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Dodgers have produced against left-handed pitching

LHP Ryan Yarbrough starts for the Rays in Game 4

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World Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Two Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images

The Dodgers will face either one or two left-handed starting pitchers in the remainder of their season. How they fare against the first one will go a long way in determining whether the second even gets to pitch again.

Ryan Yarbrough is on the mound to start things for the Rays in Game 4 of the World Series, giving the Dodgers another chance at a left-handed pitcher, which they have handled with aplomb as the season wore on.

After a slow start, the Dodgers ended with a 113 wRC+ against lefties, their best mark during the run of eight straight division titles. During the postseason, the Dodgers have hit .289/.393/.550 against southpaws, and that includes getting mostly shut down by Blake Snell for almost five innings in Game 2.

Dodgers vs. LHP

Year wRC+
Year wRC+
2013 98
2014 107
2015 111
2016 71
2017 109
2018 101
2019 103
2020 113
Source: FanGraphs

The main producers for the Dodgers against lefties this postseason:

  • Chris Taylor: 5-for-12, two doubles, homer, 1.295 OPS
  • Corey Seager: 9-for-28, four homers, 1.105 OPS
  • Justin Turner: 8-for-23, three doubles, homer, 1,093 OPS
  • Kiké Hernández 3-for-9, two homers, walk, 1.000 OPS
  • Max Muncy: 7-for-25, three doubles, homer, nine walks, .991 OPS
  • Will Smith: 7-for-22, double, homer, .923 OPS
  • Mookie Betts: 5-for-20, two doubles, homer, .900 OPS

Seager’s four home runs and eight RBI against southpaws lead MLB during these playoffs.

Yarbrough pitched in relief in Game 1, allowing two singles — to Taylor and Hernández — in his four batters faced. But he’s otherwise been stretched out, lasting five innings in each of his previous playoff starts this season.

During his three-year career, Yarbrough hasn’t had discernible splits, with right-handers hitting .247/.296/.400 against him and lefties hitting .223/.297/.381.

World Series Game 4 info

  • Time: 5:08 p.m. PT
  • Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
  • TV: Fox (Joe Buck, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal, Tom Verudcci)
  • Streaming: Fox Sports, fuboTV