After seeing their comeback bid fall short due to a questionable strike three call, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to salvage a series split with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for his 10th start of the season and aims to get back on track after a shorter-than-usual outing against the Minnesota Twins. He allowed two runs on seven hits in just four innings of work and collected seven strikeouts on 90 pitches.
Kershaw made the start just three days after his mother, Marianne Tombaugh, passed away. The left-hander still has not gone on the bereavement list and fully intended to pitch against the Cardinals this weekend.
Kershaw enters at 6-3 with a 2.52 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.03 WHIP and 10.6 strikeouts per nine in 53.2 innings pitched this season. In 20 career starts against the Cardinals, he owns a 10-5 record, 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 9.8 strikeouts per nine over 131.1 frames.
St. Louis counters with Jack Flaherty, who is coming off his best start of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed just three hits across seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against two walks.
The Burbank, California native has otherwise struggled this season, going 3-4 with a 5.24 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 1.58 WHIP and 9.5 strikeouts per nine in 46.1 innings pitched over nine starts.
Flaherty has generally found success against the Dodgers in his career, pitching to a 1-2 record with a 2.34 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 13.5 strikeouts per nine over 34.2 innings (six starts). However, he allowed five runs (four earned) in 4.2 innings of a loss at Dodger Stadium on April 28.
Flaherty did record seven strikeouts in the start.
Dodgers lineup
LF: David Peralta
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: J.D. Martinez
CF: James Outman
2B: Miguel Vargas
RF: Jason Heyward
SS: Miguel Rojas
Cardinals lineup
CF: Lars Nootbaar
1B: Paul Goldschmidt
C: Willson Contreras
3B: Nolan Arenado
DH: Juan Yepez
2B: Tommy Edman
SS: Paul DeJong
LF: Brendan Donovan
RF: Óscar Mercado
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