After evening their series against the San Diego Padres and lowering their magic number to two games, the Los Angeles Dodgers could clinch the National League West with another win on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
A division title would guarantee the team a top-two seed and first-round bye in the postseason.
“You want to think about it. There’s a lot at stake. Our guys have been going hard since the first of April, shoot, since Korea,” manager Dave Roberts said.
“So we have a chance to check a box off and win the division. It’s right in front of us, so we’ll be ready. (Joe) Musgrove is back and he’s pitched well against us. We’ve got Walker (Buehler) going on regular rest, and he’s excited to take the baseball. We’ll be ready to go.”
Walker Buehler makes his 16th start and looks to end the regular season on a high note. He allowed four runs on five hits over 5.1 innings in his last outing against the Colorado Rockies, but struck out a season-high nine batters.
“I feel good,” Roberts answered when asked for his confidence level in Buehler possibly starting for the Dodgers in the playoffs.
“This is as confident as I think I’ve been, and most importantly, Walker is. And the most confident, I think, this year. I believe it was in there, but obviously he needs to have some success to believe in himself.”
Buehler enters at just 1-6 with a 5.63 ERA, 5.69 FIP and 1.58 WHIP in 70.1 innings pitched this season. He took a loss against the Padres on May 12 after allowing three runs on five hits in 3.1 innings pitched.
The Padres counter with Joe Musgrove, who has thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings in his last two starts against the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox.
The right-hander is 6-5 with a 3.95 ERA, 3.97 FIP and 1.19 WHIP in 93.1 innings pitched across 18 starts this season. He allowed five runs in just 2.2 innings pitched in his only start against the Dodgers during the Seoul Series.
Miguel Rojas is out of the Dodgers lineup as he deals with a left adductor injury. Rojas received a cortisone injection on Thursday and underwent an MRI. Rojas hopes to be back in the lineup for the Dodgers’ final game of the regular season on Sunday.
Prior to the game, the Dodgers activated Austin Barnes off the 10-day injured list and optioned Hunter Feduccia to Triple-A Oklahoma City. They also recalled Ben Casparius and placed Brusdar Graterol on the 15-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation.
Graterol’s 2024 season was delayed until August because of right shoulder trouble that surfaced during Spring Training.
Dodgers lineup
DH: Shohei Ohtani
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
LF: Teoscar Hernandez
3B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
SS: Tommy Edman
2B: Gavin Lux
CF: Andy Pages
Padres lineup
1B: Luis Arraez
RF: Fernando Tatis Jr.
LF: Jurickson Profar
3B: Manny Machado
CF: Jackson Merrill
SS: Xander Bogaerts
2B: Jake Cronenworth
DH: David Peralta
C: Kyle Higashioka
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