Dodgers Preview: Riding a 4-Game Win Streak, Dodgers Head to San Francisco for Critical 3-Game Series

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—After salvaging Sunday’s game in Baltimore, the Los Angeles Dodgers took care of business, sweeping their National League West foe, the Colorado Rockies, extending their winning streak to four games.

Now, the Dodgers will kick off a short three-game road trip in San Francisco, where they’ll take on the red-hot and Wild Card hopeful Giants.

Last month, the Giants were all but out of the postseason picture, but after going 20-17 since August 1st and an epic collapse by the New York Mets, the Giants are just now 1.5 games back of the third and final National League Wild Card spot.

The Giants are one of the hottest teams in baseball, running off seven wins over their last ten days.

A lot of this success is thanks to top trade acquisition Rafael Devers, who is batting .275 with thirty-eight hits, twenty-nine RBIs, and twelve home runs since the start of August, easily becoming the cornerstone piece to the Giants ’ offense.

Now they’ll face a Dodgers team that, despite recent success this week, has struggled for most of the summer.

After going 15-13 in August, the Dodgers find themselves a game under .500 in September, winning just four of their nine games played, dropping two series in Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Despite the mediocre summer for Los Angeles, the Dodgers have maintained their lead in the National League West, entering today 2.5 games up on the second-place San Diego Padres.

So far in their first six meeting this season, the Dodgers hold the upper hand, winning four games; however, Friday is the start of a seven-game series between the two rivals before the end of the season.

The Giants’ division hopes are more than likely over as they enter play eight games back of the Dodgers with just sixteen games to play.

It should be a postseason-like atmosphere at Oracle Park between two historic rivals, potentially previewing a potential opponent for Los Angeles in the postseason. If the Giants claim the sixth seed and the Dodgers play the Wild Card round, this would be the matchup.

Game One: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8, 2.72 ERA) vs Justin Verlander (3-10, 4.09 ERA)

Game Two: Clayton Kershaw (LHP) (10-2, 3.27 ERA) vs Logan Webb (14-9, 3.12 ERA)

Game Three: Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 3.21 ERA) vs Robbie Ray (LHP) (11-6, 3.32 ERA)

Game Times

Game One: 7:15 PM PT, SportsNet LA, NBC Bay Area, MLB Network (out-of-market-only)

Game Two: 6:05 PM PT, SportsNet LA, NBC Bay Area

Game Three: 1:05 PM PT, SportsNet LA, NBC Bay Area

Who’s in & Who’s Out?

Dodgers All-Star catcher Will Smith was a late scratch for Wednesday’s series finale versus the Rockies. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that Smith’s right hand swelled up before the start of the game.

Despite already having X-rays and a CT scan done, the Dodgers may have Smith undergo an MRI and could give him off for Friday’s game as an extra measure. Roberts stated the bone bruise is something Smith will have to manage the rest of the season.

Staying on catcher, rookie Dalton Rushing kicked off his minor league rehab stint with the Triple-A OKC Comets yesterday, going 1-for-4 while catching all nine innings of the game.

Rushing was placed on the 10-day injured list after fouling a ball off his right shin. The earliest day Rushing can be activated is September 16th.

Right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart is set to face live hitters today after completing a successful bullpen session at Dodger Stadium earlier this week. If all goes well, Stewart will head to OKC for a short rehab assignment.

Fellow right-hander Roki Sasaki was set to have a meeting with the Dodgers brass about the next steps of his 2025 season. Overall, in five minor league rehab starts, the 23-year-old posted a 6.75 ERA in 18.2 innings; however, his final start raised some eyebrows due to his velocity and tossing four scoreless innings before running out of gas in the fifth.

Fan-favorite relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol is still MIA after missing the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Working through a throwing progression at the team’s complex in Arizona. The Dodgers are proceeding as if Graterol will not return in the regular season, though they’re not ruling him out for October.

Day-to-day (1): Will Smith

10-day Injured List (1): Dalton Rushing

15-day Injured List (1): Brock Stewart

60-day Injured List (8): Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Grove, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, Evan Phillips

As we enter the final three weeks of the regular season, the Giants are relatively healthy with only a few minor injuries on their roster.

The two most recent injuries fell on their pitching staff, with left-hander Carson Whisenhunt and right-hander Landen Roupp each being placed on the 15-day injured list in late August.

Whisenhunt has been dealing with a back strain, but threw a bullpen session at Oracle Park on September 8th and is eying a late-September return.

Roupp was placed on the injured list with a left knee bone bruise and has restarted his throwing program, reaching ninety feet, and will continue to throw off flat ground the rest of the week.

Lastly, Jerar Encarnacion began a minor league rehab assignment this week with Triple-A Sacramento on September 5th and should rejoin the Giants before the end of the season. The outfielder is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Day-to-day (00):

10-day Injured List (1): Jerar Encarnacion

15-day Injured List (2): Landen Roupp, Carson Whisenhunt

60-day Injured List (3): Tom Murphy, Erik Miller, Randy Rodriguez

Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!