Fresh off a sweep of the Seattle Mariners, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their homestand with the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins.
L.A. enters play with a 20-17 record and trailing the first-place San Francisco Giants by three games in the National League West standings. Miami, at 17-20, find themselves in third place in the NL East but only four games out of first.
Clayton Kershaw makes his ninth start of the season and looks to build on a solid outing against the L.A. Angels. In five scoreless innings, he allowed only two hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
That start came on short rest — though Kershaw had only thrown 39 pitches in one inning his previous turn — and now the left-hander toes the rubber against the Marlins with an extra day of rest.
Kershaw enters with an overall 5-3 record, 2.62 ERA, 2.45 FIP and 0.99 WHIP in 44.2 innings pitched. He owns a 6-5 record, 2.34 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 102 strikeouts in 84.2 career innings against the Marlins (13 starts).
Miami counters with an ace of their own in Sandy Alcantara, who is coming off an excellent start against the Milwaukee Brewers. In seven innings of work, he allowed just one run on five hits with six strikeouts.
Alcantara brings with him into Friday’s start a 1-2 record, 2.72 ERA, 3.50 FIP and 1.01 WHIP with 48 strikeouts against 14 walks in 49.2 innings pitched. Some of the right-hander’s struggles have been traced to allowing at least one home run in the past five starts, and walking a minimum of two batters in five of eight outings this year.
He’s faced the Dodgers just once in his career, allowing six runs over five innings back in 2019.
AJ Pollock is back in the Dodgers lineup for the first time since suffering a strained left hamstring last Friday. Pollock went 1-for-1 with a walk in two pinch-hit appearances during the series against the Mariners.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
CF: Chris Taylor
2B: Gavin Lux
LF: AJ Pollock
C: Austin Barnes
P: Clayton Kershaw
Marlins lineup
SS: Miguel Rojas
1B: Jesus Aguilar
RF: Garrett Cooper
LF: Adam Duvall
3B: Brian Anderson
2B: Isan Diaz
C: Chad Wallach
CF: Magneuris Sierra
P: Sandy Alcantara
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