The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to reach 30 wins on Friday with their 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Now, the club is in position to clinch a series win with another victory on Saturday.
Walker Buehler makes his ninth start of the season and looks to improve on a perfect 4-0 record. He was dominant in his most recent outing against the Washington Nationals on May 11, tossing seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts.
Buehler has allowed three runs or less in five consecutive outings — a stretch that includes a 3-0 record, 2.59 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over his last 31.1 innings pitched. All-in-all, the right-hander enters with a 4.15 ERA, 3.28 FIP and 1.04 WHIP in 43.1 innings pitched on the year.
In his lone start against the Reds this season, Buehler allowed just one unearned run in 6.1 innings pitched with eight strikeouts. In two career starts against Cincinnati, Buehler is 1-1 with a minuscule 1.46 ERA and 0.73 WHIP over 12.1 innings pitched.
The Reds counter with Tyler Mahle, who continues to search for his first win this season. Through his first eight starts, he has compiled an 0-5 record, 3.97 ERA, 3.56 FIP and 1.19 with 49 strikeouts against nine walks in 45.1 innings pitched.
The Newport Beach, Calif., native was inefficient in his most recent start against the Dodgers on April 16 at Dodger Stadium, allowing a season-high 11 hits and four runs over six innings of work.
Mahle owns a career 4.80 ERA in 13 starts at Great American Ball Park. That’s in comparison to a slightly better 4.27 ERA in 22 career road appearances.
Justin Turner, after fouling a pitch off his shin in the third inning of Friday’s opener, is out of the lineup.
As a result, Matt Beaty makes his first career MLB start, playing first base so Max Muncy can spell Turner at third. In four games with the Dodgers this season, Beaty has recorded two hits and an RBI in four plate appearances.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
3B: Max Muncy
RF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Corey Seager
CF: Alex Verdugo
1B: Matt Beaty
2B: Chris Taylor
C: Austin Barnes
P: Walker Buehler
Reds lineup:
CF: Nick Senzel
1B: Joey Votto
3B: Eugenio Suarez
LF: Jesse Winker
RF: Yasiel Puig
2B: Derek Dietrich
SS: Jose Iglesias
P: Tyler Mahle
C: Tucker Barnhart
