Dodgers, Rays reveal lineups for Game 5 of World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays revealed their lineups for Game 5, as both look to gain a pivotal 3-2 lead

Game 4 of the 2020 World Series will go down in baseball lore as one of the wildest finishes of all-time. After going back and forth throughout the contest, the Tampa Bay Rays overcame a 7-6 deficit to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a clutch two RBI pinch hit by Brett Phillips to tie the series at two games apiece.

Now, the Dodgers and Rays will look to take a pivotal 3-2 lead in the World Series on Sunday night. Both teams released their lineups just hours before first pitch.

Dodgers leaning on Clayton Kershaw to break his .500 postseason record

Manager Dave Roberts will go with his three hottest hitters at the top of the order with Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Justin Turner. Betts has been a hero in the outfield, Seager has hit eight home runs this postseason and Turner has mashed a first-inning homer in two consecutive games. Cody Bellinger returns to center field for the Dodgers for the first time this World Series, as he was sill dealing with a banged up shoulder following Game 7 of the NLCS.

The Dodgers were hoping that pitcher Clayton Kershaw would start Game 5 with the chance to close out the World Series. But thanks to the various fielding blunders in the bottom of the ninth-inning of Game 4, Kershaw will now be throwing to pull Los Angeles within one game of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. Plus, Kershaw will look to break his .500 postseason record and improve it to 13-12.

As for the Rays, Kevin Cash is sending out Yandy Diaz, Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe at the top of the batting order. Arozarena notably hit his ninth home run of the postseason in Game 4, a new MLB record. Additionally, he scored the game-winning run despite almost pulling a Daniel Jones. Lowe broke a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run homer to put the Rays ahead.

Taking the mound for Tampa Bay is Tyler Glasnow, who had a performance to forget in Game 1. Glasnow threw 112 pitches in 4.2 innings of work, where he surrendered six earned runs on three hits, while walking six batters. The Rays hope that he just had a case of the yips and can rebound in Game 5.