Justin Turner is back in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for the first time since last Sunday, when he was removed in the second inning due to left groin discomfort. Turner looks to help the Dodgers extend a modest winning streak by sweeping the New York Mets.
The teams will meet again later this week for a four-game series at Dodger Stadium that begins on Thursday.
Turner made a pinch-hit appearance in the 10th inning on Saturday and stayed in the game for two outs on defense before coming out as part of a double-switch. Turner has hit .286/.344/.571 with 10 doubles, eight home runs and 20 RBI in 34 games (30 starts) against his former team.
“It’s always nice coming back here,” Turner said of returning to Citi Field. “I spent three or four years in this organization, and running into people around the stadium that I got to know over those years and getting a chance to catch up is always nice.
“But at the end of the end day we’re here to win baseball games.”
Turner and the Dodgers look to provide run support for Max Scherzer, who is plenty familiar with the Mets himself after spending nearly seven full seasons with the Washington Nationals.
The future Hall of Famer is a lifetime 12-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) against the Mets, but Sunday’s outing is Scherzer’s first time facing them this season.
Scherzer has been nothing short of dominant through two starts for the Dodgers, going 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 10.1 innings. He’s coming off an outing that was shortened to 3.1 innings because of a lengthy rain delay.
Carlos Carrasco takes the ball for the Mets in what’s only his fourth start of the season. He suffered a torn right hamstring during Spring Training and was on the injured list until July 30.
Carrasco had back-to-back encouraging starts but allowed four runs to the Nationals in one-plus inning last week before his day came to an end because of a rain delay.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Trea Turner
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
SS: Corey Seager
C: Will Smith
LF: Chris Taylor
CF: Cody Bellinger
RF: Billy McKinney
P: Max Scherzer
Mets lineup
CF: Brandon Nimmo
RF: Michael Conforto
1B: Pete Alonso
LF: Dominic Smith
2B: Jeff McNeil
3B: J.D. Davis
SS: Jonathan Villar
C: James McCann
P: Carlos Carrasco
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