The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Colorado Rockies for the third straight game, but have a chance to end the regular season on a positive note as Clayton Kershaw gets the ball for a final start before the postseason.
After scoring a combined 16 runs in the first two games of this series, the Dodgers lineup has been nonexistent since Saturday. In their last 27 innings, they’ve only mustered four runs due to an inability to capitalize with runners on base.
Over the past three games, the big three at the top of the lineup have gone a combined 2-for-28 with nine strikeouts. But regardless of the cold spell, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has full confidence that the offense will perform when the calendar turns to the postseason.
Meanwhile, Kershaw makes his final start of the regular season and his 22nd outing of the year. On the season, he holds an 11-3 record, 2.30 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 2.56 FIP across 121.1 innings.
Since returning from a stint on the 15-day injured list in August due to lower back pain, Kershaw has been as dominant as ever. In six starts over the course of the past month, he went 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA, adding 40 strikeouts to just seven walks.
Kershaw’s most recent start against the Rockies on Sept. 30 didn’t feature his best stuff, but he was able to navigate his way through six shutout innings in a blowout 10-1 win.
Roberts said Kershaw would pitch four or five innings in his playoff tuneup.
The Rockies counter with Austin Gomber, the 28-year-old making his 17th start (33rd appearance) of the season. Over 121.1 innings pitched this year, he holds a 5.62 ERA and a record of 5-7.
In his last six appearances, Gomber has allowed seven earned runs in just 10.2 innings and a .295 opposing batting average.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
DH: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
2B: Gavin Lux
CF: Cody Bellinger
LF: Joey Gallo
Rockies lineup
RF: Randal Grichuk
LF: Sean Bouchard
3B: Ryan McMahon
2B: Brendan Rodgers
DH: Elehuris Montero
1B: Michael Toglia
SS: Ezequiel Tovar
CF: Garrett Hampson
C: Brian Serven
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