The visiting Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to right-hander Roki Sasaki as they look to even the series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday in a matchup of division leaders.
Sasaki (2-3, 5.09 ERA) will be opposed by left-hander Robert Gasser (0-0, 4.50), who is making his second start of the season.
Milwaukee took the opener 5-1 on Friday to win its fourth straight game. The Brewers received a three-run homer in the first inning from William Contreras to back a solid start from Logan Henderson, who allowed two hits over five scoreless innings.
The Brewers have won 12 of their last 14 games to take over the lead in the National League Central. The Dodgers, who dropped to 5-2 on their current road trip, are atop the NL West despite the loss.
It’s the first matchup between the teams since the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NL Championship Series after Milwaukee won all six regular-season meetings.
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who exited after being hit with a pitch on the right wrist in the eighth inning, is expected to miss a couple games, manager Dave Roberts said afterward.
“The initial X-ray was negative, which was great,” Roberts said. “I think it got enough of the pad to protect it. He’ll be down for the next couple days just to make sure we get that swelling out. I think right now, we’re breathing a sigh of relief.”
Sosaki, who will face the Brewers for the first time in the regular season, is coming off his best start of 2026. He allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight in seven innings in a 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Opponents are batting .269 against him and he has given up nine homers in 40 2/3 innings.
Shohei Ohtani singled for one of the three Dodgers hits to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He also drove in the lone run with a sacrifice fly.
Ohtani is hitting .467 (14-for-30) during his hit streak with four doubles, a triple, two homers and 11 RBIs.
Gasser made his season debut last Sunday at Minnesota, allowing three runs in four innings, but did not get the decision in a 5-4 loss. He walked two and hit three batters.
“Gas wasn’t sharp obviously with all the free bases,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. “Five free bases in four innings, that’s just not it. He knows better and hopefully it’ll be better.”
Gasser started five games for the Brewers in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and made two major league starts last season. He has not faced the Dodgers in the regular season but pitched two-thirds of an inning against them in the NLCS.
Even with Contreras’ home run, the Brewers are last in the major leagues with 34 homers.
But Milwaukee pitchers also have given up 35 homers, fewest in the majors. Brewers starters have not allowed a run over the last three games in 18 innings, with 26 strikeouts.
Jake Bauers singled during the four-run first against starter Justin Wrobleski to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. He is hitting .400 (18-for-45) over that stretch with five doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs. He also has reached base safely in a career-high 22 straight games.
–Field Level Media
