Dodgers vs. Mets NLCS Game 4 Lineups: No Freddie Freeman

The Dodgers will send Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Mets at Citi Field on Thursday night, and it will be a much different lineup against a left-hander in Jose Quintana.

Freddie Freeman gets a day of rest, Max Muncy starts at first base and Kiké Hernández at third base. Dave Roberts said several times this week that they expect Freeman to start every game, but also that they’re watching how he feels every day.

Gavin Lux sits opposite southpaw as he did in Game 2, which means Chris Taylor at second base and Andy Pages in center field.

Quintana has allowed a total of four runs (three earned) in his last six regular-season starts and just one unearned run in 11 innings in his two starts so far this postseason. That’s a minuscule 0.57 ERA dating back to August 25, with 40 strikeouts and 14 walks in 47⅓ innings.

But he also had reverse splits this season, allowing lefties to have an OPS of .757 compared to .696 for righties. That’s a big departure from his career, and in the 2022-23 season, Quintana posted a .586 OPS to lefties and a .669 OPS to righties.

The Dodgers defeated Quintana on May 28 at City Field, scoring three runs in six innings from the left-hander in the second hand of a doubleheader. Will Smith and Miguel Vargas hit home runs against Quintana in that game.

Smith has only four hits in 27 at-bats this postseason, but two of those hits came in Wednesday night’s win, including an RBI single off Luis Severino’s glove in the second inning that brought home the game’s first run. Smith’s batted ball numbers show he is hitting the ball harder than usual, but has yet to produce any results this postseason.