After a seven-run outburst on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers look for their bats to wakeup again for an early matchup against the Minnesota Twins with a chance to pick up their first sweep of the season in the series finale of a two-game set at Target Field.
Clayton Kershaw takes the mound in his first start of 2022 and the first since his injury at the end of last season.
While the future Hall of Famer has normally taken the ball on Opening Day, the Dodgers delayed his start until the fifth game to make sure he was ready to go and fully built up to start after a short Spring Training.
“Just kind of how it played out,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kershaw slotting fifth in the starting rotation. “We’ve talked about this season and the start of this season as far as getting pitchers built up, and giving him the best opportunity.”
Last season, Kershaw posted the highest ERA of his career since his rookie year, but it was still top-35 among pitchers with at least 120 innings, and his FIP ranked 10th. The veteran southpaw finished the 2021 season with a 3.55 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 3.4 WAR, 10.65 strikeouts per nine and 1.55 walks per nine in 22 starts.
Kershaw has never previously faced the Twins in his career. However, he has faced Carlos Correa (2-for-6), Gio Urshela (0-for-3) and Gary Sanchez (0-for-5), who are all new to the Twins organization this season.
Wednesday is also Kershaw’s first career start at Target Field. He now only has yet to make a regular season start at Fenway Park, Globe Life Field and Camden Yards during his illustrious career.
Of course, Kershaw has made postseason starts at Fenway (2018) and Globe Life (2020).
The Twins send former San Diego Padres prospect Chris Paddack to the mound, who they acquired one week ago for relief pitcher Taylor Rogers. The 26-year-old is coming off a poor season where he posted a 5.07 ERA in 108.1 innings.
Paddack has faced the Dodgers six times in his career and owns a 7.07 ERA while allowing 28 hits and 22 earned runs in 28 innings pitched.
Both Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux are career 1.000 hitters against Paddack, with Betts going 3-for-3 and adding two sacrifice flies and hit by pitch in six plate appearances, while Lux is 2-for-2. Trea Turner has also had success against Paddack, hitting .500 in six at-bats.
Meanwhile, Justin Turner (.167 in 12 at-bats), Cody Bellinger (.083 in 12 at-bats) and Freddie Freeman (hitless in five at-bats) have all struggled against the right-hander.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
SS: Trea Turner
DH: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
LF: Chris Taylor
CF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Gavin Lux
C: Austin Barnes
Twins lineup
DH: Byron Buxton
2B: Luis Arraez
3B: Gio Urshela
SS: Jorge Polanco
C: Gary Sánchez
RF: Max Kepler
1B: Miguel Sanó
CF: Gilberto Celestino
LF: Nick Gordon
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