After squandering a late lead and subsequently falling 4-2 to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to salvage a series split in the finale of a four-game set at Dodger Stadium.
A win on Thursday would pull the Dodgers back to within one game behind the Giants for first place in the National League West. L.A is 7-5 in 12 head-to-head meetings with San Francisco this season and will next face off at Oracle Park from July 27-30.
Walker Buehler makes his 20th start of the season and fourth against the Giants. He’s found plenty of success against the Dodgers’ biggest rival this year, going 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over 19.2 innings pitched.
Buehler is a lifetime 6-0 with a 2.17 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 10 career games against the Giants (eight starts). He enters at an overall 10-1 with a 2.37 ERA, 3.34 FIP and 0.92 WHIP in 121.1 frames this season.
San Francisco counters with Anthony DeSclafani, who also is in the midst of an excellent season. He brings with him into Thursday a 10-4 record, 2.78 ERA, 3.63 FIP and 0.99 WHIP with 103 strikeouts against 29 walks in 113.1 innings (19 starts).
Three of those appearances came against the Dodgers in which DeSclafani found mixed results. He gave up a season-high nine hits and 10 runs to L.A. in his first outing on May 23, and followed that up with 4.2 innings of two-run ball on May 28.
In his most recent start against the Dodgers on June 28, DeSclafani yielded three runs on five hits in five innings of work. In nine career appearances against L.A., the 31-year-old is 1-7 with a 6.32 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 47 frames.
Prior to first pitch, the Dodgers activated the newly acquired Billy McKinney and optioned Zach Reks to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Mookie Betts is out of the Dodgers lineup for a fifth consecutive game due to right hip irritation. McKinney starts in right field and Justin Turner returns after being limited to a pinch-hit appearance because of a left knee contusion.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Chris Taylor
2B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
C: Will Smith
1B: Matt Beaty
CF: Cody Bellinger
LF: AJ Pollock
RF: Billy McKinney
P: Walker Buehler
Giants lineup
1B: LaMonte Wade Jr.
C: Buster Posey
RF: Mike Yastrzemski
3B: Wilmer Flores
LF: Alex Dickerson
2B: Donovan Solano
CF: Steven Duggar
SS: Thairo Estrada
P: Anthony DeSclafani
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