The Los Angeles Dodgers enter Sunday on a season-worst four-game losing streak and in danger of being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies. A loss would mark their first time being swept in a four-game series at Dodger Stadium since the Cincinnati Reds did so from May 10-13, 2018.
If there’s one positive development for the Dodgers prior to first pitch, Bryce Harper is not in the Phillies lineup due to receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to treat a slight tear in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.
Despite the injury, Harper went 8-for-12 with four doubles, three home runs and eight RBI his starts in the series. Harper set a Dodger Stadium record as a visiting player with three consecutive games of at least one home run and two extra-base hits.
Adrián González is the only Dodgers player to ever accomplish the feat at home, when he did so in four games from the end of the 2014 season to the start of 2015.
“He gets up to play the Dodgers,” manager Dave Roberts said of Harper. “He really does.”
Even without Harper, the Phillies lineup figures to pose a challenge to Dodgers prospect Michael Grove in his MLB debut.
He joins the team from Double-A Tulsa despite not having ever pitched for Triple-A Oklahoma City since being selected by the Dodgers in second round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Grove is 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in five starts for the Drillers this year. He’s not on an innings limit but Roberts estimated Grove is built up to throw around 90 pitches and hopes not having prior history with the Phillies could work in the Dodgers’ favor.
“I do think the unfamiliarity with Michael could be beneficial,” Roberts said. “They know Walker, they know Julio, so now you get a guy in there that they’ve never seen. We’ll see how it plays out.”
Philadelphia counters with Aaron Nola, who enters 1-4 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through his first seven starts of the season.
Nola allowed five runs (four earned) his last time out, which ended a stretch of holding opponents to three or fewer runs in five consecutive starts. The right-hander has recorded at least five strikeouts in six outings this year.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
SS: Trea Turner
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
LF: Chris Taylor
2B: Gavin Lux
Phillies lineup
1B: Rhys Hoskins
DH: Alec Bohm
LF: Kyle Schwarber
RF: Nick Castellanos
2B: Jean Segura
CF: Odúbel Herrera
3B: Johan Camargo
SS: Bryson Stott
C: Garrett Stubbs
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