The Los Angeles Dodgers were defeated in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday night when Gerardo Parra slugged an eighth-inning grand slam to secure a come-from-behind victory for the Washington Nationals.
The two teams meet at Dodger Stadium for the four-game finale on Sunday afternoon, and the Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound looking to earn a series split.
Ryu has been the Dodgers’ best starter so far this season, going 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA, 2.99 FIP and 0.81 WHIP in his first seven outings. The 32-year-old has struck out 45 while walking just two in 44.1 innings.
Pitching at home is something that Ryu has enjoyed throughout the course of his career. He has a 2.73 ERA at Dodger Stadium compared to 3.52 ERA on the road since making his MLB debut in 2013.
Ryu has had success against the Nationals in the past, although the sample size is small. In three career starts against Washington, he is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 0.91 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 18.2 innings.
Things don’t get any easier for the Dodgers hitters as they have already faced Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer in the series, and they are now forced to deal with Stephen Strasburg.
The former No. 1 overall pick is 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA, 2.85 FIP and 1.06 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 14 walks in 51 innings across his first eight starts.
He’s faced the Dodgers nine times in his career, posting a 2-4 record to go along with a 2.64 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He has 68 strikeouts and 14 walks in 58 innings against Los Angeles.
Justin Turner is 3-for-8 with two home runs in his career against Strasburg, and he is also one of the hottest hitters in the National League at the moment. In Turner’s last 13 games, he has hit .377/.421/.755 with six home runs and 12 RBI.
As is the case every year, all of Major League Baseball will be celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday by wearing pink gear and uniforms. All of the items will later be auctioned off to support breast cancer awareness.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
CF: Alex Verdugo
SS: Corey Seager
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Russell Martin
P: Hyun-Jin Ryu
