After a much-needed off day, the Los Angeles Dodgers return to action to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the World Series at Globe Life Field.
Walker Buehler gets the start, having last pitched in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. He tossed six shutout innings with seven strikeouts, helping the Dodgers force a winner-take-all Game 7.
Buehler has been dominant this postseason as a whole. He enters Friday’s start against the Rays with a 1-0 record, 1.89 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 19 innings pitched (four starts).
Tampa Bay counters with Charlie Morton, who similarly has been excellent during the playoffs. He helped the Rays avoid a historic collapse by compiling 5.2 scoreless innings against his former Houston Astros team in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
In three starts this month, Morton is a perfect 3-0 with a minuscule 0.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across 15.2 innings of work.
The Dodgers have some familiar with Morton, twice seeing him during the 2017 World Series when the right-hander was a member of the Houston Astros. He started Game 3, holding the Dodgers to just one run on three hits over 6.1 innings.
Morton then appeared out of the bullpen, again allowing just one run as he tossed four innings to earn a win and help the Astros claim a title that has since been tarnished.
Like Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated would likely be the case, Austin Barnes is catching Buehler. The two paired well in Game 6 of the NLCS, during which Buehler credited Barnes for guiding him through a bases-loaded jam.
The Dodgers have both catchers in their lineup as Will Smith is the designated hitter.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
DH: Will Smith
CF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Chris Taylor
LF: Joc Pederson
C: Austin Barnes
Rays lineup
DH: Austin Meadows
2B: Brandon Lowe
LF: Randy Arozarena
1B: Ji-Man Choi
RF: Manuel Margot
3B: Joey Wendle
SS: Willy Adames
CF: Kevin Kiermaier
C: Mike Zunino
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