Justin Turner appeared prophetic when predicting the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres would play “19 World Series games” this season, as now the teams look to meet a high bar from an instant classic on Friday night.
They traded punches at Petco Park before the Dodgers clawed out an 11-6 win in 12 innings. Saturday’s matchup offers plenty of intrigue in its own right with former catch partners Clayton Kershaw and Yu Darvish on the mound.
Kershaw is six days removed from outdueling Max Scherzer to help the Dodgers complete a sweep of the Washington Nationals. He’s bounced back from allowing five runs on Opening Day to allow just one in 13 innings over two starts.
Kershaw is a lifetime 21-7 with a 2.03 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 40 starts against the Padres, including a 9-3 record and 1.83 ERA in 17 outings at Petco Park.
Darvish also is making his third start of the year and similarly has improved since a rough Padres debut. Darvish allowed four runs in 4.2 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks, then just one run in each of his past two outings. He had at least six strikeouts in all three starts.
Darvish has faced the Dodgers just once in his career — in 2019 as a member of the Chicago Cubs — and he held them to one run on two hits over seven innings while collecting 10 strikeouts. Alex Verdugo hit a solo homer off Darvish in that game, a 2-1 home loss for the Dodgers.
“We’ve got a tough opponent. Yu Darvish is pitching, and we know him pretty well but he’s kind of evolved since we’ve seen him last,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve got our hands full. I know Clayton is going to be good.
“It’s going to be a good game. I like our guys. [Friday] night was exciting, but right now our only focus is today.”
L.A. enters play with an MLB-best 12-2 record, which has them 3.5 games ahead of both the San Francisco Giants and Padres in the NL West standings. The Dodgers also are on a seven-game winning streak, which matches their longest from last year.
Alex Vesia was recalled from the team’s alternate training site and Matt Beaty was optioned. Meanwhile, Gavin Lux (right wrist soreness) and AJ Pollock (left groin tightness) both continue to improve. Pollock is expected to start Sunday.
Dodgers lineup
CF: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
2B: Chris Taylor
RF: Zach McKinstry
LF: Luke Raley
C: Austin Barnes
P: Clayton Kershaw
Padres lineup
CF: Trent Grisham
SS: Fernando Tatis Jr.
3B: Manny Machado
RF: Wil Myers
1B: Jurickson Profar
2B: Jake Cronenworth
LF: Tommy Pham
C: Victor Caratini
P: Yu Darvish
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