The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit a bit of a rough patch, getting swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game set and then dropping a series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night to extend their season-long losing streak to five games.
Things don’t get easier for them on Saturday, unfortunately. With Hyun-Jin Ryu going down with a groin injury, the team is forced to go with a bullpen game. Left-handed relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson gets the start for the Dodgers.
In seven appearances this season, Ferguson has tossed 6.1 shutout innings while allowing five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
He was built up past one inning during Spring Training and has been a starter in the past, so he could potentially pitch two or three innings before giving way to the rest of the bullpen. Dennis Santana will likely be one of the pitchers to throw after him.
Getting the start for the Brewers is right-hander Zach Davies, who has gotten off to a good start to the season. In his first two outings of the year, the 26-year-old is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA, 5.01 FIP and 1.41 WHIP with seven strikeouts and six walks in 10.2 innings.
Davies has made four career starts against the Dodgers, going 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and four walks in 24.1 innings.
He will be faced with the tough task of facing Dodgers right fielder Cody Bellinger, who is one of the hottest hitters in baseball to begin the season. Bellinger leads the National League in hits (25), home runs (8), runs scored (19) and RBI (21) while slashing .417/.478/.900.
Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich is also off to a hot start in 2019, hitting .377/.477/.736 with five home runs and 15 RBI.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: A.J. Pollock
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Kiké Hernandez
1B: Max Muncy
LF: Chris Taylor
C: Austin Barnes
P: Caleb Ferguson
Giants lineup:
CF: Lorenzo Cain
RF: Christian Yelich
LF: Ryan Braun
C: Yasmani Grandal
2B: Mike Moustakas
1B: Jesús Aguilar
3B: Travis Shaw
SS: Orlando Arcia
P: Zach Davies
