Having already clinched the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to win the series from the San Francisco Giants and remain on track to finish with the best record in baseball, which would guarantee them home-field advantage throughout the World Series.
The Dodgers are still without Justin Turner, who’s been sidelined over the weekend due to a sore right hand and illness. Turner departed the stadium early Friday and did not take part in the NL West celebration, and he was not available in Saturday night’s loss.
Logan Forsythe starts in Turner’s place, which has Chase Utley manning second base. Yasiel Puig, who twisted his ankle in a caught stealing that ended the game, also is not in the lineup.
Clayton Kershaw takes the mound in what’s likely his second-to-last start of the regular season. He enters 17-4 with a 2.26 ERA, 185 ERA+ and 0.93 WHIP.
Kershaw is coming off what was shaping to be a strong outing, only to come undone in the sixth inning when he surrendered the first grand slam of his career. That propelled the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 comeback win.
Kershaw is career 21-9 with a 1.62 ERA and 0.83 WHIP against the Giants, including a 3-1 mark and 1.73 ERA against the Dodgers’ longtime rival this season. The loss came in May at Dodger Stadium, when the three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed four runs (three earned) one eight hits, including two home runs, in six innings of work.
Stratton technically makes his second start of the season against the Dodgers, but his first was brief. After striking out Curtis Granderson to begin the Sept. 11 contest at AT&T Park, the game went into a rain delay. He was not on the mound once play resumed.
Stratton faced the Dodgers last season, entering out of the bullpen and surrendering a go-ahead home run to Adrian Gonzalez in the 10th inning. He nonetheless earned the win as the Giants scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to walk off.
The right-hander is 3-3 with one save, a 3.94 ERA, 107 ERA+ and 1.48 WHIP in 11 games (eight starts) this season. No Dodgers player has logged more than a single plate appearance against Stratton. Aside from Gonzalez, only Trayce Thompson has a hit off the 27-year-old.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Chris Taylor
SS: Corey Seager
1B: Cody Bellinger
RF: Curtis Granderson
3B: Logan Forsythe
2B: Chase Utley
C: Yasmani Grandal
LF: Joc Pederson
P: Clayton Kershaw
Giants lineup:
CF: Gorkys Hernandez
2B: Kelby Tomlinson
1B: Buster Posey
RF: Hunter Pence
C: Nick Hundley
SS: Brandon Crawford
3B: Pablo Sandoval
LF: Mac Williamson
P: Chris Stratton
