After splitting the first two games, the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers conclude their weekend series at Dodger Stadium with a rubber match that is being televised nationally on ESPN.
However, the game is once again being delayed by rain with a new scheduled start time of 4:45 p.m. PT.
The game marks the Dodgers’ second time being featured on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts during the first half of the 2024 season. Their next appearance is slated for June 9 when they face the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It is likely that the network will pick up additional Dodgers games in the second half.
Jurickson Profar is going to be mic’d up for the Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, which comes one day after staring at Gavin Stone and exchanging words with Will Smith, leading to both benches clearing.
James Paxton makes his third start and looks to build on an efficient outing against the Minnesota Twins. The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits over six innings of work and showed improved command as he walked only one batter.
Paxton improved to 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA, 4.43 FIP and 1.18 WHIP in 11 innings pitched this season. Paxton reached 10 years of Major League service time last week, which his Dodgers teammates celebrated with a toast in the clubhouse.
The Padres counter with Yu Darvish, who is making his fifth start of the season and second against the Dodgers. The 37-year-old took a no-decision in the Seoul Series opener after holding L.A. to just two hits and one unearned run over 3.2 innings pitched.
Darvish is coming off a shortened start against the Chicago Cubs and enters at 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA, 3.25 FIP and 1.29 WHIP in 18.2 innings on the year.
At age 37, Darvish is second-oldest pitcher to start an MLB game this season, trailing only Charlie Morton of the Atlanta Braves.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Mookie Betts
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
RF: Teoscar Hernández
CF: James Outman
LF: Kiké Hernández
2B: Gavin Lux
Padres lineup
2B: Xander Bogaerts
RF: Fernando Tatis Jr.
1B: Jake Cronenworth
DH: Manny Machado
LF: Jurickson Profar
SS: Ha-Seong Kim
C: Luis Campusano
CF: Jackson Merrill
3B: Eguy Rosario
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