On the heels of back-to-back extra-inning victories, the Los Angeles Dodgers are now in position to complete a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Thursday marks the final time the clubs will meet this season. L.A. has won eight of nine contests against Arizona thus far.
Dustin May makes his ninth start of the season. He allowed just two runs on three hits over 5.2 innings of work in his last outing against the Colorado Rockies, falling one out short of registering a quality start.
May enters with an overall 1-1 record, a 2.88 ERA, 4.53 FIP and 1.11 WHIP in 40.2 frames. He has yet to face the Diamondbacks this year, but struggled in one relief appearance against them last season, yielding more runs (three) than outs recorded (one).
Arizona sends longtime Dodgers nemesis Madison Bumgarner to the mound for his sixth start of the season. The left-hander has struggled mightily in his first season with the organization, having posted a 8.44 ERA, 9.08 FIP and 1.50 WHIP across 21.1 innings.
In his first start off the injured list last week, Bumgarner found success against his old San Francisco Giants team, allowing three hits and two runs over four innings of work.
Bumgarner owns a 15-14 record in 36 career games against the Dodgers (35 starts), compiling a 2.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 218 strikeouts against 47 walks across 225.1 innings pitched.
The signing of Bumgarner was one reason Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman touted the Diamondbacks front office for having a successful offseason. That didn’t carry onto the field, however, as the team was sellers at the deadline. The Diamondbacks enter the series finale having lost 18 of their last 20 games.
Notably in the series finale, Mookie Betts is playing second base and Kiké Hernandez is in right field. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts recently approached him about being part of the team’s positional flexibility.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
LF: AJ Pollock
3B: Max Muncy
CF: Chris Taylor
1B: Cody Bellinger
RF: Kiké Hernandez
DH: Will Smith
C: Austin Barnes
Diamondbacks lineup
DH: Josh Rojas
2B: Josh VanMeter
1B: Christian Walker
RF: Kole Calhoun
3B: Eduardo Escobar
LF: David Peralta
SS: Nick Ahmed
CF: Daulton Varsho
C: Carson Kelly
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