Mike Bolsinger looks for rebound in final regular season start

The Dodgers got what they wanted out of this series with the Giants, winning a third straight division title on Tuesday night in San Francisco, and Wednesday will undoubtedly feature a traditional post-clinch lineup with several regulars resting. But the game still has meaning, especially for Mike Bolsinger, who looks to end his regular season on a high note.

Bolsinger by all accounts has had a very productive regular season. Acquired for cash from Arizona in November, the right-hander was down the totem pole of starting pitcher depth to open the season but ended up making 20 starts to date for the Dodgers, putting up a 3.48 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 43 walks in 106 innings.

His peripherals were solid enough too (3.90 FIP, 3.91 xFIP) to essentially make him a league average pitcher when adjusted for park and league (a 100 xFIP-, for instance).

But after getting sent down for a month after the trade deadline, then rejoining the Dodgers in September, this month has been quite a struggle for Bolsinger, who has allowed 14 runs on 19 hits in 12 innings over his last three starts, with five home runs allowed and more walks (10) than strikeouts (seven).

Any sort of chance Bolsinger might have had as a potential long reliever in the playoffs seems much more of a long shot now.

"I definitely haven't put myself in a good position for anything," Bolsinger told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com after allowing three home runs in a Friday loss in Colorado. "It's kind of embarrassing at this point. I've just got to figure out what to do. Everyone goes through slumps in a career and a season, it's just happened at the wrong time."

Bolsinger has allowed five runs on 11 hits in 11 innings this season against the Giants, including allowing one run in 5⅔ innings on Apr. 23 in San Francisco, his first major league start of the season.

Game info

Time: 7:15 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, ESPN