The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays and shift their focus to snapping a two-game losing streak.
The Dodgers remain atop National League West standings with a 31-21 record, holding a 1.5-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. After suffering losses in their two previous contests, they hand the ball to Clayton Kershaw to avoid their first three-game losing streak since early April.
Kershaw was reinstated from the bereavement list on Friday after being away from the team to attend funeral services for his mother.
On the season Kershaw is 6-4 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 3.31 FIP, which ranks sixth in the NL. The 35-year-old remains the ace of the Dodgers staff, and he’ll need to bounce back after laboring through his two previous starts.
In outings against the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals, Kershaw allowed a combined six earned runs on 12 hits in just 7.2 innings pitched, taking the loss in each contest.
Kershaw makes his second career start at Tropicana Field, and faces the Rays for the first time since the 2020 World Series, when he dominated in two outings.
For the Rays, Tyler Glasnow makes his first start of the season after missing a solid chunk of time with a nagging oblique injury.
The 29-year-old has been one of the most dominant arms in MLB, but health has played a factor in remaining on the field. Glasnow missed nearly all of last season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but all signs point to him being fully healthy.
Glasnow makes his first home start since June 8, 2021, and first against the Dodgers since the 2020 postseason, when he allowed 10 earned runs on three homers in 9.1 innings pitched.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
DH: J.D. Martinez
3B: Max Muncy
CF: Jason Heyward
2B: Miguel Vargas
LF: David Peralta
SS: Miguel Rojas
Rays lineup
1B: Yandy Díaz
SS: Wander Franco
DH: Harold Ramírez
LF: Randy Arozarena
3B: Isaac Paredes
C: Christian Bethancourt
RF: Manuel Margot
2B: Taylor Walls
CF: Jose Siri
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