Fresh off an exciting 9-3 win in their home opener backed by a late-inning offensive outburst, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Cincinnati Reds on the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s Major League debut.
All players during the game will be wearing No. 42 as they normally do for Jackie Robinson Day, but this season, MLB is celebrating the 75th anniversary of his historic debut by having all players, regardless of their team, wear the number in Dodger Blue on the back of their jersey.
There will also be 42 patches with team-specific uniform colors on Nike uniform sleeves and on New Era caps.
The Dodgers have played well on Jackie Robinson Day overall and usually play at home for the occasion. Their last loss on April 15 came in 2014 on a 3-2 walkoff while on the road against the San Francisco Giants. Dating back to 2010, the club is 8-3 on the anniversary of Robinson’s debut.
They also lost on Jackie Robinson day in 2020, but the day was celebrated on Aug. 28 and they were on the road due to the unique schedule the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused.
To watch the Dodgers play tonight, you will need to do it on Apple TV+, where the game is being broadcasted exclusively. The stream is free from local blackout restrictions and will not require a subscription to watch tonight, however, fans will eventually need to subscribe to continue watch exclusive Apple games at a later date.
Tony Gonsolin will make his second start of the season. He previously pitched three innings while allowing one run on five hits and three strikeouts in Colorado before he was followed by Tyler Anderson, who went four innings, in a 3-2 loss.
Gonsolin had some control issues early and it led to the Rockies taking a lead in the first inning. Though, he easily could have stranded back-to-back singles and kept Colorado off the board if Austin Barnes didn’t lose control of the ball after fielding a strike from Mookie Betts.
The short outing could be traced to a shortened Spring Training period and his early struggles that led to a high pitch count, but he came away content with his overall start.
Gonsolin owns a career 2.85 ERA in 145.1 innings with 151 strikeouts across 36 games (28 starts).
The Reds counter with a right-hander of their own in Vladimir Gutierrez. The 26-year-old from Havana, Cuba pitched 4.1 innings in his previous outing while allowing two runs on six hits.
Gutierrez made his debut last season and ended up starting 22 games for the Reds, posting a 4.74 ERA in 114 innings pitched with just 88 strikeouts.
A day after giving Hanser Alberto a start, Gavin Lux returns to the lineup at second base, with the rest of the lineup featuring the regulars as usual.
Despite their slow start to the season, the Dodgers offense ranks fifth in baseball with a team 118 wRC+ while hitting .271/.340/.411 with six home runs. The Reds have been at the opposite end of the spectrum, ranking 29th with a 66 wRC+ while batting .196/.266/.330 with seven home runs.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
SS: Trea Turner
DH: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
C: Will Smith
CF: Cody Bellinger
LF: Chris Taylor
2B: Gavin Lux
P: Tony Gonsolin
Reds lineup
CF: Jake Fraley
RF: Tyler Naquin
DH: Tommy Pham
1B: Joey Votto
LF: Aristidies Aquino
2B: Brandon Drury
3B: Mike Moustakas
SS: Kyle Farmer
C: Aramis Garcia
P: Vladimir Gutierrez
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