After dropping the first two games at Petco Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to salvage their series with the San Diego Padres and avoid being swept for the first time in nearly two months.
L.A. is 3-6 against San Diego this season and has dropped six of their last seven head-to-head meetings. “Just got to find a way to win those games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“I think they’ve all been pretty close ballgames. I think the difference is they’ve gotten some timely hits, played very good defense and pitched well against us. We’re in those games, I still like our guys. We’ve just got to find a way to win them.”
Trevor Bauer makes his 16th start of the season and fourth since reports surfaced that MLB would begin strictly enforcing rules against the use of foreign substances. He’s 1-2 with a 3.26 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 19.1 innings over that span.
Bauer snapped a two-game losing streak in his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing only three hits across seven scoreless innings. He enters Wednesday’s start with an overall 7-5 record, 2.45 ERA, 3.67 FIP and 0.94 WHIP in 95.2 innings on the year.
Bauer has faced the Padres twice this season and is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP over 12 innings pitched in those games. In his career against San Diego, he owns a 1-4 record, 4.05 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 33.1 frames (six starts).
The Padres counter with Joe Musgrove, who tossed seven shutout innings of four-hit ball in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds on June 17. While he managed to keep the Reds off the scoreboard, Musgrove walked three batters and notched a season-low two strikeouts.
Musgrove brings with him into Wednesday’s outing a 4-6 record, 2.28 ERA, 3.11 FIP and 0.85 WHIP in 79 innings this season (14 games, 13 starts). One of those appearances came against the Dodgers on April 25 when he lasted just three frames and gave up two runs (one earned).
Musgrove is 0-3 with a 5.03 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in four career starts against the Dodgers.
One day after seeing the return of Max Muncy, the Dodgers lineup gets another boost with Cody Bellinger back the 10-day injured list. Andy Burns was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding roster move.
However, Mookie Betts is not in the lineup as he seemingly is still feeling the effects of a stomach bug that forced him to an early exit on Tuesday.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Chris Taylor
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
C: Will Smith
LF: Matt Beaty
SS: Gavin Lux
RF: Zach McKinstry
P: Trevor Bauer
Padres lineup
LF: Tommy Pham
SS: Fernando Tatis Jr.
2B: Jake Cronenworth
3B: Manny Machado
1B: Eric Hosmer
RF: Wil Myers
CF: Trent Grisham
C: Victor Caratini
P: Joe Musgrove
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