The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak to the San Diego Padres and now Wednesday’s matchup represents the lone meeting of the series with traditional starters set to toe the rubber for both teams.
Walker Buehler tries to help L.A. secure a series victory at Petco Park and also add to his case for the National League Cy Young Award. Though, the latter is not of any importance to Buehler unless it comes as a byproduct of team success.
“It’s not something that I really care about. I want us to win games, win the division, get to the playoffs and do what we did last year and what we set out to do every year,” Buehler said last week.
“If I somehow put us in a position and have that type of year to be in that conversation, that’s great. But at the end of the day it’s about winning games, and that’s my big focus.”
Buehler has pitched at least six innings in all but 25 starts this season. He additionally has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 20 outings this year. Buehler allowed two runs to the Padres when he faced them in back-to-back outings in April.
Coming off a bullpen game and potentially facing another in the series finale if Yu Darvish struggles in his return from the 10-day injured list, the Padres hope to get some length out of Blake Snell.
That hasn’t necessarily been a strength for the southpaw, indicative of pitching five innings in three of our starts this month. Snell has allowed two earned runs or fewer and struck out at least six in three of four August starts.
Max Muncy celebrates his 31st birthday with a start at first base and he’s also hitting back of Trea Turner in the Dodgers lineup. Albert Pujols remains on the bench despite the Padres starting a lefty.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Trea Turner
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
LF: AJ Pollock
SS: Corey Seager
RF: Chris Taylor
C: Will Smith
CF: Cody Bellinger
P: Walker Buehler
Padres lineup
CF: Trent Grisham
RF: Fernando Tatis Jr.
3B: Manny Machado
SS: Jake Cronenworth
C: Austin Nola
1B: Eric Hosmer
LF: Wil Myers
2B: Adam Frazier
P: Blake Snell
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