The Opener

With the start of the World Series just a day away, here are three things to keep an eye around baseball today:

1. World Series Workout Day:

While the World Series isn’t set to start until tomorrow, both the Dodgers and Yankees will be at Dodger Stadium today as they get in their final team workouts before the series begins. Managers Dave Roberts and Aaron Boone as well as Game 1 starters Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole are expected to speak to the media today, and the managers’ respective comments could be illuminating regarding the availability of certain key players.

As things currently stand, the Dodgers expect veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman to be back in the lineup for Game 1 tomorrow. What’s as of now unclear is if he’ll be joined by shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was left off the club’s NLCS roster due to an adductor strain, or if relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol will be ready to rejoin the bullpen. The Yankees, meanwhile, have fewer key injuries of note in play for the World Series but are hoping to roster southpaw Nestor Cortes despite him having suffered a flexor strain towards the end of the regular season. Cortes had a throwing session earlier this week and indeed expects to be on the roster despite the risk of a larger injury. The left-hander gave reporters quite the quote in signaling his willingness to put his health on the line to help his team in the Fall Classic (X link via Newsday’s Erik Boland): “If I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it.”

2. News from Asia’s top leagues:

While the current focus is obviously on the looming World Series and the start of the offseason for 28 other clubs, we’ve had a few reminders this week already that this time of year also tends to bring notable news from overseas. The Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced this week that they’ll post left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara for MLB teams to bid on, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters announced just yesterday that they’ve re-signed former big league slugger Franmil Reyes for an additional year after a huge 2024 season that saw him hit .290/.348/.564 with 25 homers in just 368 plate appearances.

The days and weeks ahead figure to bring similar items of interest. All eyes are on 22-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki, he of the career 2.02 ERA with the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines, and whether he’ll be posted. At last check, the Marines’ GM said the club was still talking the situation over with Sasaki and had not yet made a decision (X link via Yakyu Cosmopolitan). Over in the Korea Baseball Organization, 25-year-old Kiwoom Heroes infielder Hyeseong Kim is widely expected to be posted for MLB clubs after hitting .326/.383/.458 — his fourth straight season hitting at least .304 with at least a .372 on-base percentage.

A few other names will surely pop up. It’s commonplace for an unexpected name or two to surface this time of year and land on MLB radars. There are a handful of former big leaguers who’ve played well overseas and could signal their intent to return to North American ball (or re-sign, as Reyes did). And, once the Korean Series and Japan Series have reached their conclusions, we’ll surely start to see some former big leaguers sign in the KBO or in NPB.

3. Where will the Rays open the 2025 season?

After Hurricane Milton devastated the Tampa Bay area, the Rays’ Tropicana Field has been left with severe damage, including much of the roof being torn off. The damage is so great that the Rays almost certainly won’t be able to open the season at the stadium, and with a new stadium already set to be built for the 2028 season questions remain as to whether or not the local government has interest in financing the repair of a stadium that’s scheduled for demolition in just three short years. Commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed a desire to keep the Rays in their current market for the years leading up to the new stadium’s construction, while potential temporary relocation options such as Montreal and Durham have seemingly taken themselves off the table. Further details are sure to unfold as the team continues to assess the damage at the Trop and explore alternate scenarios.

As the wait for the World Series to begin, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Mets end-of-season press conference:

On the heels of the club being eliminated from the postseason at the hands of the Dodgers, the Mets are now set to shift their attention toward the coming offseason. Part of that process is the club’s end-of-season press conference, which Mike Puma of the New York Post notes will be conducted at Citi Field later today by president of baseball operations David Stearns. Overall, it was quite the successful year for a Mets club that won 89 games and made it to their first NLCS since 2015 despite relatively low expectations regarding the club’s competitiveness just one year after they traded off key pieces like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Stearns and the rest of the front office face a new challenge this winter, however. Not only is first baseman Pete Alonso scheduled to become a free agent, but the impending departures of Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino mean that the Mets will need to rebuild their rotation nearly from scratch this offseason. Beyond that, speculation has run rampant over the past year that the Mets will be involved in the Juan Soto market, presumably creating a bidding war between the two New York teams as the incumbent Yankees try to retain their young star.

2. Are more injury announcements coming down the pipe?

The lull between the end of the NLCS on Sunday and the start of the World Series this coming Friday has created space for teams to make announcements that otherwise may have conflicted with the postseason, and among the most noteworthy have been a handful of injury updates. So far this week, we’ve received word that Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner underwent forearm surgery and Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn underwent a spinal procedure earlier this month. Those major injury announcements that could impact the players’ timelines for Spring Training aside, the Padres also discussed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim’s recent shoulder surgery ahead of his free agency and indicated he might take longer to return to action than initially believed. Could any more injury announcements or updates crop up over the next few days?

3. Managerial searches continue:

Details surrounding the managerial searches for the White Sox and Marlins have been fairly sparse to this point, though a few names of potential candidates have been rumored for the vacancy in Miami. There have been more rumors surrounding Chicago’s search, with exiting Marlins manager Skip Schumaker joining a list of names that also includes Lombard, Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough and Rangers associate manager Will Venable. Whoever the two clubs ultimately hire to steer their fifth-place teams in 2025 will face plenty of potential challenges; in addition to the abysmal record of both clubs, the Marlins’ new manager will be tasked with overhauling their entire coaching staff, while the new White Sox manager will join the team amid rumors of a potential sale.

With just a few days until the World Series continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. Are more coaching hires on the horizon?

Yesterday saw a flurry of coaching hires announced as the Cardinals, Brewers, and Blue Jays all added new voices to their staffs. Will the current lull between playoff games spur even more movement on the coaching front? There’s certainly plenty of vacancies that need to be filled, including a complete overhaul of the coaching staff in Miami. The Marlins are surely going to wait to fill out their coaching staff until they have a new manager in place, but the Red Sox, Cubs, and Orioles are among the large number of teams with coaching vacancies that could be addressed in the coming days. And that’s before considering the possibility of coaches on short-term deals being locked up longer-term, as AJ Preller indicated yesterday he’d like to do for Padres manager Mike Shildt and certain members of his staff.

2. Dodgers media availability:

The Dodgers announced last night that they’ll make a handful of players available to the media later today. That includes first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was sidelined for Game 6 of the NLCS due to the sprained ankle that’s hobbled him since the end of the regular season. It’s possible we’ll learn more today about his availability for the World Series, and manager Dave Roberts also figures to be on tap to discuss the availability of shortstop Miguel Rojas, lefty Alex Vesia, and righty Brusdar Graterol. All three of them were left off the NLCS roster due to injuries but could be in the conversation for the World Series roster.

One other point of intrigue is that the Dodgers will likely announce their choice for Game 1 starter. The club’s entire pitching staff will be on full rest for the coming series, and it seems likely they’ll turn to either Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Jack Flaherty to start Game 1, as they did in both of their previous playoff series this October. Whoever the Dodgers select will be set to face off against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who has a 3.31 ERA across three postseason starts so far this year and a 2.98 playoff ERA in 120 2/3 career frames.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

With the World Series just a few days away, virtually the entire league has turned their attention towards the coming offseason at this point. If you have any questions about the upcoming winter, your team’s direction, or the impending clash between the Dodgers and Yankees, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

With the World Series match up now set in stone, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Freeman nursing ankle injury:

Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was not in the Dodgers’ lineup for the club’s series-clinching win against the Mets last night as he continues to struggle with a sprained ankle that’s limited his availability all throughout the postseason. Even when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, Freeman has looked nothing like himself at the plate with a paltry .219/.242/.219 slash line in the postseason, including a .167/.211/.167 slash line during the NLCS. As Freeman looks to rest up over the next four days before World Series rosters are due, a major question figures to face both him and the Dodgers: is he healthy enough to participate, or would the club be better served using his roster spot another way?

2. Are any front office hires on the horizon?

As we enter a brief stretch of days without baseball before the World Series, it shouldn’t be a surprise if teams begin to make announcements (which are often held back to accommodate a focus on the postseason) regarding some personnel decisions this week. There’s been quite a bit of buzz regarding a handful of potential front office hires in recent days, in particular. The Red Sox appear to be on the cusp of hiring another assistant GM, which could be coupled with them promoting internally for their currently vacant GM role. Additionally, the Giants’ search for a GM to serve as a second-in-command to newly-minted president of baseball operations Buster Posey figures to continue in full force this week. The field of potential candidates still appears to be expansive, though one name pulled himself from consideration over the weekend.

3. Mets head into the offseason:

After their club’s run to the NLCS, Mets brass will have little opportunity to celebrate as they turn their attention toward an offseason where a massive number of their current players are slated for free agency. That group is led, of course, by longtime first baseman Pete Alonso. But other key players who are ticketed for free agency this winter include J.D. Martinez, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea (who has an opt-out in his deal he’ll surely exercise), Jose Iglesias, Jesse Winker, and Harrison Bader. Under the ownership of Steve Cohen, the Mets have run top-of-the-line payrolls and shown a willingness to sign players even with free agency just around the corner, as they did with Edwin Diaz during the 2022-23 offseason. With more than half a dozen key players headed to free agency this winter, could the club make another surprise preemptive strike?

With one team now on the verge of a trip to the World Series, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Dodgers one away:

A 10-2 drubbing of the Mets in New York last night in Game 4 of the NLCS leaves the Dodgers just one win away from the World Series. They’ll attempt to wrap the series up in New York at 5:08pm local time this evening with right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA in 28 starts) on the mound. Flaherty was roughed up by the Padres in his first start of the postseason but bounced back in a big way during his start against the Mets earlier in this series when he threw seven scoreless frames and struck out six. The Mets will attempt to counter Flaherty with lefty David Peterson, who enjoyed something of a breakout season this year with a 2.90 ERA in 21 starts. He’s worked out of the bullpen to this point in the postseason but has mostly done well for himself with a 2.08 ERA in 8 2/3 frames, though four walks against just five strikeouts is somewhat concerning.

2. Guardians fighting back in ALCS:

The Guardians headed back to Cleveland down 2-0 in the ALCS yesterday but did not disappoint in front of their home crowd, prevailing in a back-and-forth extra innings affair 7-5 on the back of a home run by David Fry that followed a homer by Jhonkensy Noel that tied the game in the bottom of the ninth to keep the club alive. Now, the Guardians will have the opportunity to even the series against their home crowd when they face right-hander Luis Gil (3.50 ERA in 29 starts) in what will be the first postseason outing of Gil’s career at 8:08pm local time this evening. Cleveland will counter with right-hander Gavin Williams, who followed up a strong rookie campaign in 2023 with a lackluster 4.86 ERA in 16 starts this year in what will also be the first postseason appearance of his young career.

3. Hamilton to undergo MRI:

Before tonight’s game in Cleveland, the Yankees will have a decision to make regarding right-hander Ian Hamilton. Hamilton exited last night’s game against the Guardians due to what the team described as tightness in his left calf and is now headed for imaging. Hamilton posted a solid 3.82 ERA with a 3.03 FIP in 37 2/3 innings of work in the regular season but hasn’t seen much action in the postseason. The righty threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings during the ALDS against the Royals, but his lone appearance in the ALCS was last night’s injury-shortened outing where he surrendered a run and recorded just one out. Right-handers Mark Leiter Jr. and Clayton Beeter are among the hurlers who have been floated as possible injury replacements for Hamilton should he go on the IL, which would bar him from participating in the World Series in the event that the Yankees advance.

As the playoffs continue, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. ALCS heads to Cleveland:

The Guardians are headed back home to Cleveland today having dropped the first two games of the ALCS to the Yankees in the Bronx. As they look to stop the bleeding in front of their home crowd, the club will turn to lefty Matthew Boyd (2.72 ERA in 8 starts). The veteran southpaw has not yet appeared in the ALCS but drew two starts during the ALDS against Detroit. Those two starts went quite well, as Boyd struck out ten Tigers in 6 2/3 scoreless frames. Now, Boyd figures to square off against Yankees youngster Clarke Schmidt (2.85 ERA in 16 starts) this evening. Schmidt’s lone ALDS start saw him surrender two runs in 4 2/3 innings of work with four strikeouts. Today’s game is scheduled to begin at 5:08pm local time.

2. Mets facing deficit in NLCS:

The Mets suffered an ugly 8-0 loss at the hands of the Dodgers last night as the L.A. pitching staff stymied their offense, allowing just four hits. While Luis Severino managed to handle the Dodgers’ offense decently in 4 2/3 innings of work that saw only two unearned runs cross the plate, the L.A. bats came to life late in the game against the bullpen and torched Mets relievers Reed Garrett and Tylor Megill for six runs.

As the Mets try to avoid dropping back-to-back games, they’ll turn to veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (3.75 ERA in 31 starts). Quintana has been excellent for the Mets so far this postseason, pitching 11 scoreless frames and striking out 11 across two starts split between the NLDS and the NL Wild Card series. His opponent tonight will be Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.00 ERA in 16 starts), who arrived in the majors to much fanfare earlier this year. Yamamoto’s first taste of postseason action in the big leagues has been a mixed bag so far, as he was rocked for five runs over three innings by the Padres in his first postseason start but settled in to post five scoreless frames in a decisive Game 5 against San Diego later in the series. Tonight’s game is slated to start at 8:08pm local time in Queens.

3. A’s ballpark agreements in Las Vegas moving forward:

The A’s no longer hail from Oakland after playing their last game at the Coliseum last month, and with the Oakland chapter of the club’s history now officially closed, things are moving along toward the construction of the club’s planned ballpark in Las Vegas. As detailed by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority is scheduled to meet today with a review of updated agreements regarding development and leasing of the stadium as well as relocation stipulations between the city and the A’s among the items on the agenda.

The agreements lay out a framework for a number of subjects, including how many out-of-market home games the Athletics are allowed to play each year and what situations could allow the A’s to relocate out of Las Vegas in the future should they so desire. Per Akers, those agreements will then be put to a vote on December 5, with approval of each of the agreements standing as a necessary step in order for the A’s to unlock public funding for their new stadium. In addition to getting approval on these agreements, the Athletics will also need to present a plan for financing their own portion of the stadium expenses before that aforementioned public funding becomes available.

As the Yankees and Guardians head to Cleveland with New York up 2-0, here are a few things to watch for today:

1. NLCS Game 3:

The Dodgers and Mets left L.A. with the NLCS all tied up, and tonight they’ll take the field in Queens to continue the series. The Dodgers will send right-hander Walker Buehler (5.38 ERA in 16 starts) to the mound in hopes of stronger results after the righty was lit up for six runs in five innings while striking out just one against the Padres in his most recent postseason start. The Mets will counter with right-hander Luis Severino (3.91 ERA in 31 starts) on the heels of a quality start by the righty in the NLDS where he struck out seven Phillies over six innings while surrendering three runs. The matchup between the two hurlers is scheduled to start at 8:08pm local time this evening.

2. Lux day-to-day?

Headed into tonight’s game, one question facing the Dodgers is the availability of second baseman Gavin Lux. As noted by MLB.com, Lux was out of the starting lineup in Game 2, replaced by Enrique Hernandez at second base. The move to not start Lux came on the heels of the 26-year-old being removed from Game 1 due to hip tightness. While manager Dave Roberts indicated prior to the game that Lux would be available off the bench, he ultimately did not make an appearance in Game 2. Following a day off and with a right-handed starter on the mound, will Lux be healthy enough to take the field? While the infielder’s 100 wRC+ during the regular season doesn’t stand out, Lux had a huge finish to the year, hitting .304/.390/.508 in 210 plate appearances after the All-Star break, and he went 5-for-18 with a homer and a walk during the NLDS against San Diego.

3. Rizzo day-to-day:

Coming off a second consecutive win against the Guardians in the ALCS, one focus for the Yankees on their day off will be monitoring the status of veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo was unavailable for the ALDS but returned to the roster for the championship series to play through two fractured fingers on his right hand. The 35-year-old has done quite well for himself on the field so far, going 3-for-7 with a walk and a double, but Brendan Kuty of The Athletic noted before yesterday’s game that Rizzo’s availability is truly day-to-day after he was pulled from Game 1 of the series early and entered the day of Game 2 with his availability uncertain. Rizzo managed to play the full game yesterday, however, and with a day off today there’s certainly reason for optimism that he’ll be able to remain in the club’s lineup as the series heads to Cleveland tomorrow.

4. MLBTR Chat today:

MLBTR’s Steve Adams wasn’t able to host his usual Tuesday chat with readers this week, so it’ll take place this afternoon instead. If you have a question about free agency, your favorite team’s offseason direction, potential winter trades, the ongoing postseason, etc. — you can click here to submit a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to participate live at 3pm CT or read the transcript after the chat has been completed.

As the 2024 postseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1: ALCS Game 2:

The Yankees took Game 1 of the ALCS last night thanks to a gem from left-hander Carlos Rodon that saw him strike out nine Guardians across six innings of one-run ball. Now, Cleveland will look to rebound with right-hander Tanner Bibee (3.47 ERA in 31 starts) on the mound. It’ll be the third start of the postseason for Bibee, who already posted 8 2/3 innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts and three walks against the Tigers in the ALDS. The Yankees will turn to ace Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA in 17 starts) as they look to keep their momentum rolling. Cole has a lengthy and accomplished postseason resume with a 2.94 ERA across 19 playoff starts, and his performance in the ALDS against the Royals mostly matched his reputation: he surrendered five runs (four earned) in 12 innings of work while striking out eight batters.

2: Phillies end-of-season presser:

After a frustrating defeat at the hands of the Mets in the NLDS, the Phillies have entered the offseason earlier than they were hoping. The club will formally kick off its offseason later today with an end-of-season press conference where both president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson are expected to be available to field questions from the media. The Phillies could be in for a relatively quiet offseason by their standards with their entire starting rotation and lineup under team control for 2025, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club looked to upgrade in the outfield or address a bullpen that could lose Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to free agency next month.

3. Managerial searches underway

While winning teams spend October focused primarily on the playoff push, teams that missed the postseason often spend the month focusing on personnel changes in the dugout and front office. This winter, the two most high-profile jobs up for grabs are managerial gigs in Miami and on the south side of Chicago. The rumor mill as been relatively quiet regarding both the Marlins’ and White Sox’ plans so far, though a handful of candidates have seen their names floated already including Angels manager Phil Nevin for the job in Chicago and current bench coach Luis Urueta for the Marlins gig. Whoever is ultimately hired to fill those vacancies will have their work cut out for them as the White Sox look to bounce back from the worst season in modern MLB history and the Marlins plan to rebuild their entire coaching staff from the ground up.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. NLCS Game 2:

The NLCS kicked off yesterday as the Dodgers completed a 9-0 rout of the Mets following a tough start from right-hander Kodai Senga where he allowed three runs in 1 1/3 frames without recording a strikeout. L.A. countered with a brilliant performance from righty Jack Flaherty, who notched six strikeouts across seven scoreless innings. The Mets will hope to turn things around today with lefty Sean Manaea (3.47 ERA) on the mound. Manaea has been perhaps the club’s most reliable starter to this point in the postseason, with a 2.25 ERA and ten strikeouts in 12 innings of work between the Wild Card and Division Series. The Dodgers, on the other hand, will look to extend their record-tying streak of 33 scoreless postseason innings with Ryan Brasier on the mound to start a bullpen game. Brasier struggled a bit in the NLDS, surrendering two runs on three hits (including a homer) and striking out two across 3 2/3 innings of work.

2. ALCS Game 1:

While the Mets look to make up their deficit in the NL, the ALCS will get underway in New York as the Yankees welcome the Guardians to the Bronx. Lefty Carlos Rodon (3.96 ERA) will take the mound for the Yankees on the heels of a tough outing against Kansas City during the ALDS where he surrendered four runs in 3 2/3 innings of work despite striking out seven Royals and walking none. The Guardians will counter with Alex Cobb. The 37-year-old veteran made just three regular season starts due to injury (2.76 ERA). In his lone postseason start against the Tigers last week, Cobb struck out two while surrendering two runs in three innings of work.

3. Yankees facing roster decisions:

With ALCS rosters due later today, the Yankees spent yesterday working out at Yankee Stadium while club brass worked toward finalizing their roster plans. Two injured players in particular appear to be on the bubble of the playoffs roster: first baseman Anthony Rizzo and lefty Nestor Cortes. Rizzo did some fielding work during yesterday’s workout, though Dan Martin of the New York Post writes that the club has yet to make a decision on his availability and could once again turn to Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti at the position, as they did against the Royals.

Meanwhile, Greg Joyce of the New York Post was among those to note yesterday that the Yankees are “considering” activating Cortes for the ALCS. Cortes has been sidelined since late September due to a flexor strain in his left elbow, but imaging revealed an undamaged UCL so the lefty received a platelet-rich plasma injection and returned to rehabbing. The southpaw posted a 3.77 ERA across 174 1/3 innings of work for the Yankees this year but would surely be relegated to a relief role if activated, adding another lefty to the club’s bullpen alongside Tim Hill and Tim Mayza.

With two of the four teams headed to the LCS already decided, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on headed into the weekend:

1. NLDS Game 5:

Baseball fans get to enjoy three games from three different series this weekend, starting with a winner-take-all rubber match between the Dodgers and Padres at Dodger Stadium at 5:08pm local time this evening. In the first instance of a pitching match-up featuring two Japanese-born pitchers in MLB playoff history, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.00 ERA in 18 starts) will take the ball for the Dodgers in Game 5 opposite Padres veteran Yu Darvish (3.31 ERA in 16 starts). Yamamoto pitched for the Dodgers in Game 1 but was torched for five runs in three innings of work amid whispers that the star hurler was tipping his pitches. Meanwhile, Darvish hurled seven innings of one-run ball in his start against the Dodgers earlier in this series.

2. ALDS Game 5:

Tomorrow, another set of division rivals will prepare for a winner-take-all Game 5 when the Tigers and Guardians head back to Cleveland for a game scheduled at 8:08pm local time tomorrow evening. Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (2.39 ERA) will be back on the mound for the Guardians after previously striking out 14 across 13 scoreless frames this postseason between dominant starts against the Astros and Guardians. The Guardians have not announced their starter as they try to hand Skubal the first loss of his postseason career, though injuries to the Detroit lineup could help their own pitching staff keep pace with the dominant lefty.

Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter departed last night’s game with an apparent hamstring injury, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive) that the club will need to get Carpenter looked at by team doctors before determining his availability for Game 5. Meanwhile, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reported last night that catcher Jake Rogers also underwent imaging after having his wrist and forearm wrapped in the aftermath of Game 4, though specifics of the backstop’s potential injury aren’t known. With two key pieces of the club’s starting lineup potentially unavailable headed into Game 5, the Tigers could need to rely on backup catcher Dillon Dingler and Carpenter’s platoon partner Justyn-Henry Malloy to take the club to the ALCS.

3. NLCS Game 1:

On Sunday, the winner of tonight’s game 5 will move on to face the Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS, which will take place at either Dodger Stadium or San Diego’s Petco Park at 5:15 local time that evening. With the club’s entire rotation set to be fully rested entering the series, the Mets appear likely to turn to either Luis Severino (3.91 ERA) or Sean Manaea (3.47 ERA) in Sunday’s game, while the Dodgers would likely turn to Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA) should they advance. The Padres have less certainty in their rotation situation than the other remaining NL clubs after losing Joe Musgrove to Tommy John surgery earlier this postseason, but could start right-hander Michael King (2.95 ERA) on short rest or simply lean on their dominant bullpen in the first game of the seven game set.