After completing a sweep of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for the first time since 2010, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ six-game road trip continues with a stop at PNC Park for the first of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ross Stripling makes his seventh start of the season, as he looks to build on a very successful month of May. The right-hander did not allow more than two runs in any of his six appearances.
All-in-all, Stripling yielded four earned runs across 30 innings pitched (1.20 ERA) with 41 strikeouts to only four walks. His last outing against the Philadelphia Phillies further improved those numbers, as he accumulated seven frames of one-run ball with nine punch outs.
The Pirates counter with Joe Musgrove, who has been nearly flawless in his first two starts of the season. He enters with a minuscule 0.64 ERA, 2.25 FIP and 1.14 WHIP over 14 innings with 12 strikeouts to four walks.
In his last start against the Chicago Cubs, Musgrove was tabbed for one run over seven innings pitched. He did allow 12 baserunners, however, and only recorded five strikeouts in the contest.
That’s in comparison to an even better start in his 2018 debut on May 25, where Musgrove tossed seven shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Musgrove faces a Dodgers lineup that has Cody Bellinger batting seventh. Despite his ongoing struggles, manager Dave Roberts said the organization is not considering demoting Bellinger to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Justin Turner is receiving a night off due to soreness in his left wrist that was fractured during Spring Training. He’s expected to return Wednesday.
Dodgers Lineup:
SS: Chris Taylor
3B: Max Muncy
C: Yasmani Grandal
LF: Matt Kemp
CF: Joc Pederson
RF: Yasiel Puig
1B: Cody Bellinger
2B: Logan Forsythe
P: Ross Stripling
Pirates Lineup:
2B: Josh Harrison
CF: Austin Meadows
C: Francisco Cervelli
1B: Josh Bell
LF: Corey Dickerson
3B: Colin Moran
RF: Gregory Polanco
SS: Jordy Mercer
P: Joe Musgrove
