After winning the first two games of the series, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a 3-1 loss to Taijuan Walker and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Los Angeles managed just five hits on the afternoon, while Arizona’s bullpen was flawless over four innings.
The four-game wraparound series concludes Monday night with a duel between Brandon McCarthy and Robbie Ray. McCarthy is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his first two outings of the season. He’s collected eight strikeouts and walked four over 12 innings pitched.
In his first start on the road and most recent game, McCarthy held the Chicago Cubs scoreless in six innings. The 33-year-old spent the 2013 season and part of 2014 with the Diamondbacks, and faced them last July. McCarthy tossed six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight.
Like McCarthy, Ray is also off to a strong start to the season, entering 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Ray has eight walks and 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings across his two starts.
In eight career starts against the Dodgers, the 25-year-old is 3-3 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Yasiel Puig and Kiké Hernandez have both had success against Ray in their careers.
Puig is 5-for-14 (.357 batting average) and Hernandez is 5-for-13 (.385), with each having a home run. Adrian Gonzalez, on the other hand, is 0-for-11.
After missing Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, Dodgers second baseman Logan Forsythe is expected to return to the lineup. Forsythe is 5-for-7 with two runs and an RBI in the series.
