The Los Angeles Dodgers have rebounded with back-to-back wins since getting off to one of their worst starts in franchise history at 4-9. They enter play Tuesday trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks by five games for first place in the National League West.
The Dodgers are on a modest two-game winning streak for a third time this season, and defeating the San Diego Padres would give them three wins in a row for the first time in 2018. They’ll look to accomplish as much with Alex Wood on the mound.
Wood himself is looking to rebound from an outing in which he still appeared to be suffering the effects from food poisoning that pushed the scheduled start back one day. Although Wood did not issue a walk, he allowed seven runs on seven hits in just 3.2 innings of work against Oakland Athletics.
Even though he didn’t seem to be his usual self, Wood was the first to dismiss the food poisoning as an excuse for the subpar showing.
The southpaw has a chance to rebound against a Padres team he’s enjoyed success against. Last season, Wood went 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.25 WHIP when facing San Diego. Included in that was an outlier start last September, when Wood allowed four runs in six innings.
In 12 total appearances (eight starts) against the Padres, Wood has amassed a 4-2 record to go along with a 2.62 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
He’s opposed by Bryan Mitchell, who signed a one-year contract with the Padres during the past offseason. He spent his first four seasons with the New York Yankees, working as a starter and reliever.
It was during the 2016 season with the Yankees where Mitchell got his first crack at the Dodgers. The start turned into a massacre, as the Dodgers scorched Mitchell for six runs (five earned) on nine hits in 2.1 innings of a loss. Corey Seager went 2-for-2, with an RBI off the right-hander.
Command has been an issue for Mitchell thus far as he’s issued 14 walks across 13.2 innings. He enters 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA, 6.64 FIP and 2.12 WHIP in three starts this season.
The Dodgers have lost all three of Wood’s start this season, and the same applies to the Padres in Mitchell’s three starts.
The Dodgers swapped bench players on Tuesday, calling up Max Muncy and optioning Breyvic Valera to Triple-A Oklahoma City. One night after hitting a three-run home run, Matt Kemp is now batting third in the lineup.
It’s a spot in the order Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is looking for consistency from in the absence of Justin Turner’s wrist injury.
Former Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis is behind the plate and batting seventh for the Padres.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Chris Taylor
SS: Corey Seager
LF: Matt Kemp
1B: Cody Bellinger
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
2B: Chase Utley
3B: Kyle Farmer
P: Alex Wood
Padres lineup:
LF: Jose Pirela LF
SS: Freddy Galvis
1B: Eric Hosmer
RF: Hunter Renfroe
3B: Christian Villanueva
CF: Franchy Cordero
C: A.J. Ellis
2B: Carlos Asuaje
P: Bryan Mitchell
