With a comfortable lead in the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians have a chance this weekend to set their focus on another target in the standings.
The visiting Guardians are set to play three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, starting Friday. The matchup gives them a chance to close ground on the best record in baseball as the regular season nears an end with just over three weeks remaining.
The Guardians (80-60) are four games behind the Dodgers (84-56) for baseball’s best mark, while three other teams sit ahead of them in the chase. One of those teams is the AL-best Baltimore Orioles, who are just a half-game ahead of Cleveland.
After losing three of four home games against the playoff-contending Kansas City Royals to end August, the Guardians took two of three at Kansas City this week. But they fell 4-1 in Wednesday’s series finale, with five singles among their seven hits while playing without first baseman Josh Naylor (back spasms).
“It was a great series,” Guardians manager Steven Vogt said. “Any time you go on the road and take two of three, you have to be happy. Would have loved to walk away with a sweep, obviously, but we can’t complain at all with a series win on the road.”
Cleveland will send left-hander Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.38 ERA) to the mound Friday. In four starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, Boyd has allowed just one run in three of those outings, including his most recent start Aug. 31.
Boyd’s lone appearance against the Dodgers came in 2017, when he gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings of relief for the Detroit Tigers.
The Dodgers also enter off a loss Wednesday after their offense was held down by Angels right-hander Griffin Canning in a 10-1 defeat.
The Dodgers split a brief two-game series against the Angels after they made a statement by winning three times during a four-game series with the surging Arizona Diamondbacks, when they averaged eight runs per game.
With veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw (toe) on the injured list, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said right-hander Landon Knack (2-2, 3.00) will be recalled to start Friday.
Knack, who made his major league debut in April and never has faced the Guardians, last pitched in the major leagues Aug. 13. He gave up one run over four relief innings to close out a 7-2 road victory over the Milwaukee Brewers and earn his first career save.
After their National League West lead was cut to two games on Aug. 17, the Dodgers entered play Thursday with a 4 1/2-game lead on the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks dropped to 5 1/2 games back after a loss Thursday.
In 22 games since returning from a broken hand, the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts is batting .301 with a .904 OPS, five home runs and 22 RBIs.
“Any time you are doing something to help the team win, it feels amazing, especially with this group of guys” Betts said on SportsNet LA. “We have a really good group of guys, and we just have to continue to play Dodger baseball and everything should be OK.”
–Field Level Media