The Los Angeles Dodgers look for their third straight win and 34th straight home game with a home run as they face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Clayton Kershaw takes the mound in just his third start of the season, with a 2.77 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings so far.
Kershaw has yet to record a decision in 2019, though. The Dodgers won both of his starts on ninth-inning home runs after the normally reliable Kenley Jansen allowed opposing hitters to get back into the game.
Jansen allowed a go-ahead RBI single to former teammate Matt Kemp in Kershaw’s season debut, only to get bailed out by Joc Pederson’s walk-off homer to cap an emotional Jackie Robinson day win over the Cincinnati Reds.
The Dodgers’ closer then allowed a game-tying three-run home run to the Milwaukee Brewers’ Eric Thames after Kershaw allowed just two runs over six innings. However, Cody Bellinger responded with a home run off star Brewers reliever Josh Hader in the top of the ninth to put the Dodgers ahead for good.
The Dodgers’ longtime ace faces off against Pittsburgh’s Joe Musgrove. Both Kershaw and Musgrove have delivered quality starts in every single one of their outings in 2019. Musgrove is 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 26 strikeouts over five appearances and 28.1 innings pitched in 2019.
The Dodgers most remember Musgrove as a Houston Astros reliever during the 2017 World Series, the highlight of which for Musgrove came when he kept them scoreless in the top of the 10th inning in Game 5 before the Astros walked off a wild 13-12 win in the bottom of the inning.
However, Musgrove has some not-so-fond memories against Pederson from that series and beyond. It was Musgrove who served up the fastball that Pederson whacked into the right field bleachers in the ninth inning of Game 4 for a three-run home run in the Dodgers’ eventual series-tying win. Pederson homered off Musgrove again in Game 6, another Dodgers victory.
Musgrove was dealt to the Pirates that offseason part of the return for Gerrit Cole. When he faced the Dodgers as a member of the Pirates last season, he served up another home run to none other than Pederson.
Musgrove also has to worry about the Dodgers’ other star outfielder, who is off to a white-hot start in 2019. Bellinger currently leads Major League Baseball in virtually every major hitting statistic, including runs, hits, RBI, home runs, batting average and on base plus slugging percentage.
He also has set a new Major League record for most total bases before the month of May, though Dave Roberts seems more pleased with his mentality at the plate.
Dodgers Lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
1B: Max Muncy
CF: Alex Verdugo
2B: Chris Taylor
C: Austin Barnes
P: Clayton Kershaw
Pirates Lineup:
2B: Adam Frazier
RF: Melky Cabrera
3B: Jung Ho Kang
1B: Josh Bell
C: Francisco Cervelli
CF: Bryan Reynolds
LF: Pablo Reyes
SS: Cole Tucker
P: Chris Archer
