Game: San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
Time: 9:07 PM ET
Starting Pitchers: Anthony DeSclafani vs. Tony Gonsolin*
Odds: Giants +142, Dodgers -152
San Francisco has a chance to close out their National League Division Series with a win over their rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a thrilling 1-0 victory in Game 3, the Giants can eliminate the Boys in Blue but they will have to do so in Dodger Stadium. The loss last night was just the Dodgers’ second defeat in their last 11 games.
The Giants named Anthony DeSclafani as their starting pitcher for tonight while the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter. Walker Buehler, who started Game 1, could go for the Dodgers on short rest, but LA is more likely to start Tony Gonsolin. The right-hander went 4-1 this season with a 3.23 ERA.
Gonsolin pitched once against the Giants this season. Back in July, Gonsolin went 3.1 innings, allowed five hits, and gave up three earned runs – including two homers – in a 7-2 loss to San Francisco. September was Gonsolin’s worst month of the season despite picking up two wins. He pitched 20 innings and had an ERA of 4.05. In his last start of the regular season, Gonsolin gave up two home runs in a win over San Diego.
DeSclafani finished the regular season strong going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in six starts over the course of September and early October. His last start was also against the Padres. DeSclafani pitched five shutout innings giving up four hits and no walks. The problem for DeSclafani is that he has not fared well against the Dodgers this season.
In 2021, DeSclafani went 0-3 against LA in six starts. His ERA was a lofty 7.33. In 12 career starts against the Dodgers, DeSclafani is 1-8 overall with a 5.84 ERA. Pitching in Dodger Stadium, he is 1-2 with a more respectable 3.90 ERA in five appearances. Where DeSclafani did excel this season was in night games. In 23 starts at night, the right-hander went 11-4 with a 2.55 ERA.
San Francisco has won 12 of the 22 games played against the Dodgers this season. In the Giants’ two victories in the NLDS, the Dodgers were shut out. That includes last night’s 1-0 Giants victory. The Dodgers lost for the first time with Max Scherzer as their starting pitcher. Scherzer gave up a home run, the game’s only run, to Evan Longoria.
The Giants are now 10-2 in their last 12 games and 8-3 in their last 11 against the Dodgers. San Francisco has also won 12 of its last 13 games on the road. Their stellar pitching has led to the Under hitting in eight of their last 12 games. The Over has hit in six of the last nine Dodgers games, but the Under is 5-2 in the last seven Dodgers-Giants games.
The Game 3 win by San Francisco was a big one. The team that wins a Game 3 in a best-of-five MLB series has advanced 72 percent of the time.