The Los Angeles Dodgers renewed their historic rivalry with the New York Yankees on Friday, but suffered a rare home loss at the start of Players Weekend, falling 10-2, in front of a sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium.
The Yankees’ blowout victory over the Dodgers helped them snap a four-game losing streak while additionally handing Hyun-Jin Ryu just his fourth defeat of the season and first at home.
Despite the outcome, Los Angeles enters Saturday’s matchup with a one-game lead over New York for the best record in all of baseball. Their magic number to clinch an unprecedented seventh consecutive National League West title stands at just 13 games.
Looking to even up the series, the Dodgers send Tony Gonsolin to the mound for his fourth start and fifth overall appearance of the season.
The right-hander has been dominant in the month of August, as he enters with a 1-0 record, 0.90 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in two starts.
Gonsolin overall sports a 1-1 record, 3.00 ERA, 2.44 FIP and 0.94 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against only one walk in 18 innings pitched this season. He was solid in his last start against the Atlanta Braves, yielding just one run on five hits over four innings of work.
The Yankees counter with CC Sabathia, who is in the midst of his 19th and final MLB season. He carries with him into Saturday’s outing a 5-7 record, 5.01 ERA, 5.96 FIP and 1.40 WHIP in 93.1 innings pitched (18 starts).
The 39-year-old failed to provide length in his last appearance against the Cleveland Indians, allowing seven baserunners and four runs over just three innings pitched.
Sabathia has particularly struggled since the start of the second half, going winless with a 9.35 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 17.1 innings (four games).
Having spent the majority of his career in the American League, the left-hander makes just his fourth career start against the Dodgers and first since 2016. He is 1-0 with a minuscule 0.84 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 21.1 innings against L.A.
Prior to first pitch, the Dodgers announced that they placed Russell Martin on the bereavement list and called up Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: A.J. Pollock
3B: Justin Turner
C: Will Smith
RF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Chris Taylor
2B: Max Muncy
LF: Kiké Hernandez
1B: Jedd Gyorko
P: Tony Gonsolin
Yankees lineup:
1B: DJ LeMahieu
RF: Aaron Judge
SS: Didi Gregorius
2B: Gleyber Torres
CF: Brett Gardner
3B: Gio Urshela
LF: Mike Tauchman
C: Austin Romine
P: CC Sabathia
