Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
O/U: 8
LAD -165
It was an absolutely wild Game 4 as the Rays rallied back on multiple occasions, including the two runs in the ninth inning to win it on a Brett Phillips base hit. With a day off in between Games 2 and 3, Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow were able to get a full week’s rest and come back to pitch here in this pivotal Game 5.
CPT/MVP
1. Clayton Kershaw , SP LAD - It’s hard not to love what Kershaw was able to do in his first start of this postseason. At that same time, what lefties have done to the Rays all year long. We just saw Julio Urías strike out nine opponents in just 4.2 IP in Game 4. Tampa Bay had nearly a 30% K-rate vs. LHP. Kershaw is an elite option here despite it being the most expensive option on the slate.
2. Randy Arozarena, OF TB - I’m not sure if you heard, but Arozarena hit his ninth postseason home run in Game 4, which is a new MLB record. Nobody else has hit that many in one singular postseason. Not only that, but he went 3-for-4 and reached base four times, scoring three runs and upping his World Series OPS up over 1.200. Oh, he also has a .591 wOBA vs. LHP this year.
3. Justin Turner , 3B LAD - Turner is rollin’ at the dish homering in two straight while notching six hits, four being the extra-base variety in those same two games. Turner mashed right-handed pitching during the regular season hitting .340 with a .397 wOBA against them. Tyler Glasnow struggled more with righties this year to boot.
Mid-Tier
1. Corey Seager , SS LAD - Seager had four hits in Game 4 and his average because of it spiked to .500 for the series. I mentioned above that Arozarena broke the postseason home run record, well, Seager is one away from tying him. Seager has 8 HR, 18 RBI and a 1.234 OPS this postseason.
2. Tyler Glasnow , TB SP - The strikeouts are as good as anyone, well, he actually led baseball this year in K/9 amongst all starting pitchers with over 50 IP. He was shelled in Game 1 allowing 6 ER, but struck out eight. If he eliminates the damage, we’re talking about massive potential. Glasnow won’t garner nearly as much ownership as Kershaw if you want to use that as a leverage play.
3. Brandon Lowe , 2B TB - It took him a while. All postseason, pretty much, but Lowe has three home runs over his last three games after going deep on Saturday. Not to mention how well he’s performed against left-handed pitching this year. Lowe hit 6 HR along with a .300 and .466 wOBA versus left-handed pitching.
Value Tier
1. Hunter Renfroe , OF TB - We saw Renfroe draw another start versus a left-handed pitcher on Saturday and it paid off dividends as he homered. Well, he gets another lefty here and he’s back in the lineup hitting fifth. It’s a risk because he could be lifted later in the contest but the fact he has home run potential puts him in play.
2. Will Smith , C LAD - Smith has reached base in nine of his last 10 games including hits in eight games. Smith also has been a great source of run production driving in nine runs over his last 10. Smith has hit right-handed pitching very well this year notching a .288 AVG and .427 wOBA.
3. Joc Pederson , OF LAD - I hate rostering multiple guys that could potentially be removed late for defense or a pinch-hitter, but I understand the potential with rostering a guy like Pederson who could homer in any at-bat. Pederson is as risky as it gets.
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.