After facing a National League bottom-feeder in the Miami Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue along their road trip and begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. The first rematch of the 2018 NL Division Series resulted in a sweep for the Dodgers.
Friday’s game is their first visit to SunTrust Park since eliminating the Braves with a 6-2 victory Game 4 of the NLDS. The Dodgers’ offense that night was supplied by David Freese and Manny Machado, neither of whom is on the current active roster.
Machado of course went on to sign a $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres, while Freese remains on the 10-day injured list due to a lingering hamstring issue.
The Dodgers nonetheless have a more-than-capable lineup that has produced an MLB record four consecutive games with at least four home runs. The Dodgers’ 14 home runs against the Marlins set a franchise record for most in a three-game series.
If that success is to continue, the Dodgers will need to solve rookie standout Mike Soroka. He enters 10-2 with 2.32 ERA that trails only Hyun-Jin Ryu for the MLB lead. The right-hander has gone at least seven innings in four of his past six starts, including his last three.
The Dodgers counter with Kenta Maeda, who is coming off one of his best starts this season. After getting chased in the third inning on Aug. 4, Maeda bounced back with seven shutout frames against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He hasn’t made a start against the Braves since holding them scoreless over seven innings on Aug. 1, 2017. Maeda’s only appearance in last year’s NLDS came in the Game 4 victory at SunTrust Park.
The weekend series could be yet another postseason preview, as both the Dodgers and Braves are atop their respective divisions. However, if the clubs are to meet in October, the current outlook would require that coming in the NL Championship Series.
Dodgers lineup:
RF: Joc Pederson
2B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Corey Seager
1B: Edwin Rios
C: Will Smith
LF: Matt Beaty
P: Kenta Maeda
