The Seattle Mariners head to Los Angeles for a Thursday night matchup at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 PM ET. Bryan Woo gets the ball for Seattle against Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki in what shapes up as one of the more compelling pitching duels of the second half. With the calendar flipping to the stretch run of the 2026 season, this road trip to face one of baseball's most dangerous lineups is exactly the kind of test that will define what this Mariners team is capable of.

Pitching Matchup: Bryan Woo vs. Roki Sasaki

Woo has quietly developed into one of the more reliable arms in the Seattle rotation. The right-hander's ability to generate soft contact and keep his pitch count manageable gives the Mariners a chance to win in any ballpark. Tonight, he'll need every bit of that efficiency against a Dodgers order that has no soft spots.

On the other side, Sasaki is the headliner. The Japanese right-hander made the trip from Nippon Professional Baseball to Los Angeles with enormous expectations, and pitching at home in front of Dodger Stadium crowd gives him every advantage. Woo will need to match him inning for inning if Seattle wants to come away with a win in this one.

The Dodgers Lineup Is a Problem From Top to Bottom

There is no hiding from what Los Angeles is putting on the field tonight. Manager Dave Roberts has constructed one of the deeper batting orders in the National League, and the Mariners bullpen and Woo will be tested repeatedly.

• Tommy Edman (2B, leadoff) — A contact-first table-setter who can steal a base and put pressure on a defense immediately.
• Andy Pages (CF) — Hitting second and capable of punishing a mistake pitch with power.
• Freddie Freeman (1B) — The heart of this offense. One of the most consistent run producers in the game, and a nightmare for any pitcher working through a lineup a second time.
• Max Muncy (3B) — A patient hitter with real pop. Walk him and you pay; challenge him and you might pay anyway.
• Mookie Betts (SS) — Even slotted fifth, Betts is a threat to change a game with his bat, legs, or glove.
• Kyle Tucker (RF) — One of the premier run producers in baseball, tucked into the six-hole. That tells you everything about this lineup's depth.
• Teoscar Hernández (DH) — A former Mariner who always seems to find a way to make Seattle regret it.

The Mariners have not released their lineup as of this writing, so how Scott Servais constructs his batting order against Sasaki will be worth monitoring before first pitch.

Keys to the Game

• Woo limiting traffic early: If Edman gets on base and Pages moves him over, Freeman and Muncy can do serious damage. Woo needs to work quickly through the top of the order.
• Laying off Sasaki's splitter: Sasaki's splitter is a genuine swing-and-miss pitch. Seattle hitters will need discipline at the bottom of the zone to extend counts and create opportunities.
• Neutralizing Tucker and Teoscar: The middle-to-bottom of that Dodgers order is where things can get away from a pitcher in a hurry. Woo and the bullpen cannot afford to let the lineup reset.

Prediction

This is a road game against a Dodgers team with real firepower, and Sasaki at home is a tough draw. The Mariners will need a strong outing from Woo just to keep this competitive into the late innings. Expect a low-scoring, tightly contested game — the kind that comes down to a single swing or a key strikeout in the seventh. Dodgers 3, Mariners 2.

Catch the game on MLB Network, Mariners.TV, or on the radio at Seattle Sports 710 AM.