The Los Angeles Dodgers had a modest two-game winning streak snapped and now look to avoid losing their weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Interleague matchup is the first between the two teams since 2017, and they last played at Dodger Stadium in 2014.
Even with their loss in the series opener, the Dodgers’ 8-3 record in Interleague play this season is third-best in baseball behind the New York Yankees (3-0) and Tampa Bay Rays (7-1). More relevant, however, is the Dodgers entering play a half-game behind the San Diego Padres for first place in the National League West.
L.A. looks to get back on track against Cal Quantrill, who enters 4-3 with a 3.38 ERA this season. Quantrill is coming off a strong start in which he allowed just one run over six innings to earn a win against the Oakland Athletics.
Quantrill has completed at least six innings in each of his last nine starts.
Scoring has remained a challenge for the Dodgers of late and reared its head in the extra-innings loss on Friday as they went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. Their lone run came on Cody Bellinger’s homer in the second inning.
“It’s a long season, we’re going to go through ups, we’re going to go through downs,” Bellinger said after the 2-1 loss. “Overall, we know we would all like to play better and score more runs. That’s obviously the goal and it’s not a lack of effort or lack of preparation.
“It’s just how the game goes sometimes. Obviously, we all want to be better.”
Quantrill faces a Dodgers lineup that had Mookie Betts in the original lineup one night after he was scratched due to a right rib contusion. X-rays were negative and Betts was scheduled for a CT scan on Saturday to ensure there wasn’t an injury, but that didn’t end up taking place due to improvement overnight.
However, Betts still wound up getting scratched for a second consecutive game.
On the pitching side, Julio Urías on the mound for his 13th start of the season. Urías is just 3-6 but has a 2.80 ERA to go along with a 1.06 WHIP. The left-hander has been hurt by the Dodgers’ lack of run support in his starts this year.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
DH: Will Smith
2B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
RF: Chris Taylor
LF: Gavin Lux
C: Austin Barnes
Guardians lineup
CF: Myles Straw
SS: Amed Rosario
1B: Owen Miller
DH: Oscar Gonzalez
RF: Oscar Mercado
2B: Andrés Giménez
3B: Ernie Clement
LF: Steven Kwan
CF: Austin Hedges
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