The Los Angeles Dodgers continued to swing hot bats Monday night as they extended their winning streak to four games and now are in position to take a series from the Oakland Athletics.
Clayton Kershaw is back on the mound and looks to rebound from a subpar Opening Day start. He managed just two strikeouts over 5.2 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits over 5.2 innings against the Colorado Rockies.
The Rockies didn’t collect any extra-base hits off Kershaw and several times benefited from soft contact and finding holes. However, he only induced five swings and misses.
“Wasn’t great,” Kershaw said of his outing at Coors Field.
He faces the A’s for a fifth career time, with the most recent start (of the regular season) coming in 2018. Kershaw has yet to earn a decision against Oakland, but sports a 1.35 ERA and has 23 strikeouts in 26.2 innings.
Kershaw’s final outing of the spring saw him give up nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits in 3.1 innings.
The Athletics counter with Chris Bassitt, who also made an Opening Day start his last time out. That came against the Houston Astros, during which the right-hander allowed three runs on four hits over 5.1 innings. Bassitt’s start Tuesday is the first of his career against the Dodgers.
Heading into the series, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers would rotate regulars at the designated hitter spot to provide them with some rest. The series opener saw Max Muncy first to take the honor, and now it goes to Justin Turner.
Edwin Rios started at first base to fill in for Muncy, and now he will slide over to third with Turner in the lineup as DH.
Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger are both out of the lineup one night after each came out early due to minor injuries. Mookie Betts starts in center field, and Zach McKinstry fills in at right field.
Taylor is available as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement only, while Bellinger is not expected to play in any capacity.
Dodgers lineup
CF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
DH: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
LF: AJ Pollock
3B: Edwin Rios
2B: Gavin Lux
C: Austin Barnes
RF: Zach McKinstry
A’s lineup
LF: Mark Canha
DH: Jed Lowrie
CF: Ramón Laureano
3B: Matt Chapman
C: Sean Murphy
RF: Stephen Piscotty
1B: Mitch Moreland
SS: Elvis Andrus
2B: Tony Kemp
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