After a modest 4-3 road trip, the Los Angeles Dodgers have bounced back with consecutive wins and enter play Sunday in position to complete a series sweep of the Miami Marlins.
The Dodgers have won seven of the last eight games against the Marlins at Dodger Stadium, and overall are an MLB-best 42-15 at home. L.A. additionally is on an eight-game home winning streak.
They face a formidable challenge in the series finale as Miami starts 2022 National League Cy Young Award frontrunner Sandy Alcántara. He’s 11-5 with a 1.92 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 24 starts this season, and has logged at least seven innings in 17 of those outings.
Alcántara is coming off a scoreless effort against the San Diego Padres, but prior to that allowed four runs to the Philadelphia Phillies. Sunday technically marks Alcántara’s second time pitching at Dodger Stadium this season, as he represented the Marlins in the 2022 All-Star Game.
Some believed Alcántara should have made the All-Star Game start that went to Clayton Kershaw, and the right-hander was among those to say the longtime Dodgers ace was deserving of the honor.
With the Dodgers temporarily keeping with a six-man starting rotation, Ryan Pepiot takes the ball for a second time since Kershaw was placed on the 15-day injured list due to lower back pain.
Pepiot has yet to pitch more than five innings in any of his six starts for the Dodgers this season, and is looking to limit walks. Pepiot issued a season-high-tying five walks last week in Milwaukee. He is celebrating his 25th birthday on Sunday.
Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman each were removed early from Saturday’s lopsided win, and all three are back in the lineup for the series finale. Turner and Freeman have started every game this season and figure to remain in the Dodgers lineup until the team clinches the National League West title.
The Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the division is 24.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: Justin Turner
2B: Gavin Lux
LF: Joey Gallo
CF: Cody Bellinger
Marlins lineup
2B: Joey Wendle
3B: Jon Berti
DH: Jesús Aguilar
CF: JJ Bleday
RF: Brian Anderson
SS: Miguel Rojas
1B: Lewin Díaz
C: Jacob Stallings
LF: Peyton Burdick
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