The Los Angeles Dodgers once again are on the brink of elimination in the National League Division Series as they look to defeat the San Diego Padres in Game 4.
A loss would amount to the Dodgers suffering a third consecutive postseason exit in the NLDS round after losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 and these same Padres in 2022.
The 2024 NLDS has followed the same format as two years ago thus far, with the Dodgers winning Game 1 only to follow it with losses.
With their backs against the wall, it is going to be an all-hands-on-deck bullpen game for the Dodgers instead of Landon Knack making a traditional start. Ryan Brasier was tasked with pitching the first inning.
Another possibility theoretically could have ben Yoshinobu Yamamoto on short rest, but the Dodgers have maintained he would continue starting with at least five days between outings.
The bullpen has been the strength of the Dodgers pitching staff in this series, outside of using low-leverage arms in Game 2 that was out of reach.
All in all, the Dodgers bullpen has held the Padres offense scoreless for 10.2 of their 12.2 total innings pitched, including shutouts in Games 1 and 3.
The Padres are pouncing on the opportunity to close out the series at home with Dylan Cease pitching on short rest. Cease started Game 1 at Dodger Stadium and was not very effective, only lasting 3.1 innings while surrendering five runs on six hits and two walks.
Cease did have his strikeout stuff working, collecting five of them. The Padres are banking on Cease’s 29.4% strikeout percentage, which is sixth-best in MLB, being enough to get him through his start.
The Dodgers’ offense has largely been held in check by Padres pitching outside of Cease in Game 1. This could be a get-right game for a lineup that saw Cease very well in his last start.
The Dodgers had good zone swing percentages and zone contact percentages across the board on Cease’s fastball, slider and sweeper.
Mookie Betts came alive on Tuesday with a first-inning home run which broke his 0-for-22 hitless streak in the postseason. Betts finished 2-for-4 on the night with two runs scored.
Freddie Freeman was in the lineup but was a late scratch and replaced by Chris Taylor. Miguel Rojas is out of the lineup, replaced by Kiké Hernández.
Dodgers lineup
DH: Shohei Ohtani
RF: Mookie Betts
LF: Teoscar Hernández
1B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
SS: Tommy Edman
2B: Gavin Lux
3B: Kiké Hernández
CF: Chris Taylor
Padres lineup
1B: Luis Arraez
RF: Fernando Tatis Jr.
LF: Jurickson Profar
3B: Manny Machado
CF: Jackson Merrill
SS: Xander Bogaerts
DH: David Peralta
2B: Jake Cronenworth
C: Kyle Higashioka
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