Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off back-to-back series wins and winners of five of their last six games on this current nine-game homestand, will welcome yet another American League team to Chavez Ravine, except this time, it is the young American League juggernaut Baltimore Orioles.
Both clubs are amid a heated division race. The Dodgers enter tonight’s game with a three-game lead over the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks and a four-and-a-half-game lead over the San Diego Padres.
As for the Baltimore Orioles, who won the American League East last season for the first time since the 2014 season, have been in a back-and-forth battle with the New York Yankees and are measly one-and-half games back from the Bronx Bombers.
Each team has had different second halves of play, with the Dodgers winning twenty-two of their last thirty-four games and the Orioles playing .500 since the break with eighteen wins and eighteen losses in thirty-six games. Baltimore is also on a skid despite splitting a series with the Houston Astros, only collecting four wins over their last ten games.
Each team has entered “must-win” territory at this point of the season, as any skid could lead to a potential division loss. The Dodgers have a crucial series with Arizona after the conclusion of this series, and they want to take any momentum from a dominant nine-game homestand.
The Orioles, under new ownership with David Rubenstein at the helm, bring back memories of when the Dodgers’ ownership changed guards in 2012, which kicked off this streak of postseason appearances.
However, the Major League-best Dodgers will face a young upcoming Baltimore Orioles in a battle that could foreshadow a potential Fall Classic as soon as this season. With star-studded lineups featuring Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Gunnar Henderson, and Adley Rutschman, fans across the league should be in for a treat.
Pitching match-ups
Game One: Jack Flaherty (10-5, 3.00 ERA) vs Cole Irvin (6-5, 4.82 ERA)
Game Two: Walker Buehler (1-4, 6.09 ERA) vs Corbin Burnes (12-6, 3.28)
Game Three: Bobby Miller (1-3, 7.49 ERA) vs Cade Povich (LHP) (1-6, 6.10 ERA)
Game Times
Game One: 7:10 PM PT, SNLA, MASN 2
Game Two: 7:10 PM PT, SNLA, MASN MLB Network (out-of-market-only)
Game Three: 7:10 PM PT, SNLA, MASN
Who’s in & who’s out?
Over the last several weeks, the Los Angeles Dodgers have added plenty of big names back to the team after dealing with multiple injuries throughout the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season.
All-star Mookie Betts, who was placed on the 15-day injured list in mid-June after suffering a fractured hand in a hit by pitch, was the first to return, making an immediate impact returning to right field and batting second compared to leadoff, a title he had for the majority of his Dodgers tenure.
Just this past week, the Dodgers activated third baseman Max Muncy and newly acquired utilityman Tommy Edman off the 60-day injured list. Each made an impact offensively, with Muncy having multiple home runs against the Mariners and Edman dazzling with the glove at shortstop and center field.
On the pitching side, the Dodgers also saw the return of veteran right-handed relief pitchers Ryan Brasier and Blake Treinen, who each pitched multiple innings over this homestand.
However, one player who will not be with the team is veteran outfielder Jason Heyward, who was DFA’d by the Dodgers to make room for utilityman Chris Taylor prior to the start of the three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays this past weekend.
Heyward, 35, cleared waivers and was officially released by the Dodgers, according to the team’s transaction page, and is free to sign with any team and, if signed before September 1st, will still be postseason eligible.
According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the Dodgers will still be without right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow tendonitis and will likely be out until late August/early September.
In his absence, right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller will stay in the rotation and hope to build on a great start in which the righty pitched six innings, allowing only three runs while striking out nine Tampa Bay Rays hitters. Miller is slated to start the series finale game on Thursday.
Staying on the pitching side, right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to finally begin a minor league rehab assignment with the Triple-A OKC Baseball Club on Wednesday, and while the Dodgers have not committed an official game plan, the righty is expected to get at least two-three starts before any conversation of his activation.
Fellow right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol could also join Yamamoto on a rehab assignment as soon as this Friday after progressing well from the hamstring injury he suffered in his 2024 regular season debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Dodgers backup catcher Austin Barnes is still expected to be out for this series after suffering a left big toe fracture, and rookie Hunter Fedducia will remain with the club until the end of this homestand.
The Baltimore Orioles will have a significant loss on offense as the team recently placed infielder Ryan Mountcastle on the 10-day injured list. Mountcastle exited in the ninth inning of Thursday’s shutout loss to the Houston Astros due to wrist soreness.
In his place, the Orioles have recalled infielder Livan Soto, who was acquired on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds and has yet to make his Orioles debut.
The Orioles will also be without right-handed pitcher and deadline acquisition Zach Eflin due to right shoulder inflammation. He is eying an early September return.
Eflin has been excellent since joining Baltimore after the trade deadline, going 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and eighteen strikeouts in three starts with the Orioles.
Eflin is not the only pitcher out in an already thin Orioles rotation. Young right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez has also been out with a right lat/teres strain and is expected to return in late September or early October.
Moving back to the offensive side of things, the Orioles will also be without outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who is dealing with a concussion, and infielder Jordan Westburg, who suffered a right-hand fracture at the end of July.
However, despite these losses, the Orioles are reaping the benefits of Jackson Holliday‘s second stint in the Majors this season. The youngster has had some critical hits and has a .716 OPS compared to his .170 OPS in the first half of the regular season.
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