August 18, 2024; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) watches a solo home run in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports The Los Angeles Dodgers will get some reinforcements this week in an effort to hold off their tough division rivals as they open a three-game home series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
As of July 23, the Dodgers led the National League West by 8 1/2 games, and they would lead the series by three games over the San Diego Padres and four games over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Los Angeles ended a 4-3 road trip with a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. First baseman Freddie Freeman missed the game with a broken finger, but Shohei Ohtani hit his 39th home run and veteran Clayton Kershaw pitched six scoreless innings.
“This road trip, every game is a very close game for us, and I feel like we're playing really good baseball,” Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said on SportsNet , we’re achieving what we want to achieve, which is win the division championship. “It’s been a great job for everyone, not just this game but the whole series. “
To help move the game forward, the Dodgers are expected to activate infielder/outfielder Tommy Edelman for Monday's series opener. Third baseman Max Muncy (slash) is expected to return Monday or Tuesday. Edelman was acquired by the Dodgers from the Cardinals before the trade deadline.
Edelman, a Gold Glove winner at second base, has not played this season due to wrist and ankle injuries, but he has hit double digits in home runs in each of the past three seasons.
He will join Ohtani in the lineup, who also has 37 steals, as the Dodgers enter their first 40-40 season.
The Dodgers will put rookie right-hander Gavin Stone on the mound. Stone (10-5, 3.63 ERA) went 3 1/3 scoreless innings against the Mariners last September when he allowed one hit.
The Mariners' visit will mark the return of former Dodger Justin Turner, who spent nine seasons with his hometown club. He has since spent the past two seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and now the Mariners.
This will be Turner's first game at Dodger Stadium since his departure, but he has faced his former team the past two seasons, going 6-for-22 (.273) with two runs in six games. A home run and five strikeouts.
The Mariners will put right-hander Bryan Woo (5-1, 2.06) on the mound on Monday. Wu has not given up an ERA in three of his last four starts, including seven scoreless innings in Detroit on Wednesday, a game Seattle lost 3-2.
Woo, a California native, will face the Dodgers for the first time in his second major league season.
“He’s got the ability to do it,” Mariners catcher Carl Rowley said of Wu, according to the Seattle Times. “It’s just a matter of staying healthy, doing the job — and being ready on the days off. And all that stuff to get your body back on track and find a routine that works for you and that's what I think he just needs to be in the driver's seat of doing that.
Seattle, which has struggled offensively of late, broke out on Sunday, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-3. Rowley, Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone homered, and everyone in Seattle's starting lineup had a hit.
Seattle outfielder/designated hitter Mitch Hanig missed Sunday's game with a strained quadriceps and is practicing day-to-day.
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