Dodgers vs. Astros: TV Coverage, Start Time for 2017 World Series Game 4

The Los Angeles Dodgers have some significant issues as they prepare for Game 4 of the World Series Saturday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

After asserting themselves with a series-opening win over the Houston Astros, they have dropped the next two games and are in some difficulty.

The Dodgers have to find a way to record a win in Game 4 or 5 if they are going to send the World Series back to Los Angeles, and they are sending left-hander Alex Wood to the mound to get the job done. The Astros, who have rediscovered their collective hitting stroke, will counter with Charlie Morton.

Game 4 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox.

The Astros would seemingly have an advantage for two key reasons. Houston has won all of its games at home in the postseason, and they are confident that they can win in front of their hungry home fans. The other factor in Houston's favor is a diminished Dodgers pitching staff as a result of Yu Darvish's 1.2-inning outing in the Astros' 5-3 victory in Game 3.

Dave Roberts saw his starter give up four runs and leave the game with runners on second and third when he went to his bullpen. Kenta Maeda led a parade of five relief pitchers that covered the final 6.1 innings and held the Astros to one unearned run.

Much to Roberts' consternation, the Dodgers could not come up with enough offense to catch up in the game, and the frequent trips to the bullpen through the first three games of the series almost certainly means that Wood is going to have to go deep in Game 4 to give the Dodgers a legitimate chance to even the series.

"Alex is going to have to go deep," Roberts said, per Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times. "It's up to Alex to go out there and set the tone. We've just got to go out there and pitch well out of the gate."

Roberts has already gone to the bullpen 15 times in the first three games of the series, and Wood is the only pitcher he has not used to this point. 

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

Morton and the Astros don't have those kinds of worries at this point. Lance McCullers pitched 5.2 innings in Friday's victory when A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen for the only time. Brad Peacock came through with a sensational effort and pitched the final 3.2 innings without giving up a hit or a run. 

As a result, Hinch should have a rested bullpen if the manager chooses to go that route in this game. 

Wood was 16-3 in the regular season for the Dodgers with a 2.72 earned-run average, and he struck out 151 batters in 152.1 innings. However, Wood has not been effective in the postseason, with an 0-1 record and a 5.79 ERA.

While Wood will most likely try to come after the Astros with a slew of off-speed breaking pitches, Morton is much more of a hard thrower. Morton was 14-7 with a 3.62 ERA during the regular season, and he struck out 163 hitters in 146.2 innings. Morton has not been the same pitcher int he postseason, as confirmed by his 1-1 record and 6.23 ERA.

The Astros are confident that their hitters will continue to gain an edge on Los Angeles pitching. Jose Altuve is hitting .345 in the postseason and has hammered six home runs, while Carlos Correa is hitting .293 with four homers, and star center fielder George Springer has come alive with his bat as well.

Yuli Gurriel has been one of Houston's hitting stars in the postseason, and he opened the scoring in Game 3 with a long home run off of Darvish. However, after celebrating with his teammates on his way back to the dugout, Gurriel pulled his eyelids to narrow them and mouthed "Chinito," which translates to little Chinese boy, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Gurriel was scheduled to meet with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred (via MLB on Fox reporter Ken Rosenthal), but it was not known if the commissioner was interested in issuing a suspension.

The Dodgers need their bats to come alive against Morton. They have had clutch hitting from Justin Turner, Chris Young and Cody Bellinger throughout the postseason, but the Houston pitching has quieted the Dodgers attack through the first three game of the World Series.