Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers (97-62) came out flat once again in the finale against the Padres, losing 4-2 in a game that didn’t even feel that close. Tyler Glasnow didn’t allow a hit through five innings, but gave up two singles and a sac fly for the first run of the game in the sixth and put two on before getting pulled in the seventh. Justin Wrobleski came in to try to get out of the jam and gave up both inherited runs and a fourth Padre run. Four runs was plenty against a Dodger offense that struggled with runners on again, leaving nine on base and going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers had clinched a first round bye before the game with an Atlanta loss to Cincinnati, but I believe they are now locked in to the two seed (three games back of Milwaukee with three to play, Milwaukee owns the tiebreaker).
The Dodgers have three more games to sort out the postseason plans and begin their final regular season series in San Francisco tonight. There’s a few smaller things to aim for in this series (100 wins is always fun, they’re currently a game up on Tampa and hold a tiebreaker for home field should they advance to the World Series), but mainly it’s a series for final tuneups and avoiding injuries hopefully. The Giants are 65-94 and have lost nine of their last 12, including a three-game sweep in LA last weekend. The Dodgers outscored them 21-7 in the three games, but the Giants still have a chance to take the season series against the Dodgers (Dodgers currently 6-4 against the Giants).
 |  | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:15 P.M. | San Francisco | ||
| DH | Ohtani (L) | CF | Cox |
| SS | Betts | 1B | Harris |
| 1B | Freeman (L) | DH | Bericoto |
| C | Smith | RF | Davidson (L) |
| RF | Tucker (L) | C | Knizner |
| LF | T. Hernández | 2B | Mayer (L) |
| 3B | Muncy (L) | 3B | Whitcomb |
| CF | Pages | LF | Bandura (L) |
| 2B | K. Hernández | SS | Koss |
| P | Skubal (R) | P | Marté (R) |
Tarik Skubal gets his 10th and final start of the regular season for the Dodgers. Skubal hasn’t quite been the rotation-shifting ace many thought he would be, but still has a 2.95 ERA in 55 innings with LA. Skubal’s coming off his worst start of the season on Saturday against the Giants, where he gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings with only three strikeouts against a relatively no-named Giant lineup. Skubal matched a season-high with four extra base hits allowed (three doubles and a homer) and the three strikeout matched his season-worst. It wasn’t even necessarily a Giant grindy lineup day either, as the Dodgers used four relievers each for an inning and they struck out two batters each.
Skubal ended up getting the win in that game as the Dodgers beat up on Yunior Marte, who starts for the Giants again tonight. Marte came into that game off the best outing of his short Major League career, five scoreless innings of relief against the Padres. The Dodgers put up six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings to give Marte his first career loss. They picket fenced Marte through the first four innings, scoring a run in each inning before exploding in the fifth and sixth to put the game out of reach. Marte gave up a single to start the fifth but erased that on a double play. The two-out Dodgers got activated, as a single and a walk chased Marte from the game for Phillip Abner, who gave up a walk and two singles to score both of Marte’s runs. The Dodgers added three more in the sixth for a 10-4 lead, which ended up being the final score.
Another relatively normal Dodger lineup. Tommy Edman does get the day off with Enrique Hernandez getting the start at second. The Giants get Marcelo Mayer off the IL and he’ll play in the field for the first time as a Giant. Mayer was injured when the Giants traded for him and came back Monday against the Twins, where he DH’d twice and pinch ran once. He’s still looking for his first hit as a Giant.
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Dalton Rushing is back and Alex Freeland was optioned.
The Dodgers have reinstated catcher Dalton Rushing from the injured list and optioned IF Alex Freeland.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 25, 2026
Dave Roberts said the other day that Rushing would likely get three pinch hit opportunities this weekend in an effort to give him a chance for a playoff roster spot. It feels like there’s another lefty bat option that can’t really play the field that’ll be eligible to return from AAA in time for the NLDS, but who knows. Freeland won’t be eligible to return before the NLDS starts, which probably explains why Josue De Paula was sent down first.
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First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM PT and will be on SportsNet LA.
