The Dodgers will have Major League Baseball’s strikeout leader on the mound Saturday evening as they try to salvage a split of their two-game Freeway Series against the Angels at Dodger Stadium.
Tyler Glasnow has 125 strikeouts, one more than Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet. Glasnow is second in fewest walks plus hits allowed per inning (0.91) and third in batting average against (.180).
The right-hander is 7-5 with a 3.00 ERA. The Dodgers are 9-6 in his 15 starts.
Right-hander Zach Plesac will make his second start for the Angels after they selected his contract from their Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Gulls, Monday to replace the ineffective left-hander José Suarez in their rotation. Suarez was designated for assignment.
Glasnow is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in four starts lifetime against the Angels, including a loss last Aug. 19 when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays and allowed eight hits and seven runs (four earned) in a 7-6 loss.
Plesac allowed three runs and four hits in six innings in his Angels debut Monday and was credited with the victory in the 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Plesac has made one career appearance against the Dodgers, getting a no decision in the Cleveland Guardians’ 2-1 victory June 17, 2022, allowing five hits and one run in five innings.
Dodgers’ designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is 3-for-7 with a solo home run and two walks against Plesac.
The Dodgers will be wearing the second edition of their City Connect uniforms for the first time Saturday.
The City Connect uniforms are “designed to explore a franchise’s connection to its city and its fanbase’s distinct personalities, values, customs and traditions,” according to the Dodgers. The Dodgers’ first City Connect uniforms saluted the team’s connection with its Latino fanbase, with “Los Dodgers” on both the uniform cap and jersey front.
The second edition is “a nod to the city’s longstanding connection to being a city of dreams and dreamers, a city filled with those shooting for the stars where impossible dreams can turn into reality,” according to the Dodgers.
The front typeface is inspired by signage at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Dodgers played from 1958-61, “while the contrail and upward trajectory speaks to the city’s pursuit of what’s above and beyond,” according to the Dodgers.
The uniform fabric represents a galaxy of stars, rendered in the color palette of the Dodger Stadium seats. This “galaxy of stars” represents the brilliance and diversity of Los Angeles, according to the team.
The Dodgers describe the colors of the jersey and hat as “a new take on the traditional Dodger colors — cobalt and electric blue — with just a hint of chili red, a nod to the red numbers” on the primary uniforms.
The Dodgers’ broadcast of the 7:10 p.m. game will be on SportsNet LA, while the Angels’ broadcast will be on Bally Sports West.
The teams will also meet Sept. 3-4 at Angel Stadium.
On Friday, Ohtani homered to drive in the first two runs in his first regular-season game against his former team, but the Angels rallied for a 3-2 victory, ending their 10-game losing streak to the Dodgers.
Ohtani hit Matt Moore’s 1-1 four-seam fastball 455 feet over the right-center field fence in the fifth inning for his 22nd home run of the season, third in MLB.
The Angels combined three hit batters, Taylor Ward’s single and Mickey Moniak’s RBI ground out for two runs in the sixth before a crowd at Dodger Stadium announced at 51,841.
Ward’s two-out single in the 10th off Evan Phillips drove in Jo Adell, who began the inning on second base and moved to third when Nolan Schanuel led off with a sacrifice, with what proved to be the winning run.
Carlos Estévez retired the Dodgers in order in the 10th, striking out Kike Hernández and Gavin Lux to end the game for his 14th save and give the Angels their first victory over the Dodgers since Aug. 6, 2021.
Luis GarcÃa (2-0), the fifth of six Angels pitchers, was credited with the victory, allowing one hit over two innings, striking out one. Anthony Banda (1-1), the fourth of five Dodgers pitchers, was charged with the loss, despite retiring all four batters he faced.
Ohtani reached base on all four plate appearances, walking on full counts in the first and third innings and hitting an infield single in the eighth.
Since replacing the injured Mookie Betts as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter Monday, Ohtani is batting .500 (10-for-20), with seven runs scored and nine RBIs.