The Los Angeles Dodgers came out victorious in the second of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals behind Scott Kazmir’s best outing of the season. The win put the Dodgers in position to complete a three-game sweep.
ESPN is carrying the matchup as their Sunday Night Baseball nationally televised game. Alex Wood takes the mound and looking to extend his string of strong starts at Dodger Stadium. Although he didn’t earn a decision, Wood tossed 6.1 innings against the New York Mets in his previous outing.
He allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) in a game the Dodgers came away with a win. Wood has continued to collect strikeouts at a high clip since adjusting his mechanics to improve timing in his delivery.
In his past four starts, the southpaw has accumulated 30 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched. For his career, Wood’s lone time facing the Cardinals is out of the bullpen. In a 2014 appearance, he gave up two hits, two walks, and one run over 1.1 innings pitched.
On the mound for the Cardinals is Mike Leake. In his last start Leake had his best outing of the season. Against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the 28 year old went eight innings where he allowed just six hits and one run.
In the first of his five-year deal with the Cardinals, Leake has started the season out shaky. In six of his seven starts this season, he’s allowed at least four runs.
Leake has regularly faced the Dodgers each of the last four seasons, going 3-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over eight games. As a member of the San Francisco Giants last season, Leake made two starts against the Dodgers, with both coming in September.
He suffered a loss in the first of those outings, allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings pitched. Leake then tossed a complete-game shutout on Sept. 30. He faces a Dodgers club that’s won six of their last eight games.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts continues to shuffle the deck in left field, with Howie Kendrick getting the nod on Sunday. The Dodgers’ lineup otherwise features the same core of regular starters.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Yasmani Grandal
LF: Howie Kendrick
RF: Yasiel Puig
CF: Joc Pederson
P: Alex Wood
Cardinals lineup:
3B: Matt Carpenter
RF: Stephen Piscotty
1B: Matt Holliday
CF: Randal Grichuk
SS: Aledmys Diaz
LF: Jeremy Hazelbaker
2B: Kolten Wong
C: Eric Fryer
P: Mike Leake
