After a 1-6 start to their road trip, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to get back on track against the L.A. Angels at Angel Stadium. Both teams meet at a time in which wins have been hard to come by.
The Dodgers were just swept by the Chicago Cubs — a first this season — and are 4-13 in their last 17 games. The Angels, meanwhile, have dropped five in a row and are at the bottom of the American League West standings with a 13-17 record.
Julio Urias gets the start in the Freeway Series opener. He was responsible for the Dodgers’ most recent win against the Milwaukee Brewers last Sunday, allowing just one run on four hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Urias enters with a perfect 4-0 record in six starts this season, having posted a 2.87 ERA, 2.80 FIP and 0.90 WHIP over 37.2 innings pitched. He made one relief appearance against the Angels in 2019, yielding three hits and one run in 1.2 frames.
The left-hander is opposed by Griffin Canning, who has gotten off to a rough start this season. He brings with him into Friday’s outing a 2-2 record, 6.20 ERA, 5.41 FIP and 1.33 WHIP in 20.1 innings pitched (five games, four starts).
The 24-year-old, however, is coming off his best start of the season against the Seattle Mariners, giving up just one unearned run and three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
In his only start against the Dodgers back in 2019, Canning allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts across six innings of work. He was tabbed with a no-decision, but the Angels went on to pull out a 5-3 win at Angel Stadium.
It has been just over 24 hours since the Angels made the surprising decision to designated future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols for assignment.
Jared Walsh, who had mostly been playing right field this season, now steps in as the club’s everyday first baseman.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
CF: Chris Taylor
LF: AJ Pollock
DH: Matt Beaty
2B: Gavin Lux
Angels lineup
2B: David Fletcher
DH: Shohei Ohtani
CF: Mike Trout
LF: Justin Upton
1B: Jared Walsh
SS: Jose Iglesias
RF: Taylor Ward
3B: Jose Rojas
C: Drew Butera
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