The Dodgers are rolling into Tuesday night looking for another series win, and they’ll do it with a lineup tweak behind a familiar power surge.
Los Angeles opened the set with a 9-4 win on Monday, a game that featured home runs from Max Muncy, Andy Pages and Shohei Ohtani, plus a 17-hit night from the offense. Now the club gets another crack at the Athletics at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, while Oakland tries to stop a three-game skid.
The Dodgers’ offense will face left-hander Jeffrey Springs, who has had a rough season. Springs is 3-7 with a 5.52 ERA in 88 innings, and he’s tied for the MLB lead with 22 home runs allowed.
He’s also given up 54 earned runs, the most in the American League. That’s a tough assignment against a Dodgers team that leads the National League with 116 home runs.
On the mound for Los Angeles is lefty Justin Wrobleski, who has quietly put together a strong season. He enters at 9-2 with a 2.71 ERA over 86.1 innings, and his manager has been pushing for him to get more attention.
"He's certainly worthy of All-Star consideration," Roberts said recently. "Obviously with what Wrobo's done, as far as the numbers, he's right in the mix.
I don't fortunately have any say in the voting. But I hope he does get some consideration."
The lineup looks nearly the same as Monday’s, with one notable change: Max Muncy is out against the left-handed starter, and Tommy Edman is starting at third base.
Los Angeles also made a roster move before the game, recalling right-handed pitcher Wyatt Mills and designating right-hander Jonathan Hernández for assignment.
There’s another pitching note hanging over the rest of the series, too. Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in Wednesday’s finale. He had originally been slated to start that game, but the Dodgers will instead go with a bullpen game, and Ohtani is now lined up to pitch Friday against the San Diego Padres.
First pitch Tuesday is set for 6:40 p.m. PT/9:40 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...
As Loss To Dodgers Still Left Fans With One Reason To Watch
The Athletics 9-4 loss to the Dodgers in Sacramento was another step backward for a club that has now dropped three straight and sits at 40-45, but it also came with a small jolt of life from a roster that is trying to sort out its next wave. Rookie left-hander Gage Jump got the start and worked into the fifth inning, and Oakland continued to give meaningful innings to younger arms and infielders as the summer grinds on.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauers major league debut was the brightest part of the afternoon, giving the As a fresh look in the lineup even as Los Angeles pulled away in the middle innings. The timing matters for Oakland, which has spent much of this stretch searching for reasons to stay engaged while the results lag, and the next chance to reset comes with Jeffrey Springs lined up to take the ball as the club tries to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Bullpen May Finally Get The Lefty Fix Fans Need
The Athletics bullpen has been part of the reason the club has slid in the standings, and the need for a more dependable left-handed option has become pretty clear. Oakland does have three lefties in the mix right now, but the group has not given the team the kind of stability it needs as the season wears on.
One name to watch is CD Pelham, whose Triple-A work has put him on the radar as a possible internal answer if the As want to make a move soon. If Oakland decides it needs to look outside the organization instead, the bullpen conversation could get more interesting in a hurry, but for now the focus is on finding a lefty who can actually steady things. [Read more 🡒]