The final day of the 2023 regular season is here as the Los Angeles Dodgers try to win their series against their rival San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park with only records to play for.
With 99 victories this season, the Dodgers have one more chance to reach the century mark, which would make them the first team in MLB history to win 100 or more games in four consecutive full seasons. Besides chasing that record, there isn’t much left for the Dodgers to play for as they just try to get out of the game healthy with the postseason on the horizon.
A few players are also chasing individual accomplishments, with Mookie Betts trying to reach the 40-home-run mark for the first time in his career, while Max Muncy needs one more for 37, which would set his career high in a single season.
Freddie Freeman also needs one double to become the first player with 60 in a season since 1936, and one more home run would give him 30 on the year. If he can achieve both totals, Freeman would become the first player in MLB history with 30 home runs and 60 doubles in a season.
Bobby Miller is on the mound for the Dodgers in his final tuneup start before he takes the ball in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. Miller is coming off a strong outing where he went seven innings and gave up just two runs with nine strikeouts, but he may be more limited on Sunday with their sights set on the playoffs.
Overall this season, the rookie right-hander has pitched to a 3.89 ERA across 120.1 innings with 115 strikeouts and a 1.12 WHIP.
The Giants counter with a rookie of their own in Kyle Harrison, who has had minimal success in his first six starts. The southpaw owns an ERA of 4.85 in 29.2 innings with a 1.28 WHIP, but he has also struck out 31 hitters compared to nine walks.
Despite his slow start, Harrison has a ton of potential as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. MLB Pipeline has Harrison as the No. 20 overall prospect while FanGraphs is even higher on him, ranking the 22-year-old as No. 17.
The two young starters going against each other gives Dodgers and Giants fans a glimpse of a matchup that could play out multiple times over the next five or more seasons, and it’s hard to ask for anything more than that in an ultimately meaningless game.
Miguel Rojas is out of the Dodgers lineup for a second consecutive game since being hit by a pitch in his left hand. X-rays were negative and Rojas anticipated being ready for the start of the NLDS this weekend.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
DH: J.D. Martinez
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Chris Taylor
2B: Amed Rosario
CF: James Outman
SS: Kiké Hernández
Giants lineup
SS: Brandon Crawford
1B: LaMonte Wade Jr.
2B: Thairo Estrada
LF: Michael Conforto
DH: Joc Pederson
RF: Mike Yastrzemski
CF: Tyler Fitzgerald
C: Blake Sabol
3B: Casey Schmitt
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