After Evan Longoria’s late three-run double gave the San Francisco Giants all they needed for a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, Walker Buehler gets the start in the second of the three-game rivalry series.
Drew Pomeranz starts for the Giants against a Dodgers lineup that includes an outfield of Chris Taylor, Alex Verdugo and Cody Bellinger. Both Taylor and Verdugo homered off Pomeranz on April 1 at Dodger Stadium, accounting for the only two runs the Dodgers scored in a 4-2 Giants win.
Bellinger, meanwhile, has another chance to break an MLB record during his history-making start to the 2019 season. He already owns the new highest marks for RBI and total bases before May 1 and has tied the record for most home runs before that point with 14.
Defending National League MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers also has 14 home runs, tied with Bellinger for the Major League lead.
Bellinger also currently leads the Majors in most other major hitting categories, including runs scored, hits, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wins above replacement by both Baseball-Reference’s and Fangraph’s differing WAR metrics.
Buehler had his Spring Training time limited to just one start due to some shoulder trouble. He made it back for the start of the regular season but struggled mightily out of the gate, allowing 11 earned runs in just 12 innings over his first three starts.
He bounced back on April 17 against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching into the seventh inning while striking out eight and only giving up one unearned run. His next start against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field didn’t go quite as well.
Though, Buehler did not allow a run until the sixth inning when Javier Baez hit a game-tying three-run home run on his final pitch of the night. The Cubs would go on to win the game 7-6.
Buehler carries a 5.25 ERA into Tuesday’s game while Pomeranz owns a 3.65 ERA, having allowed 10 earned runs in 24.2 innings.
Verdugo is not starting in center field but he will likely see much more of those in the near future as A.J. Pollock is on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.
The Dodgers recalled Matt Beaty from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding roster move. Beaty is up at the Major League level for the first time in his career.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Kiké Hernandez
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
1B: David Freese
2B: Max Muncy
LF: Chris Taylor
C: Austin Barnes
P: Walker Buehler
Giants Lineup:
2B: Joe Panik
LF: Yangervis Solarte
C: Buster Posey
1B: Brandon Belt
3B: Evan Longoria
SS: Brandon Crawford
CF: Kevin Pillar
RF: Steven Duggar
P: Drew Pomeranz
