The Los Angeles Dodgers enter play Sunday in position to sweep the San Francisco Giants as Clayton Kershaw makes his 200th career start at Dodger Stadium.
He’s gone a lifetime 101-40 with a 2.20 ERA and 0.97 WHIP at home thus far. Kershaw had a career-best 12 wins at Dodger Stadium during the 2011 season. Sunday’s outing is his first since starting the All-Star Game last week.
Kershaw threw 17 pitches in a scoreless inning, memorably picking off Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Although Kershaw was appreciative of a first career All-Star Game start, he maintained Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara was more deserving of the honor.
Dodgers starting pitchers have combined to throw 17 innings without allowing an earned run since the All-Star break. Kershaw looks to add to that in what’s his second start against the Giants this season.
The first came June 11 in Kershaw’s return from the 10-day injured list. He had yet to fully stretch out and only completed four innings at Oracle Park, allowing two runs en route to being tabbed with a tough-luck loss.
Overall this season, the left-hander is 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA. Included in that is a 2-0 record and 2.05 ERA at home.
The Giants try to salvage the series with Alex Cobb on the mound. This season is Cobb’s first in the National League after spending his career with the Tampa Bay Rays (2011-2017), Baltimore Orioles (2018-2020) and Angels (2021).
Cobb is 3-4 with a 4.09 ERA over 14 starts this season but is coming off 7.1 innings pitched with just one unearned run allowed eight days ago.
Cobb faces a Dodgers team that is on a season-high tying seven-game winning streak and 16-2 during the month of July. The Dodgers and Giants have met eight times so far this year, with the home team winning each game.
A victory on Sunday would give the Dodgers their first four-game series sweep of the Giants since June 22-25, 1995, which also came at Dodger Stadium.
Freddie Freeman is on an 11-game hitting streak and Trea Turner has hit safely in 10 straight.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
DH: Jake Lamb
2B: Gavin Lux
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Trayce Thompson
CF: Cody Bellinger
C: Austin Barnes
Giants lineup
CF: Austin Slater
2B: Wilmer Flores
1B: Darin Ruf
LF: Yermín Mercedes
SS: Thairo Estrada
3B: David Villar
RF: Luis González
DH: Austin Wynns
C: Joey Bart
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