With a 2-1 start to their seven-game road trip, the Los Angeles Dodgers now are in the desert for a final series with the Arizona Diamondbacks this season. L.A. enters play Thursday night having won 10 of 15 head-to-head meetings with Arizona.
However, the Dodgers are .500 in six games at Chase Field, which includes losing two of their last three. Hyun-Jin Ryu is 3-0 against the Diamondbacks this season, with one of his wins coming on the road.
In that June 4 start at Chase Field, Ryu scattered three hits over shutout innings. That came while the left-hander was in the midst of a remarkable stretch.
Ryu hasn’t fared quite as well in his past two starts, allowing a combined 15 hits (five home runs) and 11 runs in 10 innings against the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. As a result, the Dodgers intend to curtail Ryu’s workload in September.
Although there’s some belief Ryu’s 152.2 innings pitched thus far — most since his rookie season in 2013 — has lent to some fatigue, the 32-year-old asserted he remains in strong physical condition.
The Diamondbacks counter with Merrill Kelly, who turned in a quality start against the Dodgers in July, though didn’t factor into the decision of what ultimately was a home loss for the Arizona.
Kelly is 9-13 with a 4.86 ERA but has rebounded from losing six consecutive decisions with wins in two of his past three starts. The rookie right-hander was roughed up by the Milwaukee Brewers his last time out.
Kelly faces a Dodgers lineup that does not include Max Muncy, as he continues to nurse a sore right wrist. Muncy was hit by a pitch Wednesday night and immediately removed from the game. Muncy underwent a fluoroscopy that came back negative but is expected to have an X-ray taken.
The Dodgers do have Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Kiké Hernandez, all of whom are in the midst of respective productive streaks. Seager has reached safely in 20 of his last 21 games with 16 extra-base hits and 14 RBI during that span, Turner has a four-game hitting streak, and Hernandez has reached base in seven straight starts and has at least one RBI in his past three games.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
1B: Matt Beaty
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
CF: A.J. Pollock
SS: Corey Seager
C: Will Smith
2B: Kiké Hernandez
P: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Diamondbacks lineup:
CF: Ketel Marte
LF: Tim Locastro
3B: Eduardo Escobar
1B: Christian Walker
2B: Wilmer Flores
RF: Adam Jones
SS: Nick Ahmed
C: Carson Kelly
P: Merrill Kelly
