The Los Angeles Dodgers conclude their six-game road trip with a rubber match against the Kansas City Royals and the chance to go 4-2 away from Dodger Stadium over the past week.
Coming off a disappointing loss on Saturday that saw Julio Urías struggle in his return from the 15-day injured list, the Dodgers now turn to Tony Gonsolin, who has is looking to rebound from his own poor outings.
Gonsolin allowed four runs in five innings during his last start against the Houston Astros, and prior to that he gave up seven runs in 5.2 innings against the San Francisco Giants.
Despite his back-to-back poor outings, Gonsolin has still been effective this season overall, posting a 3.30 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 57.1 innings with 46 strikeouts. Even though he has quality numbers, the right-hander has been frustrated by his performance this season.
The 29-year-old has had some trouble recovering between starts this season, and he has seen a noticeable dip in his velocity and the quality of his stuff, but he and the team continue to reiterate there is nothing physically wrong with Gonsolin.
The Royals counter with Brady Singer, who was part of Team USA’s pitching staff during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but he has struggled this season.
In 82.2 innings, the right-hander has pitched to a 5.88 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP and 70 strikeouts. He is, however, coming off a strong start where he pitched six shutout innings against the Cleveland Guardians, and over his past seven games his ERA has been better at 4.38.
With one more victory, manager Dave Roberts would reach 700 wins in his career. Roberts currently has a 699-417 record, with one of those losses coming in his lone game managed for the San Diego Padres. Roberts’ .626 winning percentage is the highest among active managers.
Roberts is on the verge of becoming the 100th manager in MLB history to reach the 700-win club and joining seven other active skippers in reaching that threshold. He would also become the fifth manager in Dodgers franchise history to win at least 700 games with the club, joining Tommy Lasorda, Walter Alston, Leo Durocher and Wilbert Robinson.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
3B: Max Muncy
DH: J.D. Martinez
LF: David Peralta
RF: Jason Heyward
2B: Miguel Vargas
CF: James Outman
C: Austin Barnes
Royals lineup
3B: Maikel Garcia
SS: Bobby Witt Jr.
DH: Salvador Perez
1B: Nick Pratto
C: Freddy Fermin
LF: MJ Melendez
RF: Drew Waters
CF: Kyle Isbel
2B: Nicky Lopez
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
