After the Los Angeles Dodgers bats erupted for 14 hits and 14 runs on Opening Day against the San Diego Padres, they cooled off in the second game of the season as they managed just five hits and were shutout by left-handers Clayton Richard and Brad Hand.
The two teams are back at it again Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, with Rich Hill making his regular-season debut. Hill dealt with some blister issues in 2016, but overall had a very strong year with the Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.
In 20 combined starts with the two clubs, he went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA, 2.39 FIP and 1.00 WHIP while striking out 129 and walking 33 in 110.1 innings.
The 37-year-old, who was out of the league completely for much of the 2015 season, re-signed with the Dodgers during past offseason on a three-year, $48 million contract. Hill did not have the best showing in spring, although that has been the case for him most of his career.
In 16 spring innings he yielded a 6.19 ERA and at times had trouble with his command as he walked 15 batters. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday he believes Hill will build on the feeling he had in the start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
In his career Hill has faced the Padres four times, and is 1-3 with a 5.75 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Travis Jankowski, Wil Myers, Ryan Schimpf and Yangervis Solarte are the only hitters in the Padres lineup that have faced Hill, and they are a combined 0-for-9.
Opposing Hill is veteran right-hander Trevor Cahill. The 29-year-old spent last season in the Chicago Cubs bullpen, and had a 2.74 ERA, 4.35 FIP and 1.28 WHIP in 50 appearances (65.2 innings).
In 20 career games (14 starts) against Los Angeles, Cahill is 6-5 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal and Corey Seager have all enjoyed success against him in their careers, as Gonzalez is 11-for-27 (.407 batting average) with two home runs, while Grandal is 4-for-10 and Seager is 1-for-1 with a three-run home run.
With the right-handed Cahill on the mound, Roberts elected to go back to his Opening Day lineup. Logan Forsythe is back in the fifth slot behind Gonzalez, and Andrew Toles is batting leadoff. Forsythe has gotten his Dodger career off to a good start is in two games, reaching safely in six of nine plate appearances.
Wednesday’s game is being broadcast by SportsNet LA and simulcast on KTLA. It’s one of the 10 Dodgers regular-season games that the local station will televise.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Andrew Toles
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Logan Forsythe
CF: Joc Pederson
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Rich Hill
Padres lineup:
CF: Manuel Margot
1B: Wil Myers
2B: Yangervis Solarte
RF: Hunter Renfroe
3B: Ryan Schimpf
C: Austin Hedges
SS: Erick Aybar
P: Trevor Cahill
LF: Travis Jankowski
