After splitting the first two games at Great American Ball Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers now look to take the rubber match from the Cincinnati Reds and keep pressure on the San Francisco Giants in the National League West race.
Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for his second start since coming off the 60-day injured list. Kershaw threw 50 pitches over 4.1 innings in his return, and felt getting to face a batter in the fifth was key to his buildup process.
Kershaw and the Dodgers have maintained there is enough time remaining for the left-hander to fully stretch back out to a traditional starter’s workload come October.
With that not yet the case, the Dodgers adjusted their starting rotation for this current turn to have Tony Gonsolin slated to appear out of the bullpen Sunday. Manager Dave Roberts said Gonsolin will then return to the rotation later this week.
Gonsolin is also going through the process of building his innings, but did go five frames the last time out.
Kershaw had eight strikeouts and threw seven shutout innings when he faced the Reds at Dodger Stadium on April 28.
Cincinnati counters with Wade Miley, who enters 12-6 with a 3.09 ERA in 27 starts this season. Miley had a strong month of August, but has allowed at least five earned runs in two of three outings in September.
Cody Bellinger is out of the lineup for a second consecutive game as he deals with soreness stemming from a non-displaced fracture in his left ribs. Bellinger suffered the injury early last week when colliding with Gavin Lux in left-center field.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Albert Pujols
SS: Corey Seager
C: Will Smith
CF: Chris Taylor
LF: Gavin Lux
P: Clayton Kershaw
Reds lineup
2B: Jonathan India
SS: Kyle Farmer
RF: Nick Castellanos
1B: Tyler Stephenson
3B: Eugenio Suárez
LF: Aristides Aquino
CF: Jose Barrero
C: Tucker Barnhart
P: Wade Miley
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