The Los Angeles Dodgers successfully snapped a three-game losing streak with their blowout victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday. The club now looks to make it two in a row when they send Clayton Kershaw to the mound for his 20th start of the season.
Kershaw enters with a 6-5 record, 2.40 ERA, 2.86 FIP and 1.01 WHIP in 116.1 innings pitched on the year. He was dominant in his most recent outing against the Seattle Mariners, allowing only one run over seven frames with seven strikeouts to one walk.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner has been on a roll in the month of August, compiling a 2.00 ERA and 0.82 WHIP across 27 innings pitched. In that span, he’s tallied 24 strikeouts with opponents hitting only .192 against him.
Kershaw hasn’t yielded more than three runs in a start since April 20, when he was charged for four in a loss to the Washington Nationals.
In his career against the Padres, Kershaw is 18-6 with a minuscule 1.89 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over 214.2 innings pitched (33 starts). That includes one scoreless outing this season, to which the left-hander tossed six shutout innings back in July.
San Diego counters with rookie Brett Kennedy, who makes only his fourth career Major League start. He looks to build on what was his finest outing to date, when he allowed two runs in five innings pitched against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park.
Kennedy was tabbed with a tough-luck no-decision and enters at 0-2 with an 8.36 ERA, 7.37 FIP and 2.14 WHIP over 14 innings pitched, having allowed 26 hits, 13 runs and five home runs with nine strikeouts against five walks (one intentional).
He was outstanding in his time with Triple-A El Paso this season, going 10-0 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 16 starts.
Joc Pederson is out of the Dodgers lineup despite a right-hander being on the mound due to a left knee contusion. He is still expected to be available off the bench as it is not a serious injury, but Max Muncy will bat leadoff for the fourth time this season in his place.
After hitting a pinch-hit home run on Friday, Muncy now has three in his last six games and is slashing .267/.353/.867 in that span, showing signs of coming out of his second-half slump.
Dodgers lineup:
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
SS: Manny Machado
CF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Brian Dozier
C: Yasmani Grandal
LF: Chris Taylor
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Clayton Kershaw
Padres lineup:
SS: Freddy Galvis
3B: Wil Myers
1B: Eric Hosmer
LF: Hunter Renfroe
RF: Franmil Reyes
C: Austin Hedges
2B: Jose Pirela
CF: Manuel Margot
P: Brett Kennedy
