The 2019 National League Division Series shifts to Nationals Park as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to bounce back from a frustrating Game 2 loss against the Washington Nationals in which runs were at a premium for both teams.
The Dodgers, stymied by Stephen Strasburg, tallied only five hits in the 4-2 defeat. The Nationals, meanwhile, got off to a fast start against Clayton Kershaw and took an early 3-0 lead after two innings — giving their pitching staff all the run support it needed to secure the series-tying win.
Looking for better results is Hyun-Jin Ryu, who makes his 2019 postseason debut fresh off an excellent month of September. In four starts, he posted a perfect 2-0 record with a 2.13 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 25.1 innings pitched.
It capped off a dominating 2019 campaign for Ryu, who finished the year with a 14-5 record while posting MLB-bests in ERA (2.32), ERA+ (179) and walks per nine innings (1.2).
The left-hander made two starts against the Nationals during the regular season, allowing only one run on nine hits in 14.2 masterful innings. In his lone start at Nationals Park this year, he yielded nine baserunners and one run across 6.2 frames — leading the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory on July 26.
While Ryu has enjoyed more success at Dodger Stadium this season, his road splits are still among the best in baseball. He went 4-4 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 89.1 innings away from Chavez Ravine (15 starts).
Though the Nationals contemplated preserving Max Scherzer for Game 3, the club has decided to send Anibal Sanchez to the mound instead.
Scherzer pitched the eighth inning in Game 2, striking out the side on only 14 pitches. It marked the right-hander’s second time on the mound this postseason, having previously started for the Nationals in the NL Wild Card Game.
Scherzer allowed three runs in five innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers, yielding a pair of home runs while striking out six batters.
Sanchez went 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers this season. He allowed three runs on six hits (two home runs) in 4.1 innings in a start at Dodger Stadium in May, but had better results in a home outing two months later — logging seven innings of one-run ball.
In last year’s NLDS, the Dodgers scored three runs on five hits (two homers) off Sanchez in 4.2 innings. However, the long balls were hit by Manny Machado and Yasmani Grandal.
With Sanchez now starting Game 3 and Scherzer pushed back in Game 4, the Nationals presumably have Patrick Corbin available out of the bullpen in one of the two contests. Strasburg is in line to start a potential Game 5 on regular rest.
Russell Martin makes his first start of the postseason, batting eighth. Ryu accumulated a minuscule 1.52 ERA in 130.2 innings during the regular season when Martin caught him (20 starts).
Dodgers lineup:
RF: Joc Pederson
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Corey Seager
LF: A.J. Pollock
2B: Gavin Lux
C: Russell Martin
P: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Nationals lineup:
SS: Trea Turner
RF: Adam Eaton
3B: Anthony Rendon
LF: Juan Soto
1B: Howie Kendrick
C: Kurt Suzuki
2B: Brian Dozier
CF: Michael A. Taylor
P: Anibal Sanchez
