Dodgers look to extend NL West lead as Glasnow faces Giants after Kershaw's farewell
Kershaw's Chavez Ravine finale frames a pivotal series as Glasnow returns from injury to duel San Francisco's offense
The Los Angeles Dodgers will start Tyler Glasnow on Saturday as they try to extend their four-game lead in the National League West with eight games remaining, a day after Clayton Kershaw pitched the final start of his storied Chavez Ravine career in a 6-3 win.
Glasnow's season has been a mix of setbacks and flashes of dominance. He opened with a 4.50 ERA before an injured-list stint for right shoulder inflammation that sidelined him for about two months. Since his return in early July, he has posted a 2.66 ERA over 64 1/3 innings, allowing 35 hits, and opponents are batting just .160 against him in that span—the lowest mark in baseball among pitchers with at least 60 innings since July 1.
Glasnow's latest start against the Giants went 6 2/3 innings with three hits allowed. The start before that, he no-hit the Colorado Rockies for seven innings before departing. The recent form underscores why Los Angeles remains optimistic about its rotation in a tight division race, with the team looking to capitalize on momentum after Kershaw's farewell performance.
The Giants' offense has cooled in recent days, hitting .153 over the last seven days, the second-lowest figure in the majors over that period. In light of that decline, the betting outlook has tilted toward Glasnow continuing to limit damage while the Dodgers try to keep momentum in a late-season push. The play highlighted in New York Post Betting was Tyler Glasnow to allow Under 3.5 hits (+135, bet365).
The Dodgers have pushed their lead to four games over the San Diego Padres in the NL West with eight games remaining for each team, a margin that keeps pace with a highly contested stretch run in the division. Saturday's test features a classic West Coast rivalry as the teams meet again, with LA hoping Glasnow can continue his recent return to form after a slow start to the season.
As the series unfolds, both clubs will be keen to extract every win as they navigate a schedule that tightens the battle for division supremacy and a potential postseason seed. The storyline centers on Glasnow's resurgence after his injury layoff and how the Dodgers' rotation can sustain pressure on a Giants club that has shown bursts of offense but has cooled in recent days.
