Dodgers @ Diamondbacks August 30, 2024: Freeman returns to the lineup as Kershaw opens pivotal 4-game series in Arizona

The Dodgers handled their business at home, winning seven of nine on the homestand after capping off a series win against the Orioles last night. Last night’s win was a bit closer than it should have been as the Dodgers outhit Baltimore 14-4 in a 6-3 win, but Bobby Miller was solid and the bullpen held the Orioles scoreless for four innings. The win made the Dodgers the first team to reach 80 wins in 2024 and kept them a game ahead of the Phillies for the top spot in the NL and in baseball. More importantly, they finally managed to gain a game in the standings on both the Padres and Diamondbacks, giving them a four-game lead heading into a four-game series in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks are a league-best 27-10 in the second half and have made up three games in the NL West race in that time. Their .768 OPS is the best in the NL and only behind the Yankees’ .774 OPS, and they’ve been doing it with Christian Walker, Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno sidelined for most of August. All took batting practice this week and are expected back in early September, so lets hope they don’t return until the Dodgers leave town. They’ve finally been getting contributions from reigning Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll, who went into the All-Star Break with a .635 OPS and has raised it nearly 100 points since (.724 now). They dropped two of three against the Mets in their last series, with the lone win coming after a Carroll grand slam off Edwin Diaz in the eighth inning. Arizona’s won five of nine against the Dodgers this season, but the Dodgers took two of the three they’ve played in Arizona. The lone Diamondback win came in the infamous bee delay game.

	6:40 P.M.		Phoenix
DH	Ohtani (L)	SS	Perdomo (S)
RF	Betts	DH	Grichuk
1B	Freeman (L)	LF	Gurriel Jr.
LF	T. Hernández	1B	Bell (S)
2B	Lux (L)	CF	McCarthy (L)
C	Smith	3B	Suarez
3B	Muncy (L)	RF	Carroll (L)
CF	Edman (S)	3B	Newman
SS	Rojas	C	Herrera (S)
P	Kershaw (L)	P	Gallen (R)

Clayton Kershaw makes his seventh start of the season and his first look at revenge against the Diamondbacks. Kershaw started Game 1 of last year’s NLDS and it did not go well. He recorded one (1) out allowed six hits and six runs in what would be a precursor to how the rest of that series would go. Fortunately, it wasn’t the final start of his career as he’s back and been solid in his six starts this season. Kershaw had some similar struggles in his most recent start against Tampa. He started the game with a groundout, but allowed two singles, two doubles, a walk and a wild pitch for four runs before recording his second out. Kershaw did bounce back in this start, as he got through five and only allowed one other run to put himself in position for a win behind some run support from the Dodgers. He didn’t get that win after Evan Phillips blew a save and Joe Kelly served up a homer in the 10th for a 9-8 loss. It was a rough start after three consecutive strong starts, where Kershaw allowed 12 hits and two runs over 16 1/3 innings. Kershaw hasn’t started in Arizona since last April, where he allowed four runs and two homers in six innings.

Zac Gallen makes his 23rd start of the season tonight. He’s been solid this season, with a 3.65 ERA/3.29 FIP in 116 innings. It’s been a step back from his last two seasons where he’s finished top-5 in Cy Young voting, but he’s still capable of shutting down any team. He did so last time out in Boston, when he struck out nine and allowed two hits over six shutout innings. He did walk four batters in that game, which has been a bit of an issue for him this season. Gallen’s 8.4 percent walk rate isn’t horrible, but his 41 walks is only six fewer walks than he allowed in 210 innings last season. He’s also striking out fewer batters than he ever has in his career (22.7 percent strikeout rate, previous career-low was 26 percent). He hasn’t allowed a homer since the All-Star Break and has only allowed eight all season. Gallen took a no-decision in his only start against the Dodgers this season on Independence day. He struggled in the first inning but held the Dodgers scoreless through three before things fell apart in the fourth. The Dodgers loaded the bases off Gallen with one out in the fourth, and Enrique Hernandez drove in a run on a groundout and noted power hitter Austin Barnes plated two on a single to center for a three-run frame to end his night.

Gallen’s thrown a fastball 46.2 percent of the time this season, and it’s gotten hit pretty hard. Batters are hitting .319 off the fastball (xBA .294) and slugging .494 (xSLG .490) off it, and 22 of the 35 extra base hits he’s allowed this season have come off it. He’s thrown a knuckle-curve 27.4 percent of the time and has a 37.4 percent whiff rate with it. He also throws a changeup (14.1 percent), slider (8.7 percent), cutter (3.4 percent) and had one game where he was tracked throwing three sinkers.

Freddie Freeman returns to the lineup after missing the entire Orioles series to allow his fractured finger to recover.

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A slew of pitching updates regarding Tyler Glasnow, Brusdar Graterol and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

– Brusdar Graterol will throw live bullpen on Saturday
– Sunday vs. D-backs is still TBD, but someone will be added when rosters expand

— Kirsten Watson (@kirsten_watson) August 30, 2024

Glasnow played catch today and is still progressing on his throwing program. Yamamoto came out of his first rehab start well and will throw in Arizona on Sunday. He’ll then start a rehab game for OKC next Tuesday. Graterol will face batters tomorrow, and Sunday’s starter is still TBD. Rosters expand on Sunday and Justin Wrobleski is lined up to pitch Sunday, so not a huge mystery there.

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First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.