ATLANTA — Dylan Lee, a 27-year-old Atlanta Braves lefty who made his major league debut on the final weekend of the regular season, will become the first pitcher to make his first major league start in the World Series when he faces the Houston Astros in Game 4 on Saturday.
His two major league regular-season appearances is the fewest for a Series starting pitcher, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. The previous low was six by Philadelphia’s Marty Bystrom (1980, vs. Kansas City) and the Mets’ Steven Matz (2015, vs. Kansas City).
The start will be the first in more than four years for Lee, since July 23, 2017, when he pitched five innings for Class A Greensboro against Asheville in a no-decision.
Ahead 2-1 in the Series, the Braves were short on starting pitchers even before Charlie Morton broke a leg in Tuesday’s Game 1. Atlanta is planning to string together relievers in Games 4 and 5 and has Max Fried and Ian Anderson available for possible Games 6 and 7.
Veteran Zack Greinke was set to start for the Astros, batting eighth.
The 38-year-old right-hander was 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA and 120 strikeouts during the regular season. Greinke, 38, has a 7.71 ERA in 2⅓ innings in two appearances this postseason.
Lee, a 10th-round pick by Miami in the 2016 amateur draft from Fresno State, was 5-1 with a 1.54 ERA in 34 relief appearances this year for Triple-A Gwinnett. He made his big league debut Oct. 1 at the New York Mets, allowing one hit in a scoreless eighth inning with the Braves trailing by two runs.
Lee then entered in the eighth the next day with the Braves ahead by five runs and gave up Francisco Lindor‘s triple and Michael Conforto‘s home run.
The rookie also has pitched twice in the postseason. Lee relieved with Atlanta trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 after five innings of NL Championship Series Game 5 and allowed one run in two innings, a solo homer by Chris Taylor.
Lee relieved with two on and no outs in the sixth inning of World Series Game 2 on Wednesday and threw 13 pitches to five batters. One inherited runner scored, on Yuli Gurriel‘s grounder.