The Los Angeles Dodgers ended the Toronto Blue Jays’ four-game winning streak and set the stage for a rubber match on Sunday afternoon in the three-game series. A win will get the Dodgers a 3-2 record on their five-game road trip.
After getting their first look at Clayton Kershaw, the Blue Jays now face rookie right-hander Ross Stripling. Since throwing 7.1 no-hit innings in his Major League debut, Stripling has struggled and owns a 5.49 ERA in the past four starts.
Stripling has failed to reach the fifth inning in two of his past three starts. He’s coming off an outing in which he allowed five runs on seven hits to the San Diego Padres in 4.2 innings.
Stripling did manage to set a season high with six strikeouts in that game. He lamented his inability to put batters away after the start against the Padres.
On the season, the 26 year old is 0-2 with a 4.33 ERA, 3.26 FIP and 1.41 WHIP in five starts. Stripling is opposed by Marco Estrada, who’s been hampered by limited run support over his five starts this year.
Estrada enters 1-2 with a 2.64 ERA, 3.27 FIP and 1.17 WHIP. He has 28 strikeouts to 12 walks in 30.2 innings pitched. Estrada threw seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts in his previous outing.
After two off days last week, the Dodgers are in the midst of playing 20 games in 20 days. They open a four-game set with the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on Monday, then host series against the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before embarking on another quick road trip.
Adrian Gonzalez gets off his feet a bit as he’s the Dodgers’ designated hitter on his 34th birthday. With that, Howie Kendrick starts at first base for the first time this season; it’s the fourth different position Kendrick has played in 2016.
Elsewhere, Yasiel Puig gets the day off, which puts Trayce Thompson in right field. Carl Crawford starts in left and Joc Pederson in center.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
DH: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Howie Kendrick
CF: Joc Pederson
LF: Carl Crawford
RF: Trayce Thompson
Blue Jays lineup:
LF: Michael Saunders
2B: Josh Donaldson
RF: Jose Bautista
DH: Edwin Encarnacion
1B: Justin Smoak
SS: Troy Tulowitzki
CF: Kevin Pillar
C: Russell Martin
2B: Ryan Goins
