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The race for home field advantage in the National League playoffs is in full swing this weekend in the nation’s capital, with the Dodgers visiting the Nationals for three games in Washington D.C.
Here are the scheduled pitching matchups as well as the television information — three networks in three days — for the three-game set at Nationals Park.
Both Clayton Kershaw and Gio Gonzalez pitched on Tuesday, and lined up for the series finale on regular rest, but neither lefty will face the potential playoff foe on Sunday.
Friday, 4:05 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)
Alex Wood has a 2.38 ERA in 11 road starts this season, with 60 strikeouts and 18 walks in 64⅓ innings. He has not faced the Nationals since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2015.
Old friend Edwin Jackson has a 3.88 ERA in 10 starts since joining the Nationals in July. He has allowed 10 runs in nine innings in his two September starts, including four home runs.
Saturday, 10:05 a.m. (Fox)
Left-handed batters this season against southpaw Rich Hill are hitting .256/.402/.456, including 17 walks, 26 strikeouts and five hit batsmen in 112 plate appearances. Washington as a team is hitting .279/.334/.463 against left-handers in 2017, third in the National League in OPS (.797) and third in wRC+ (105), entering Thursday.
A.J. Cole has a 4.01 ERA in six starts for Washington this season, though he hasn’t started a game since Sept. 4. The rookie right-hander made a pair of two-inning relief appearances since, including allowing three runs on five hits on Tuesday against Atlanta.
The Fox broadcast is nationally exclusive — no SportsNet LA — with Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz on the call, along with reporter Ken Rosenthal.
Sunday, 5:08 p.m. (ESPN)
Hyun-jin Ryu slots back into the rotation after getting a little break. Sunday will mark his 22nd start of the season, 12 days after his last appearance. In five starts with six or more days rest this season, Ryu has a 3.08 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 14 walks in 26⅓ innings.
Stephen Strasburg has an active streak of 34 consecutive scoreless innings coming into this weekend, the longest streak in MLB this season. During the streak, Strasburg has allowed 19 hits and four walks, with 41 strikeouts.
The ESPN ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ telecast will be called by Dan Shulman, Aaron Boone, and Jessica Mendoza, with Buster Olney on the broadcast as well. Like Saturday, there is no SportsNet LA broadcast of the series finale.