What was expected to occur on Opening Day of the 2020 season now materializes two weeks later as Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers host Johnny Cueto and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers enter play Saturday night tied for the Major League lead with 10 wins. However, they are behind the Colorado Rockies (10-3) by percentage points for the best record in the National League West.
L.A. has won three consecutive games and are in prime position to secure their first four-game winning streak on the young season. Kershaw has been dominant against the Giants throughout his career, with a 1.74 ERA against them the best all-time.
Saturday’s start is the second of the season for Kershaw. He came off the injured list and fired 5.2 shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the beginning of the week in an outing that left Kershaw and the Dodgers extremely optimistic.
Cueto allowed just one run on five hits in four innings when he faced the Dodgers on Opening Day, but for the season sports a 4.97 ERA. He followed that by allowing four runs to the San Diego Padres and three (two earned) his last time out against the Rockies.
Cueto faces a Dodgers lineup that is without Corey Seager, as he was removed in the third inning of the series opener due to lower back discomfort. Seager previously missed time because of a left quad issue, and came out of another game because of cramping in his calf.
The Dodgers do have Mookie Betts back for a second consecutive game, and he showed no ill-effects from a sore middle finger on his left hand upon returning to the lineup. Betts doubled in his first at-bat and later hit a home run.
Dodgers lineup
DH: Joc Pederson
RF: Mookie Betts
CF: Cody Bellinger
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
LF: AJ Pollock
SS: Chris Taylor
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Austin Barnes
Giants lineup
RF: Austin Slater
2B: Donovan Solano
CF: Mike Yastrzemski
3B: Evan Longoria
1B: Wilmer Flores
LF: Hunter Pence
DH: Darin Ruf
C: Chadwick Tromp
SS: Mauricio Dubón
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