The Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten off to a hot start, which was considered key in a shortened 2020 season, outscoring the rival San Francisco Giants by a combined score of 17-2 in their first two games, both blowout wins.
They look to carry that momentum into Saturday’s game, an afternoon affair that will see Alex Wood making his 2020 season debut. Wood played four seasons with the Dodgers from 2015-18, being named an All-Star in 2017.
He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2019 season, spending one year there before signing a one-year contract to return to L.A. this past offseason. Wood’s lone season with the Reds was an injury-plagued one as he was limited to seven starts, going 1-3 with a 5.80 ERA, 6.38 FIP and 1.40 WHIP while striking out 30 and walking nine in 35.2 innings.
“He’s done somethings over the past winter, worked on pitch characteristics, mechanics, his body is in a good place. He’s throwing the baseball as well as I can recall,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Wood.
The southpaw has plenty of experience facing the Giants in his career, appearing in 15 games (nine starts) against them. He is 4-3 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, so has found some success. With no Buster Posey, Brandon Belt or Evan Longoria, this is arguably the worst Giants lineup he has faced.
Being tasked with slowing down a Dodgers lineup that is off to a hot start is Giants righty Logan Webb. The 23-year-old made eight starts in his debut season in 2019, going 2-3 with a 5.22 ERA, 4.12 FIP and 1.46 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 14 walks in 39.2 innings.
Included in that was one start against the Dodgers in which he turned in a solid performance, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out five and walking one in six innings of work.
Getting the starts up the middle for the Dodgers are Corey Seager and Kiké Hernandez, and both are off to blistering starts. Although it’s only two games, Seager is hitting .444/.500/.667 with a pair of doubles, while Hernandez is batting .500/.500/.800 with a home run.
Max Muncy is also back in the leadoff spot and coming off a two-homer game on Friday night. The leadoff spot is new to him, although he is willing to give it a shot to get comfortable.
Roberts said Chris Taylor informed him he’s fine after colliding with Pablo Sandoval on Friday night, though to help matters, he is the designated hitter.
Dodgers lineup
1B: Max Muncy
RF: Mookie Betts
CF: Cody Bellinger
3B: Justin Turner
SS: Corey Seager
DH: Chris Taylor
LF: Joc Pederson
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Austin Barnes
Giants lineup
LF: Austin Slater
3B: Donovan Solano
2B: Wilmer Flores
1B: Darin Ruf
DH: Hunter Pence
CF: Mike Yastrzemski
RF: Jaylin Davis
SS: Mauricio Dubón
C: Tyler Heineman
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