohei Ohtani being in the lineup against Shota Imanaga.
Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seiya Suzuki and Imanaga already have a spotlight on them, but this weekend has seen even more international attention. Yamamoto and Imanaga posed for a photograph together before Friday’s game, and Ohtani and Suzuki talked in the outfield before Saturday’s game.
Suzuki then went 0-for-3 with a walk and reached on a fielder’s choice against Yamamoto. The matchup was one the right-hander said he was looking forward to.
Now Ohtani gets to take at-bats against Imanaga, who makes the second start of his career. The southpaw threw six shutout innings with nine strikeouts in his MLB debut against the Colorado Rockies.
Imanaga faces a Dodgers lineup that includes their platoon matchups, with Miguel Rojas starting at third base among them. It’s the first time this season Max Muncy isn’t starting and it’s also Rojas’ first game at third base.
With Betts remaining at shortstop and Rojas playing third, Gavin Lux gets an opportunity to face same-side pitching. Lux is off to a slow start this season as he looks to find a rhythm after missing all of last year.
Gavin Stone takes the mound for the Dodgers in his second start of the season as well. Stone allowed three runs on seven hits to the St. Louis Cardinals in his 2024 debut but also set a career high with six strikeouts.
Dansby Swanson enters the day on a seven-game hitting streak.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Mookie Betts
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
RF: Teoscar Hernández
CF: Kiké Hernández
LF: Chris Taylor
2B: Gavin Lux
3B: Miguel Rojas
Cubs lineup
DH: Ian Happ
RF: Seiya Suzuki
CF: Cody Bellinger
3B: Christopher Morel
SS: Dansby Swanson
1B: Michael Busch
2B: Nico Hoerner
LF: Mike Tauchman
C: Miguel Amaya
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