Sheehan looks for the four-game sweep as the NL West clinch grows nearer – Dodgers Digest

The Dodgers (88-67) beat the Giants (76-79) for the third consecutive night yesterday, this time by a score of 7-5. Despite the series loss to the Phillies (92-63), the Dodgers have won 10 of their last 13 games, finding form at the right time and stretching their lead in the NL West to four games. This shrunk the magic number to win the division down to three, and the Dodgers will look to lock up the division as soon as possible in order to start preparing for the postseason. Emmet Sheehan will be on the mound today for the Dodgers’ final regular season home game of the 2025 season, looking to inch closer to the clinch. The Giants are now four games out of the final Wild Card spot and are all but eliminated from the postseason as they’ve gone 1-5 against the Dodgers within the last week. The 24 year-old Trevor McDonald will be making his first career start looking to keep some semblance of hope alive for the Giants.

1:10 P.M.

Los Angeles

LF
Ramos
DH
Ohtani (L)

DH
Devers (L)
SS
Betts

SS
Adames
1B
Freeman (L)

3B
Chapman
3B
Muncy (L)

1B
Eldridge (L)
CF
Pages

CF
Lee (L)
LF
Conforto (L)

2B
Koss
2B
Rojas

RF
Gilbert (L)
RF
Call

C
Knizner
C
Rushing (L)

P
McDonald (R)
P
Sheehan (R)

Alex Call gets the start in right field despite the right-handed pitcher on the mound, most likely to keep him in form and get Teoscar Hernández a day off. Tommy Edman will also have the day off, with Andy Pages in center field and Michael Conforto in left. Dalton Rushing gets the start before the off day in place of Ben Rortvedt. The offense has put up five or more runs in seven of the last eight games, seemingly getting things to click in the home stretch. Just stay healthy.

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Sheehan was solid his last time out against the Phillies, allowing one run on just one hit and three walks over 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts. Anthony Banda opened the game likely in part due to shielding Sheehan from the dangerous lefties at the top of the Phillies’ order, but also possibly in part to get him more reps coming out of the bullpen. He’s unlikely to be among the top three options in the playoff rotation, but he’s been excellent this year and needs to be used as the weapon he is in October. He’s allowed just four runs over his last 24.1 innings and four appearances, good for a 1.48 ERA, 2.45 FIP, and a 0.74 WHIP with 32 strikeouts to just seven walks. After a poor start against the Brewers early in his season, Sheehan has a 2.76 ERA his past nine appearances and 49.0 innings, keeping pace with the best guys in the Dodgers’ rotation.

McDonald made his big-league debut last September where he threw three innings without allowing a run, but had spent the entirety of 2025 in Triple-A before being called up last week. He allowed two runs in two innings in his one appearance thus far, continuing the struggles he’s had this season after a 5.31 ERA in 142.1 Triple-A innings. He sits right around 94 mph on his sinker, going to a mid-80’s curveball as his breaking ball, while occasionally mixing in a changeup against left-handed batters.

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In other news,

It’s unlikely Will Klein makes the postseason roster, but he looked excellent last night and has been striking out the world in Triple-A, with 44 strikeouts in 22.2 innings with the Dodgers this season. With Michael Kopech injured (and bad), Kirby Yates being terrible, Brock Stewart still on the IL, and Blake Treinen also being very poor, any right-handed pitcher that can avoid walking the bases loaded has a feasible shot at making the postseason roster.

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First pitch is at 1:10 PT on SNLA.