The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided losing their first series of the season on Saturday night but need to come up with another victory against the San Diego Padres to keep that streak alive and earn a split at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers and Padres have each won three of the six head-to-head meetings so far this season, and after Sunday won’t play one another again until June 21 for the start of a series at Petco Park.
Pitching matchups have been a rematch of what was seen in San Diego, but that trend breaks in the series finale as Dustin May and Joe Musgrove duel.
May’s last outing came against the Seattle Mariners when he allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and tied a career high with eight strikeouts. On the season May is 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in three starts.
May is a lifetime 1-3 with a 2.97 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 30.1 innings pitched over seven games (four starts) against the Padres. He faced them in back-to-back outings last August, going six innings in both starts but earning a win at Petco Park and taking the loss at Dodger Stadium.
Musgrove is on the mound for a third start since throwing the first no-hitter in Padres franchise history. He struggled in the ensuing outing, but bounced back with 13 strikeouts — albeit in a loss — against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Musgrove had at least at least eight strikeouts in three of four starts, including twice reaching double-digits. Because of a lack of run support, the right-hander is 1-1 this season despite a sterling 1.04 ERA and holding opponents to a .124 batting average.
Musgrove has taken the loss in all three career starts against the Dodgers and has a 5.40 ERA in those outings, but hasn’t faced them since 2019.
The Dodgers lineup includes Chris Taylor for the first time since Wednesday. Taylor was scratched from the series opener against the Padres due to lower back stiffness. He made a pinch-hit appearance on Saturday and remained in the game to play the field.
Fernando Tatis Jr. enters play having hit two home runs in each of the past two games. Only four players in MLB history have three straight multi-homer games. Jeff DaVanon was last to do so in 2003.
Dodgers lineup
CF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
2B: Chris Taylor
LF: Matt Beaty
RF: Luke Raley
C: Austin Barnes
P: Dustin May
Padres lineup
SS: Fernando Tatis Jr.
CF: Trent Grisham
3B: Manny Machado
1B: Eric Hosmer
2B: Jake Cronenworth
LF: Tommy Pham
RF: Jurickson Profar
C: Victor Caratini
P: Joe Musgrove
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