What to Know
- The Dodgers will send left-hander Alex Wood to the mound against Houston right-hander Charlie Morton
- Houston leads the series, 2-1, following last night's 5-3 win
- Manager Dave Roberts says Wood will need to give the bullpen a break and go deep into Saturday's game
The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to even the World Series at two games apiece Saturday night at Houston's Minute Maid Park after a 5-3 loss Friday put history on the Houston Astros' side.
Of the 88 previous times a World Series has been 2-1, the team leading the series has gone on to win 57 times, or 64.8 percent. However, three of the last four teams leading 2-1 have lost. The teams leading 2-1 are 44-44 in Game 3. Of the 44 teams who led 2-1 and won Game 4, 37, or 84.1 percent, have gone on to win the series.
The Dodgers will send left-hander Alex Wood to the mound against Houston right-hander Charlie Morton. Unlike the Dodgers' Game 2 starter, Rich Hill, who was replaced after four innings, or Game 3 starter Yu Darvish, who lasted a career-low 1 2/3 innings, Wood "is going to have to go deep," manager Dave Roberts said.
"We've just got to go out there and pitch well out of the gate," Roberts said after Friday's game. "Obviously this crowd is into it, very educated, very enthusiastic. They've got some confidence over there, that team. And it's up to us, up to Alex to go out there and set the tone, get a quick first inning."
In his only appearance of the 2017 postseason, Wood retired the side in order in the first, then allowed two solo homers in second and allowed three runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings in his first career postseason start and was charged with the loss in a 3-2 defeat to the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 18.
"I felt really comfortable in Chicago," Wood said before Friday's game. "If you can feel comfortable there, you can feel comfortable anywhere. So I'm really excited about the opportunity tomorrow."
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Wood had a career-high 16 victories and a career-low 2.72 ERA in the regular season. In his lone start against the Astros, he pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed three hits, striking out four and walking one in the Atlanta Braves' 4-0 victory at Minute Maid Park on June 25, 2014.
Houston was 70-92 in 2014. It was 101-61 this season, one victory short of the team record.
Morton is 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts during the 2017 postseason. He was the winning pitcher in Houston's 5-0 pennant-clinching victory over the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, allowing two hits, striking out five and walking one in five innings.
This is Morton's first season with the Astros after spending the first nine seasons of his career in the National League.
