The Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten their nine-game homestand off to a good start, winning the first two in their series against the Atlanta Braves after cruising to a 9-0 victory on Tuesday evening.
The Dodgers now have a 14-4 record at the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium, which is the best home record in baseball.
As they go for the sweep over the Braves on Wednesday night, they send ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound. Kershaw has begun his 2019 campaign with four straight quality starts, going 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA, 3.64 FIP and 0.85 WHIP with 27 strikeouts and five walks in 26 innings.
Kershaw has dominated the Braves throughout the course of his career, going 6-0 with a 1.20 ERA in 13 career starts, including three postseason outings. He most recently beat them in Game 2 of the National League Division Series in 2018 by pitching eight scoreless innings while allowing just two hits in the Dodgers’ 3-0 victory.
Opposing Kershaw for the Braves is right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, who is making just his third start of the year after beginning the season on the injured list with an elbow issue.
Foltynewicz is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA, 5.86 FIP and 1.41 WHIP with eight strikeouts and one walk in 10.2 total innings. He faced the Dodgers twice in the NLDS last year, allowing a combined five hits and five runs in six innings (7.50 ERA) while striking out 10 and walking seven.
He has also struggled against the Dodgers in two regular-season starts, giving up 12 hits and seven runs in 11.1 innings (5.56 ERA) with 13 strikeouts and five walks.
Foltynewicz will be tasked with slowing down perhaps the hottest hitter in all of baseball in Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner. He is coming off his first career three-home run game, and overall in his last 10 games, is batting .415/.455/.756 with four home runs and eight RBI.
Corey Seager, on the other hand, has been struggling a bit in recent weeks and that has led to him dropping to fifth in the Dodgers order. Seager is just 5-for-38 (.132 batting average) in his last 10.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
1B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
RF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Corey Seager
CF: Alex Verdugo
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Austin Barnes
P: Clayton Kershaw
Braves lineup:
2B: Ozzie Albies
3B: Josh Donaldson
1B: Freddie Freeman
CF: Ronald Acuña Jr.
RF: Nick Markakis
SS: Dansby Swanson
LF: Johan Camargo
C: Tyler Flowers
P: Mike Foltynewicz
