LAD-SF Game 2 lineups, FAQ (Live on TBS)

October 10th, 2021

SAN FRANCISCO -- The much-anticipated first postseason meeting between the Giants and Dodgers ended with a dominant 4-0 win by San Francisco in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday, which was led by a stellar performance by right-hander Logan Webb.

Webb tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings, outdueling Walker Buehler, who allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings. On Saturday, the Giants will be looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead as right-hander Kevin Gausman takes the bump. The Dodgers, on the other hand, will look to even the series before heading to Los Angeles by sending left-hander Julio Urías on the mound.

Here are some things to know ahead of Game 2:

When is the game and how can I watch it?
The game will air on TBS at 6:07 p.m. PT on Saturday night. It is also available to stream on MLB.TV with authentication.

What are the starting lineups?
Dodgers: After sitting in Game 1, NL Wild Card Game hero Chris Taylor will start in center field in Game 2. Cody Bellinger will slide to first base.

1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Trea Turner, 2B
4. Justin Turner, 3B
5. Will Smith, C
6. Chris Taylor, CF
7. Cody Bellinger, 1B
8. AJ Pollock, LF
9. Julio Urías, LHP

Giants: Against the southpaw, the Giants stacked their lineup with right-handed bats, slotting Austin Slater and Darin Ruf -- their top two lefty killers -- high in the order. Ruf recorded a 1.007 OPS against lefties during the regular season, the eighth-highest mark in the Majors (min. 120 plate appearances vs. left-handers):

1. Darin Ruf, LF
2. Kris Bryant, CF
3. Austin Slater, RF
4. Buster Posey, C
5. Wilmer Flores, 1B
6. Brandon Crawford, SS
7. Evan Longoria, 3B
8. Donovan Solano, 2B
9. Kevin Gausman, RHP

Who are the starting pitchers?
Dodgers: Julio Urías (20-3, 2.96) became MLB’s first 20-game winner since 2016 while managing the biggest workload of his career thus far -- 185 2/3 innings over 32 starts. Urías filled a swingman role in last year’s postseason but worked mostly in relief, most notably closing out the World Series with 2 1/3 scoreless frames to clinch the championship for Los Angeles. In 38 2/3 innings across 18 postseason appearances, Urías has a 2.79 ERA.

Giants: Kevin Gausman (14-6, 2.81 ERA) recorded a sparkling 1.73 ERA in the first half, but he regressed a bit in the second half after losing his feel for his splitter. A mechanical adjustment helped Gausman recapture his All-Star form over his final two starts of the regular season, though -- a promising sign for San Francisco. Gausman will take the mound on six days’ rest, which the Giants believe will help him be at his best in his first career postseason start.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Dodgers: The Dodgers should be well rested after not using any of their high-leverage relievers in Game 1.

Giants: Manager Gabe Kapler prefers not to lock any of his high-leverage relievers into specific roles, but the Giants will likely use some combination of Tyler Rogers, Jake McGee and Camilo Doval in the late innings.

Are there any relievers who are unavailable?
Dodgers: With Sunday being an off-day, all relievers should be available for the Dodgers.

Giants: San Francisco’s bullpen only needed to record four outs on Friday thanks to Webb’s brilliant outing, so all relievers should be available to pitch in Game 2.

Any injuries of note?
Dodgers: First baseman Max Muncy (left elbow) and left-hander Clayton Kershaw (left forearm) will miss the NLDS with injuries. Kershaw will be out for the remainder of the postseason. The Dodgers are holding out hope that Muncy could return later this month.

Giants: First baseman Brandon Belt (left thumb fracture) and veteran reliever Tony Watson (left shoulder strain) are out for the NLDS.

Who is hot and who is not?
Dodgers: Betts has gotten off to a solid start this postseason, recording two hits in the NL Wild Card Game and again in Game 1 against the Giants. On the other hand, Beaty, who started those two games at first base, has gone 0-for-6. He was not in the starting lineup on Saturday.

Giants: Tommy La Stella and Kris Bryant enjoyed strong starts to the postseason, combining to go 5-for-5 in Game 1 on Friday. Evan Longoria continues to struggle, as he went 0-for-3 to remain mired in a 3-for-40 slide over his last 12 games.