The Los Angeles Dodgers opened up their first Interleague matchup of the regular season with a walk-off win in extra innings and now have an opportunity to clinch a sixth consecutive series win.
The Dodgers are on a six-game winning streak, have won 10 in a row at Dodger Stadium and enter play Tuesday night with the best record in the National League at 27-15. L.A. is 14-2 over their last 16 games.
Clayton Kershaw gets the ball for his ninth start of the season, coming off a masterful outing against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he tossed seven innings, allowing one earned run on a solo homer and collecting eight strikeouts.
The 16-year veteran owns a 6-2 record, 2.36 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and .204 batting average against this year. Kershaw’s stuff looks as good as ever after he induced 33 combined chases and whiffs against the Brewers, and ranks in the 93rd percentile in chase rate.
In his debut start last season, Kershaw tossed seven perfect innings with 13 strikeouts in his first and only career outing against the Twins. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled the lefty after 80 pitches due to the club having the bigger picture in mind.
Despite the passing of his mother over the weekend, Kershaw opted to keep his spot in the rotation. Tuesday’s start is the second in a row in which the Dodgers bullpen would stand to benefit from Kershaw providing plenty of length.
The Twins send right-hander Bailey Ober to the mound for his fifth start, and the 27-year-old has been riding a hot string of outings. In 24.1 innings pitched, he owns a 1.85 ERA, 0.90 ERA and .186 opponents’ batting average.
Ober allowed three earned runs on six hits, including two homers over six innings against the San Diego Padres in his last start.
Ober faces a Dodgers lineup that includes additional left-handed hitters with Mookie Betts starting at second base.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
RF: Jason Heyward
3B: Max Muncy
DH: J.D. Martinez
CF: James Outman
LF: David Peralta
SS: Miguel Rojas
C: Austin Barnes
Twins lineup
2B: Donovan Solano
SS: Carlos Correa
DH: Byron Buxton
3B: Kyle Farmer
1B: Alex Kirilloff
C: Ryan Jeffers
CF: Michael A. Taylor
RF: Joey Gallo
LF: Willi Castro
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