Beginning with a win on Sunday afternoon to salvage their series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers have gone on to win four straight games following a six-game losing streak.
After sweeping the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers now head out on a seven-game road trip beginning with a four-game series against the Brewers at Miller Park on Thursday night.
The Dodgers defeated the Brewers in seven games in last year’s National League Championship Series, and the Brewers took their first step towards revenge by winning two out the three games at Dodger Stadium last week.
A big reason for one of those wins was the performance of right-handed pitcher Zach Davies. Last Saturday, he tossed seven innings of one-run ball while allowing eight hits and striking out six.
Davies gets the start in the series opener. Overall in three games this season, Davies is 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA, 4.33 FIP and 1.30 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and six walks in 17.2 innings.
He is opposed by Julio Urias, who struggled in his last start against the Brewers. Urias gave up six hits and six runs (five earned) in five innings while striking out four and walking one to pick up his first loss of the season.
The last time Urias pitched at Miller Park he famously got Christian Yelich to fly out to left-center on an outstanding diving catch by Chris Taylor to help preserve the Dodgers’ lead in the pivotal Game 7 of the NLCS.
In three starts this season, Urias is 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA, 4.68 FIP and 1.32 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 13.2 innings. With Hyun-Jin Ryu due back from the injured list, Urias is expected to move to the bullpen after this start.
This series features perhaps the two hottest hitters in the NL to begin the season. Reigning MVP, Yelich, is hitting .356/.448/.781 with nine home runs and 26 RBI.
Yelich is tied for the NL lead in home runs with Cody Bellinger, who leads the league in hitting at .429/.512/.900 with 23 RBI of his own. Meanwhile, Justin Turner is back in the Dodgers lineup after missing consecutive games due to some minor ankle and hamstring trouble.
Yasmani Grandal went 6-for-11 with one double, one home run and three RBI in his first series against the Dodgers since leaving the organization via free agency.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
CF: A.J. Pollock
1B: Max Muncy
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Austin Barnes
P: Julio Urias
Brewers lineup:
CF: Lorenzo Cain
RF: Christian Yelich
LF: Ryan Braun
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Jesús Aguilar
3B: Travis Shaw
2B: Hernan Perez
SS: Orlando Arcia
P: Zach Davies
