After a disappointing loss to the Colorado Rockies on Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to get back on track in the third of a four-game series at Coors Field.
Walker Buehler makes his 14th start of the season (15th game), in what’s been a solid rookie campaign for the 2015 first-round draft selection. He enters with a 5-4 record, 3.63 ERA, 3.41 FIP and 1.06 WHIP over 74.1 innings pitched.
The right-hander is coming off a successful start against the Houston Astros on August 5. He allowed only two runs — both via solo homers — in 5.1 innings of work against the reigning World Series champions, striking out eight batters compared to two walks.
Buehler has faced the Rockies on two separate occasions this season, with his finest outing at Dodger Stadium on May 21. He yielded only two hits and one run over seven innings pitched, striking out six without issuing a free pass.
The 24-year-old didn’t fare quite as well at Coors Field on June 2, where he allowed eight hits and four runs over five frames with two strikeouts against two walks.
The Rockies counter with Kyle Freeland, another first-round draft selection in the midst of a breakout season. He enters with a 10-7 record, 3.04 ERA, 4.00 FIP and 1.25 WHIP in 139 innings pitched.
Freeland looks to build off a dominating performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 6, when he tossed seven shutout innings with only two hits allowed. Dating back to July 27, the left-hander has yielded only three runs over his last 18.1 innings of work (1.47 ERA).
In his career against the Dodgers, Freeland is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.74 WHIP across 19 innings pitched (four starts). During that span, he has tallied 12 strikeouts to 10 walks while yielding 23 hits (one home run) and two hit by pitches.
Justin Turner, batting third and playing third base, has torn the cover off the ball since his activation off the disabled list at the start of the month. After a 2-for-3 performance on Friday, he is now 9-for-25 in August (.360 batting average).
Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, after slugging a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning on Friday, returns to the position and bats seventh. Nolan Arenado is out of the Rockies lineup after leaving Friday’s game with shoulder soreness. He is still expected to be available to pinch-hit though.
Yasmani Grandal was originally in the lineup, batting seventh and catching for the Dodgers. He was a late scratch in favor of Austin Barnes though.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Brian Dozier
SS: Manny Machado
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Kiké Hernandez
LF: Matt Kemp
1B: Max Muncy
RF: Yasiel Puig
C: Austin Barnes
P: Walker Buehler
Rockies lineup:
CF: Charlie Blackmon
2B: DJ LeMahieu
RF: Carlos Gonzalez
SS: Trevor Story
LF: Gerardo Parra
1B: Ian Desmond
3B: Ryan McMahon
C: Chris Iannetta
P: Kyle Freeland
