After kicking off the six-game homestand with a victory Friday night over the Atlanta Braves behind a three-home run effort by Corey Seager, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to win the series Saturday night.
Los Angeles enters the contest with a golden opportunity to accomplish just that as they send ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound. Kershaw is coming off a month of May in which he had more complete-game shutouts (three) than walks (two).
He tallied 65 strikeouts and went 5-0 with a 0.91 ERA in six May starts, earning National League Pitcher of the Month honors. On the season, the lefty ace is 7-1 with a 1.56 ERA, 1.51 FIP, 0.646 WHIP and 105 strikeouts in 11 starts.
Kershaw faces the team that collected a season-high 10 hits during an April 21 outing at Turner Field. He did hold the Braves to just one run and had 10 strikeouts, which was the first in what wound up being a string of six consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts.
Opposing Kershaw is Bud Norris, who is stepping in for Mike Foltynewicz. The hard-throwing right-hander was placed on the disabled list due to bone chips in his elbow. Norris went 1-6 with a 5.71 ERA in April before being removed from the rotation at the end of the month.
Howie Kendrick starts in left field and returns from a minor shoulder issue that kept him out of the last two games. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kendrick has been “swinging the bat well” and for that reason wants to continue giving him playing time.
Dodgers lineup
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justtin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
RF: Trayce Thompson
CF: Joc Pederson
LF: Howie Kendrick
C: A.J. Ellis
P: Clayton Kershaw
Braves lineup:
CF: Ender Inciarte
2B: Chase d’Arnoud
1B: Freddie Freeman
LF: Jef Francoeur
RF: Nick Markakis
C: Tyler Flowers
3B: Adonis Garcia
SS: Daniel Castro
P: Bud Norris
