The Los Angeles Dodgers clawed out a victory after having their season-best six-game winning streak snapped and now have a chance to take the weekend series from the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers are 5-5 in a series finale this season.
A win would give them a third consecutive series victory for the first time this year. The matchup at Petco Park is being played in front of a national audience for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Mookie Betts is going to be mic’d up for a portion of the broadcast.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has long stated momentum begins with the starting pitcher, and that now falls to Julio Urías. The southpaw snapped a personal three-game losing streak with a strong performance against the Philadelphia Phillies and now looks to continue his success against the Padres.
Urías is a career 6-1 with a 2.19 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 15 games (10 starts) when facing San Diego. Included in that is a 3-1 record and 2.56 ERA in eight games (six starts) at Petco Park.
Urías’ 41 wins since the start of the 2021 season are most in the Majors, well ahead of Gerrit Cole (34) and Dylan Cease (29).
The Padres counter with Joe Musgrove, who was originally scheduled to start in the series opener but had his outing pushed back due to developing blisters on his feet after running barefoot on the artificial turf at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú during the Mexico Series as part of his between-starts routine.
Musgrove developed blisters, prompting the Padres to err on the side of caution. He previously suffered a fractured left big toe due to dropping a kettlebell during Spring Training.
Musgrove is 1-0 with a 10.80 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in two starts this season. His inflated ERA is largely due to allowing seven runs to the San Francisco Giants in just 3.1 innings pitched on April 29.
The right-hander is facing the Dodgers for the first time since starting the decided Game 4 of the 2022 National League Division Series.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: Jason Heyward
CF: James Outman
2B: Miguel Vargas
LF: David Peralta
SS: Chris Taylor
Padres lineup
RF: Fernando Tatís Jr.
3B: Manny Machado
LF: Juan Soto
SS: Xander Bogaerts
DH: Nelson Cruz
1B: Jake Cronenworth
2B: Ha-Seong Kim
C: Austin Nola
CF: Adam Engel
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