The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back from a disappointing showing against the Cincinnati Reds with back-to-back wins and now can clinch a series victory and overtake the St. Louis Cardinals for the second National League Wild Card spot.
Moreover, a win would pull the Dodgers even with the Colorado Rockies for first place in the NL West. However, the Rockies would have an opportunity to again pull a half-game ahead come Saturday night.
Rich Hill takes the mound with an opportunity to further aid the Dodgers’ efforts to reach the postseason. He’s facing the Cardinals for the first time this season and enters 8-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
Hill only went five innings but held the Cardinals to just one run on two hits when he pitched at Busch Stadium last season.
St. Louis counter with John Gant, who has not allowed more than two earned runs in his past seven starts. The Cardinals have won five of those games, with Gant going 4-1 during that stretch.
He’s twice pitched out of the bullpen against the Dodgers but Saturday’s game is his first start. Both of the relief appearances came in June 2016, when Gant was a member of the Atlanta Braves. He allowed one run over a combined one run over 2.2 innings.
Gant faces a Dodgers lineup that’s looking to extend their Los Angeles franchise record for consecutive games with a home run. It currently stands at 22, which is just two games shy of tying the Dodgers’ all-time record.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
3B: Justin Turner
SS: Manny Machado
1B: Max Muncy
C: Yasmani Grandal
CF: Cody Bellinger
RF: Yasiel Puig
2B: Chase Utley
P: Rich Hill
Cardinals:
CF: Harrison Bader
RF: Yairo Martinez
SS: Paul DeJong
LF: Marcell Ozuna
3B: Jedd Gyorko
1B: Patrick Wisdom
2B: Kolten Wong
C: Yadier Molina
P: John Gant
