The Dodgers are one win away from a sweep of the Nationals, and they’ll try to finish the job Sunday night while pushing their winning streak to four.
Los Angeles has already handled business in the first two games of the series. It survived Friday’s opener, 5-3, then rallied Saturday for a 6-5 win behind Tommy Edman’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.
After that comeback, manager Dave Roberts pointed to the way his club has started stringing together productive at-bats. “It’s just good to see our offense come to life and get timely hits, take a lot of walks, create stress and get some big hits.”
Roberts said. “It’s time to go, and I think our guys understand that.”
The two wins also moved the Dodgers into the No. 2 seed in the National League, one spot ahead of the Atlanta Braves. Los Angeles is two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the top seed.
Sunday’s game brings a different look on the mound for the Dodgers. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski will make his first start since Aug.
- He was activated off the injured list on Sept. 1 and initially sent to the bullpen, but with Roki Sasaki injured, the Dodgers need a spot starter and are turning to Wrobleski.
Wrobleski’s season has split sharply. He was excellent in the first half, then has posted a 7.07 ERA over 28 innings since the All-Star break.
He’s expected to cover bulk innings, but he isn’t stretched out for a full starter’s workload. Because of that, right-hander Bobby Miller, who was activated before Saturday’s game, is expected to be part of the pitching plan.
The Nationals will counter with left-hander Andrew Alvarez, who is 2-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 90.2 innings this season. He’s also coming off a strong August, finishing the month with a 2.45 ERA over six starts and 33 innings.
First pitch for Dodgers-Nationals on Sunday, Sept. 6 is set for 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m.
ET. The game will air on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app, with radio coverage on AM570 in English and KTNQ 1020 AM in Spanish.
In Other News...
Dodgers May Have A Postseason Bullpen Option Nobody Saw Coming
The Dodgers added Tarik Skubal and Kris Bubic ahead of the trade deadline, and the bigger question now is how each fits when October arrives. While Skubal brings obvious front-line value, Dave Roberts also singled out Bubic as a name to watch, noting both his experience and the progress he has made in his rehab work after landing on the injured list in mid-May.
Bubic has been working back through assignments and has shown enough along the way to keep his postseason path open. For a Dodgers club that always wants as many usable arms as possible in the playoffs, the possibility of turning a rehabbing starter into a bullpen option is the sort of depth move that can matter late, even if the final answer is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Soon Cut Short One Young Infielders Opportunity
Andy Pages is starting to work his way back from the fractured left hand he suffered Aug. 21, and the first encouraging sign for the Dodgers is that he has begun hitting off a tee without pain. While Pages has been sidelined, Los Angeles has patched together the outfield and infield with a mix of Alek Thomas, Tommy Edman and Alex Freeland, a reminder of how quickly one injury can ripple through the roster and create opportunities in a hurry.
Freeland has been the name to watch in that shuffle, even if his bat has not given the Dodgers much reason to slow down the next move. Because he still has minor league options left, his place on the roster looks especially vulnerable once Pages is ready to return, and the front office may not have much choice if it wants to restore the lineup and keep its defensive alignment where it prefers it. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Hand Emmet Sheehan A Big Late Season Opportunity
With Eric Lauer headed to the injured list, the Dodgers are turning to Emmet Sheehan for an important late-season chance against the Reds. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and is now getting a big-league assignment at a time when Los Angeles is still fine-tuning its pitching mix for October.
Sheehan has earned the look with his recent work in the minors, and the Dodgers are clearly hoping that form carries over when the games start to matter most. For a club already thinking ahead to the postseason, this start offers both a chance to stabilize the rotation and a reminder that there is still room for one more arm to make a case. [Read more 🡒]