After finding the win column on Saturday for the first time this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to make it two in a row and split their Opening Series against the San Francisco Giants. After Sunday, the teams will next meet on Friday for the start of a three-game set at AT&T Park.
Rich Hill takes the mound for his season debut and looks to put yet another subpar Spring Training behind him. This time around, Hill compiled an 0-2 record while posting a 7.30 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 12.1 innings pitched in four spring starts.
Last season when facing San Francisco, Hill accumulated a perfect 2-0 record. Over three starts, he put up an excellent 1.62 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across 16.2 innings with 18 strikeouts to three walks.
The Giants counter with Chris Stratton, who served as a swingman for the club in 2017. He made 13 appearances — 10 of them starts — and posted a 3.68 ERA, 4.01 FIP and 1.48 WHIP in 58.2 innings.
Stratton made two starts against the Dodgers but didn’t fare well in either outing. He tallied a combined 4.1 innings, yielding a 6.23 ERA and 1.62 WHIP with three strikeouts compared to two walks.
Stratton faces a Dodgers lineup that includes Joc Pederson for the first time this season. Thus far, the team’s fourth outfielder has been limited to pinch-hit appearances in the first two games of the series.
Pederson’s inclusion on the Opening Day roster was somewhat of a surprise considering his struggles throughout Spring Training, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently restated his confidence in the 25-year-old.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Chris Taylor
SS: Corey Seager
RF: Yasiel Puig
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Cody Bellinger
2B: Kiké Hernandez
LF: Joc Pederson
3B: Kyle Farmer
P: Rich Hill
Giants lineup:
CF: Austin Jackson
2B: Joe Panik
RF: Andrew McCutchen
C: Buster Posey
3B: Evan Longoria
LF: Hunter Pence
1B: Brandon Belt
SS: Brandon Crawford
P: Chris Stratton
