The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the series on Monday with a 4-0 victory and have a chance to win their sixth consecutive matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers.
After becoming the first team in Major League Baseball to reach the 80-win mark this season, the Dodgers have a six-game lead on the New York Mets for the best record at 80-34. Their +251 run differential is ahead by a large margin as the New York Yankees are second at +197.
The Dodgers enter play on Tuesday with a 17-game lead in the National League West over the second-place San Diego Padres, who continue to scuffle.
Ryan Pepiot gets the ball for a second turn in the rotation after originally filling in following the move that sent Clayton Kershaw to the 15-day injured list. In his most recent outing against the Minnesota Twins, Pepiot tossed 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits, two of them for home runs.
On the season, Pepiot is 1-0 with a 3.92 ERA and a 5.24 FIP in five starts for the Dodgers. He has received a decent amount of run support in his outings with the club this year, but the offense has a difficult matchup Tuesday.
Brandon Woodruff takes the mound for the Brewers and hopes to build on what has been an incredible stretch for the 29-year-old.
Since his return from injury on June 28, Woodruff has quietly been a top-10 starting pitcher in the N.L. by going 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA and a 2.27 FIP in 48.1 innings pitched. His ERA ranks 10th and Woodruff holds the fourth-best FIP in the N.L. during that span.
Woodruff has been terrific in limiting traffic and has surrendered a .208 batting average to opposing hitters, the 11th-best mark in the N.L.
However, the Dodgers’ offense ranks No. 1 in all of baseball against right-handers with a 124 wRC+ and .797 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: Justin Turner
2B: Gavin Lux
LF: Joey Gallo
CF: Chris Taylor
Brewers lineup
LF: Christian Yelich
SS: Willy Adames
1B: Rowdy Tellez
RF: Andrew McCutchen
DH: Hunter Renfroe
2B: Kolten Wong
3B: Luis Urías
C: Victor Caratini
CF: Jonathan Davis
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