The Los Angeles Dodgers lineup is back to its traditional look Tuesday, as both Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner return. Puig was benched in each of the last two games, while Turner missed four contests after being hit by a pitch on his right hand and battling illness.
Puig was initially kept out of the lineup because of a mental lapse in Saturday’s loss that resulted in the game ending on a caught stealing. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intended to have Puig in Monday’s lineup, but he arrived late for an early round of batting practice.
The 26-year-old has swung the bat well when he has played, hitting .292 with two home runs and seven RBIs in his last 13 games. If the Dodgers want to make a deep playoff run getting Puig right could play a big part in that.
Turner is slashing .288/.385/.561 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 20 games this month. He expressed minimal concern over the recent time missed.
Alex Wood gets the start on the mound Tuesday for Los Angeles. The left-hander is in the midst of his best season, and enters 15-3 with a 2.71 ERA, 3.14 FIP and 1.04 WHIP in 26 games (24 starts). He has struck out 150 and walked 37 in 146.1 innings of work.
Wood has plenty of success against the Padres in his career, going 3-2 record with a 2.57 ERA in 11 games (seven starts). He last faced them on Sept. 3 in San Diego and yielded seven hits and four runs in six innings, suffering the loss.
Padres first baseman Wil Myers has had some success off Wood in his career, going 4-for-13 (.308 batting average) with three walks. Myers is having of a bit of a down year, however, hitting just .243/.330/.464. He does, however, have 29 home runs and 73 RBIs.
Opposing Wood is young right-hander Dinelson Lamet. The 25-year-old has started 20 games and is 7-7 with a 4.45 ERA, 4.24 FIP and 1.21 WHIP, while striking out 132 and walking 48 in 109.1 innings.
The rookie faced the Dodgers on Sept. 1, tossing six innings giving up just one run while striking out 10. All it amounted to was a 1-0 tough-luck loss in a game Clayton Kershaw started.
A Dodgers win and Washington Nationals loss would secure home-field advantage for Los Angeles throughout the National League playoffs.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
LF: Andre Ethier
P: Alex Wood
Padres lineup:
CF: Manuel Margot
3B: Christian Villanueva
1B: Wil Myers
RF: Hunter Renfroe
2B: Yangervis Solarte
LF: Jabari Blash
SS: Eric Aybar
C: Luis Torrens
P: Dinelson Lamet
