After clinching the best record in baseball on Friday to guarantee home-field advantage throughout the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have much to play for in their final five games against the Colorado Rockies, but they can still make MLB history.
With a victory on Saturday, the Dodgers would become the first National League team to reach 110 wins since the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates, and if they reach 111 wins before the season ends, they would set the NL modern era (since 1920) win record. They previously became the first NL team since the 1986 New York Mets to reach the 108-win mark.
Michael Grove takes the ball looking to continue his recent run of success. The rookie has gone five innings in each of his previous three starts without allowing more than three earned in any of them, and in his last start against the powerful St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup, he allowed just one run.
“It’s a lot easier now than it was the first time,” Grove said after that start. “I kind of had a higher heart rate the first couple times and then I’d have to settle down and start pitching. So it’s a lot more comfortable being with the guys and catchers as well. It’s a little bit easier now.”
He also earned his first career win against the Cardinals despite pitching through an illness. The 25-year-old has pitched to a 4.07 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 24.1 innings with 21 strikeouts in three stints with the Dodgers.
Kyle Freeland counters for the Rockies for his fifth start of the season against the Dodgers. In 21.1 innings against L.A., the southpaw owns a 6.33 ERA and he has allowed at least three runs in each outing.
Overall this season, the 29-year-old has posted a 4.63 ERA and 1.40 WhIP with 123 strikeouts in 169 innings. He has pitched to a career 4.29 ERA across 823 innings with 633 strikeouts.
Justin Turner was set to return to the Dodgers lineup after missing the previous three games due to a shin contusion, but he was scratched to give him an extra day of rest.
Gavin Lux replaced Turner in the lineup while Hanser Alberto moved from second base to third base.
On Friday, the 37-year-old said his shin is doing “alright,” but added he sat out of the lineup to make sure he is ready for October. On Saturday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Turner is feeling better and available to pinch hit.
Chris Taylor was also originally scheduled to start in left field, but he too was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Cody Bellinger. Trayce Thompson was scheduled to start in center field, but he moved over to left.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
LF: Trayce Thompson
DH: Miguel Vargas
C: Austin Barnes
CF: Cody Bellinger
3B: Hanser Alberto
2B: Gavin Lux
Rockies lineup
CF: Yonathan Daza
SS: José Iglesias
3B: Ryan McMahon
1B: C.J. Cron
DH: Brendan Rodgers
LF: Sean Bouchard
RF: Randal Grichuk
C: Elias Díaz
2B: Alan Trejo
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