Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.56) vs. Lance McCullers Jr. (2-2, 6.32).
Today could be a merciful end to a horrifically unproductive road trip: 2-3 record in the first five games, but only scoring more than four runs one time. But with the National League-leading Atlanta Braves waiting for us this weekend, it might be nice to have a little of momentum going into that series.
Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.45) vs. Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.05).
Rubber match against the Marlins, and it won't be an easy one; Sandy Alcantara, disastrous last year, looks like he's regained his ace form in 2026. Meanwhile, the Dodgers continue to be feast or famine offensively, with last night's debacle sporting 0-for-4s from Dalton Rushing, Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernandez, and Hyeseong Kim.
Hernandez' slump is the most concerning, as he's batting .235 on the year with a .701 OPS. Can a midday start help Teo get out of his funk? UPDATE 11.28a: Teoscar is sitting in place of Alex Call.
Tyler Glasnow (2-0, 3.24) vs. Logan Webb (2-2, 5.10).
The Giants might be in fourth place in the NL West, but so far in this series, they might indeed be Giants.
San Francisco has held the Dodgers to one run across two games thanks to sterling starting pitching efforts from Landon Roupp and Tyler Mahle (who outpitched Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani). Sure, the Giants got a little bit of luck yesterday with a three-run HR from light-hitting Patrick Bailey.
But everything came crashing down for the Dodgers thanks to 0-fer nights from Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith, Teoscar Herhandez, Andy Pages, and Hyeseong Kim: the Dodgers guaranteed a loss in this series, a loss on the road trip, and a loss of Ohtani's on-base streak at 53 games.
Today is another day. Maybe we can get a win and salvage a little bit of pride?
Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 3.00) vs. Kumar Rocker (0-1, 3.60).
"Wyatt (Langford) and Kumar" doesn't have the same ring to it, but we'll surely see those two Texas Rangers tonight at the Stadium. Maybe we'll even see former Dodgers Corey Seager and Joc Pederson (both 2020 World Series Champions with the Dodgers, and both World Series Champions again with another team) as well?
I'm just excited because this will be my first game at Dodger Stadium this season! Drop a comment if you want to say hi and grab a beer.
Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 3.00) vs. Jake Irvin (1-0. 3.60).
Five homers yesterday. How many do you think the Dodgers might have today, especially now that Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker (one and two in the lineup) have finally broken the seal?
Tyler Glasnow vs. Eduardo Rodriguez.
Last night was another come-from-behind victory for the Dodgers, as well as the debut of new Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz...and the debut of the Dodgers' new solo trumpet section (not yet sponsored by Uniqlo).
It would be nice to actually coast to a victory in one of these Opening Series games.
It's obviously just speculation, but here's here's The Athletic's Jim Bowden's argument for why the Dodgers might be in the running for the two-time Cy Young Award winner:
The Dodgers already have four aces in their rotation and an exciting development project in Roki Sasaki. However, teams can never have enough starting pitching, so the Dodgers have no reason not to add another ace to the top of the rotation, especially when they can offer a competitive package and have the resources to keep him long-term, as well.
Los Angeles could offer two major-league ready starting pitchers in Sheehan and Wrobleski, and a third pitcher in Ferris who’s getting closer to being major-league ready. Sheehan and Wrobleski have already cut their teeth at the major-league level, even getting important innings during the postseason. Sheehan was especially impressive with the Dodgers this year, putting up a 2.82 ERA in 73 1/3 innings during the regular season.
Ferris should start next season in Triple A after posting a 3.62 ERA in 154 1/3 Double A innings the last two seasons. He and Hope were the return the Dodgers got from the Cubs in the deal that sent Michael Busch to Chicago. Ferris won’t turn 22 until January and has plus stuff but needs to work on his command.
Hope has the highest ceiling among this group. He’s at least two years away from the major leagues, but he reached Double A at the end of the season and has above-average on-base skills to go along with a power-and-speed combination at the plate and a strong glove in center field.
Another idea would be to substitute Tyler Glasnow for Sheehan in the deal. This would give the Tigers a top-of-the-rotation starter to replace Skubal and they would control Glasnow for three more years. Glasnow does not have a no-trade clause with the Dodgers and has $94 million remaining on his contract if the team-half of the 2028 mutual option is exercised.Potential trade return: RHP Emmet Sheehan, LHP Justin Wrobleski, LHP Jackson Ferris and OF Zyhir Hope
I didn't realize Glasnow doesn't have a no-trade clause.
The Dodgers only had four hits all game (to the Blue Jays' eight hits), and even made the game's only error (a Max Muncy misplay). And yet, the Dodgers prevailed in World Series Game 6, 3-1, capping another largely-medicore game at the plate (12 Ks, with three of those coming from Teoscar Hernandez' continual whiffs in his 0-for-4 night) with a very surprising road victory.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had another great postseason start, though his line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 6 Ks, didn't match up to the amazing standards of a couple of his other complete game postseason starts. Which left the fate of this game to the bullpen, with the Dodgers nursing a two-run lead that came after three runs in the third inning (one-out double from Tommy Edman to get things going; RBI double from Will Smith; and then a clutch two-run single by Mookie Betts):
The Betts single silenced the Rogers Centre crowd a bit, even though the Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the third to make it 3-1. But the crowd got louder as the Dodgers bullpen buckled, but did not break. Justin Wrobleski yielded a two-out double to Ernie Clement, but then got Andres Gimenez to strike out and end the seventh inning. Roki Sasaki had two on in the eighth with one out, but got Bo Bichette to foul out and then Miguel Rojas fielded a Daulton Varsho bullet to escape that jam.
Sasaki was not so lucky in the ninth, leaving men on second and third--which was fortunate in itself, thanks to late-replacement Justin Dean having the veteran-like wherewithal to raise his hands when Addison Barger's double became lodged under the outfield padding. This forced the umpires to call a dead ball and stop Myles Straw (pinch running for Alejandro Kirk, who was HBP to start the inning) from scoring the Blue Jays' second run. But Sasaki then was pulled for...potential Game 7 starter Tyler Glasnow.
Selecting Glasnow here was a ballsy move by Dave Roberts (as was getting Sasaki to pitch the eighth inning; Sasaki was clearly not sharp with a 25-pitch eighth and a shaky start to the ninth). But credit Roberts for pulling out all the stops tonight--there is no Game 7 if we don't win Game 6 anyway--and so, Glasnow entered with two RISP and none out.
Three pitches later, it was over. Glasnow had some luck to get Clement to pop out to Freddie Freeman. But then the game ended on a crazy 7-4 double play when Gimenez flied to Kike Hernandez in left, a bloop single wiht a 40% probability of being caught--and Kike Hernandez had the composure to not only catch, but then gun the ball back to the infield, where Miguel Rojas caught Barger sleeping off of second base.
Kiké even said, postgame, that he lost that fly ball in the lights:
(and how sweet is it that Kiké is wearing a rotowear Yamamoto shirt! It's here, by the way--and no, we don't get a commission for this link.)
Watching that ninth inning, all I could hear was the echoes of Joe Carter's 1993 Game 6 walkoff home run. It seemed like Toronto was just about to fulfill its destiny there in Game 6.
Instead, we have a Game 7 tomorrow. I'm still in shock having peeled myself off the floor, after watching this one.
Holy smokes. What an ending.
Tyler Glasnow vs. Max Scherzer.
One starter has long flowing locks of hair; the other guy has two goofy heterochromatic eyes.
One starter made his last start at Dodger Stadium (5.2 IP of 3 H, 1 ER, 8 K ball against the Brewers; coming off a gutty 6.0 IP of 2 H, 0 ER, 8 K ball clinching against the Phillies in the NLDS).
The other guy did not make his last scheduled Dodger start. (To be fair to Scherzer, his K of the Giants' Wilmer Flores in the 2021 NLDS was pretty sweet.)
With the series tied, this Game 3 is pretty pivotal. The Dodgers' bats, particularly the big three, still haven't come to life this series; and there's a lot of talk about whether to bench Andy Pages and his .093 average (Pages also does not have a walk in 47 2025 postseason plate appearances...or 67 postseason plate appearances including last season. He had 29 walks in 624 plate appearances (almost 5%) in the regular season.).
And given Glasnow has not gone long in any of his postseason starts, it's going to be up to the Dodgers bullpen at some point, which is terrifying.
I'm going to tonight's Game 3. I feel really lucky...and extremely nervous!
LET'S GO, DODGERS!
I did not think this bullpen could. How can I hope, when they have farted? One day more. Tomorrow we can sweep away! Unless Doc's moves become outsmarted.
One day more to show the world (Can we win the LCS?) One more day that rests on Shohei (Who has been bad at the plate!) But if he can just go six (He still has to take at bats) And I swear we can advance!
The time is now The day is (tomorrow)
We certainly channeled Les Miz tonight, as Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski carved up the Dodgers lineup for five relief innings. But you kinda thought that when we broke through, this game would be over.
And sure enough, it was. Tommy Edman did the honors tonight, singling in Will Smith to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth, which expanded further when Abner Uribe tried to pick off Edman at first, but threw wide, allowing Fredie Freeman to score from third.
Surprisingly, a 3-1 lead was all the Dodgers needed, with Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, and Roki Sasaki holding down the lead from starter Tyler Glasnow (5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB and 8 Ks). Glasnow wasn't as sharp as Blake Snell or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it was enough to put the Dodgers up 3-0 in the NLCS.
Let's GOOOOO!
Tyler Glasnow vs. TBD.
For the second time this series, let's start with the negative. According to Jayson Stark in The Athletic, there have been eight teams (including this year's Dodgers), since the 2000 Yankees (MLB's last repeat winner), who have been within six games of a repeat World Series Championship. And none of the other seven have made it to a repeat title:
Put another way, of the seven teams since 2000 that had won two games in the LCS and were vying for a repeat World Series title, five of them didn't even make it out of the LCS.
To be fair, the 2001 Yankees were the only team in that set of seven who had a 2-0 lead in the LCS--on the road, no less!--and then went on to fall short (in the World Series, to Luis Gonzalez and the Diamondbacks).
On the other hand, World Series winners in 2021-2023 (Atlanta, Houston, and Texas) all went up 2-0 in their LCS en route to a World Series Championship.
(Atlanta was also up 2-0 on the Dodgers in the 2020 NLCS, and the Dodgers stormed back to not only win the 2020 NLCS but win the 2020 World Series.)
And did you see what just happened to the Mariners last night? Up 2-0 and heading home for Game 3, the Blue Jays rolled the Mariners 13-4, with five Blue Jays hitting home runs en route to victory. Ouch.
Tyler Glasnow takes the mound tonight for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's had two appearances in the 2025 postseason: a relief appearance in NLDS G1, where he went 1.2 IP (0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks), and then a more conventional (and effective) start in NLDS G4 (6.0 IP, 0 ER 2 H, 3 BB, 8 Ks). I was there for that NLDS G4, and he had pinpoint accuracy and was just setting up Ks all over the place, including in high-leverage positions. But Glasnow has gotten through six full innings in only three of his eleven career postseason starts, but no further than that--which means Dave Roberts is gonna have to use the bullpen somehow tonight.
So let's look at some more stats (courtesy ESPN's Get Up from 10.15):
I'm terrified.
We asked our crack analytics team here at SoSG HQ to run the numbers for Tyler Glasnow's 2025 NLCS Game 3 start. Here's what they projected:
The math looks pretty sound. Who needs AI?
DODGERS 2, PHILLIES 1 (11) DODGERS WIN NLDS, 3-1
In a tense affair that only took 3:30 to complete but felt like an eternity, the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies on an improbable error, with Orion Kerkering panicking after a botched comebacker, ultimately throwing the ball to the wrong base and wide of catcher J.T. Realmuto, allowing Dodgers pinchrunner Hyeseong Kim to score the game-winning run.
I was at the game and would not have believed this ending despite seeing it with my own eyes.
I guess you can now spell "Phillies" with three Ls.
The truth is, either team could have easily won this series. The Dodgers stole Game 1 in Philadelphia, and then barely survived Game 2, to put Los Angeles in a pretty comfortable position. But after squandering Game 3, it seemed like this Game 4, which rested on a razor's edge, could have gone either way.
Had the Dodgers lost NLDS Game 4, I have to think we would not have been favored to win the series in a winner-take-all Game 5, given the hostility of Citizens Bank Park, not to mention our recent performance where we just squeaked to victories by our fingernails.
But key Dodgers stepped up here in Game 4 to deliver us the win, and we have to give them their rightful commendations:
I wasn't sure why we took Glasnow out after only 83 pitches and six innings, because he was dealing, but I've since read that he was cramping. But his performance kept us in the game, for sure.
But Game 4's performance, asking the rookie to go three innings of work and watching him face nine batters and sit all nine down--one would have never expected this. Sasaki just hit another level, in a role that he wasn't even expected to play. I can't think of a comparable example. It's amazing.
And that set up the dramatics for Andy Pages--batting a microscopic .042 with a .122 OPS this postseason--to hit the comebacker that quickly unfolded into an error, with Kim crossing the plate and the Dodgers winning the game. But all four of those players were our 6-7-8-9 in the lineup on Thursday; the heroics were all theirs.
But Roberts' bullpen choices, even going back to how he (ab)used Kershaw in Game 4 (see above), proved to be key. Pushing Sasaki for three frames in Game 3 was ballsy, and it worked out (and so did using Alex Vesia in the 11th, and Vesia might be gaining some girth on his trust tree branch of late). It seems like Doc has gotten a lot better over time about reading the moment and trusting his players in key situations; it may not always work out, but it seems to be successful more often than not. Now, why we are sticking with starting Pages is another issue.
And look, I hated to see it end on Orion Kerkering's shoulders like that. He just freaked out, with 50,000 fans screaming and a bobbled ball that shifted things from routine to chaos in an instant. Yeah, maybe he should have thrown to first base to get Pages. And the play at the plate might have been close. But you don't like to see a walk-off error. I feel for the guy.
But hey, let's watch that play again anyway :)
Needless to say, it wasn't his fault that the Phillies are going home. Look at their big three: Trea Turner, 0-for-5 on Thursday with 2 Ks, finishing with a .235 average and .551 OPS (Turner did make a sweet defensive play in Game 4 on a grounder). Kyle Schwarber, who erupted for two home runs in Game 3, was a sad 1-for-5 in Game 4, also with 2 Ks, finishing the postseason with a .188 average (and .903 OPS). Bryce Harper, who has not fared well in Dodger Stadium in his career, went 0-for-4 and finished with a .200 average and .600 OPS.
So in NLDS Game 4, combined, Philly's big three went 1-for-14 with 4 Ks.
Now look, our big three didn't do much better: 2-for-13 with 5 Ks across Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman (Roberts wedged Teoscar Hernandez in there for Game 4, batting third but he was worse: 1-for-5 with 3 Ks on his own). Ohtani and Freeman look pretty bad right now, which some speculate is because Philadelphia's lefties are so strong. You know who else has strong lefty pitching? The Cubs (who play a winner-take-all game in Milwaukee Saturday). Gulp.
But I'll think about our adjustments that we'll need to make for the NLCS later. For now, I'm going to revel in the fact that the Dodgers are moving on, having vanquished the team that many believe would be our biggest obstacle this 2025 postseason.
After sitting through 11 innings of totally clenched ball last night, I'm still pretty nervous.
Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19) vs. Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50).
So many things went wrong for the Dodgers last night, in Game 3. Andy Pages' moribund play both at the plate and in the field. Having to leave Clayton Kershaw out there when he clearly had trouble finding the strike zone. Watching Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman have a third straight game without much pop in the bats.
And worst of all, we've awakened Kyle Schwarber, not to mention given signs of life to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. This is not good.
So I'm throwing a hail mary here and I'm going to 2025 NLDS Game 4. It's do or die. I have a bad feeling that I know the outcome already, though.
Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.30) vs. Logan Gilbert (6-6, 3.43).
I didn't expect yesterday's outcome, not with Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott pitching the eighth and ninth innings (neither of those came easy, but we still eked out a 3-2 win). We even overcame two incredibly shitty plays by Michael Conforto in left field: one, a first-inning missed fly ball that led to the Mariners' first run; and then in the seventh, a line drive that he plays off the wall and threw very wide to second base, allowing Randy Arozarena to reach second instead of being caught dead to rights.
Conforto, who got the start in left field, must be stopped.
He's back below the Mendoza line, btw, with an 0-for-2 performance yesterday.
I also wouldn't have expected us to win a game in which we didn't play Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, Max Muncy, or even the injured Will Smith.
This can't be our postseason strategy, right?
Tyler Glasnow (3-3, 3.06) vs. Kai-Wei Teng (2-4, 6.41).
Okay so we've won two games against the Giants, allowing the Dodgers to clinch a 13th straight postseason berth and also open up a four-game lead on the Padres in the NL West, with eight games to play. The rest of this season becomes a final exam for who should make the postseason lineup.
Michael Kopech has already missed the cut. Justin Wrobleski, who gave up another run yesterday (over 1.1 IP), looks like he can't hold form over consecutive days, which is what we'll need for the playoffs.
Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott are on the bubble, though Yates had a three-up-three-down inning on Friday, while Tanner Scott had another shaky (albeit 2 K) inning to get the save.
I say, let's rest Glasnow early (a prudent move, given his penchant for injuries), and just trot these bullpen arms out and see how they perform. We'd better learn now.
Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 3.21) vs. Robbie Ray (11-6, 3.32).
I'm so late in putting up this Game Thread, I can also add the lineup here in the post:
Ben Rortvedt already has 8 RBI, almost 1/3 of what Kiké Hernandez has this whole season. Why is Kiké in the starting lineup today? I thought we would want to try and win this series.
Tyler Glasnow (1-3, 3.41) vs. Krispy Kremer (9-10, 4.52).
The Dodgers' play has been downright disgusting of late, as we just dropped all three games to the last-place Pirates (who are the fourth-worst team in the National League). But wait--that disgust extends to the Padres as well, who just dropped three straight to the last-place Orioles (who are the fourth-worst team in the American League).
So the Dodgers go into Camden Yards where the birds are strangely hot, and the Padres...go to Colorado, which has been ice cold all year long.
At least the Dodgers can count on Michael C0nf0rt0 to stay ice cold!
Look, you can revel in the majesty of Will Smith's walk-off pinch hit home run to lead off the ninth (his fourth PH HR of his career). It was pretty awesome, and just what the Dodgers needed after blowing the three-run lead late.
But don't let that take your eye off of how bad we looked all weekend long against a fourth-place, sub-.500 team after we narrowly avoided the sweep today. The offense was horrible for the first two games of this series, compounding yet another non-quality start from Blake Snell (5.1 IP, 3 ER) and as well as a mediocre start from Tyler Glasnow (7.0 IP, but also 3 ER).
The Dodgers' relief additions to the squad this year, which looked good on paper, continued to underperform. Kirby Yates came in yesterday to give up a three-run jack to Arizona's nine-hole, Ildemaro Vargas; and then Tanner Scott came in today to give up the lead on a three-run jack to Corbin Carroll. Scott, who has been awful for us all year, has already ceded three times the number of home runs this year than he did last year--and this year isn't over yet.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a solid seven innings of one-run ball today (1 ER, 10 Ks with 0 BBs), and we couldn't even hold on to give him a win. Unacceptable.
Let's also talk about the drop off in offense beyond our top four hitters, and that's even with Teoscar Hernandez benched today. Michael Conforto was 0-for-1 and batting .190 on the year before being removed for Kiké Hernandez in the fifth; Kiké promptly GIDPd on the first pitch to end a threat. Alex Call went 0-for-4 and has cooled off, as has Alex Freeland (he went 2-for-4 today but is bating .208). Both Alexs had two Ks each. Dalton Rushing is lost, 0-for-3 with 2 Ks. And Miguel Rojas had a nice day, 2-for-3 with a RBI, providing some hope from the depths of our lineup.
The losses of Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and even Hyeseong Kim, coupled with the year-long impotence of Conforto, are just glaring holes in this lineup. We've got a day off Monday to think about this further, but honestly, do we really think this team, with this lineup, has legs in the postseason?
Smith can't save us every time.
Tyler Glasnow (1-2, 3.36) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (5-8, 5.67).
Any excitement we might have from starting pitchers, who have spent most of the year sitting on their asses (and earning money all the same), will be nullified if they are basically impotent on the mound. Witness Blake Snell, who only lasted 5.1 IP in yesterday's loss.
And today, we've got the always-fragile Tyler Glasnow starting.
Yay.
