Preview: Dodgers Go For Freeway Series Win Over Angels
Nick Wass-AP Photo

After suffering a tough loss in the series opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers responded with a 3-1 with over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Saturday to even the series at one apiece heading into Sunday’s rubber match.

Two left-handers square off at Angel Stadium, with Alex Wood matching up against Andrew Heaney, who was a Dodger for a few hours before being traded to the Angels for Howie Kendrick in 2014.

For the first time in his career, Heaney has been able to stay relatively healthy this season and has turned in some quality outings for the Angels. In 15 starts, he is 4-6 with a 3.94 ERA, 3.81 FIP and 1.19 WHIP with 86 strikeouts and 26 walks in 89 innings of work.

He has faced the Dodgers twice in his career and has not fared well, going 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 10.1 innings.

After a few rough outings, Wood has turned his season around for the Dodgers in recent weeks, looking a lot like the 2017 All-Star version of himself. In his last four starts, he is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA while striking out 18 and walking just three in 24.2 innings.

Overall on the season, Wood is 5-5 with a 3.84 ERA, 3.40 FIP and 1.15 WHIP in 17 starts. In 93.2 innings he has struck out 84 hitters while only walking 16, which is a career-best walk rate of only 1.5 per nine innings. Sunday marks his first career start against the Angels.

Matt Kemp is serving as the designated hitter for the Dodgers for the second time in three days. Designated hitters for the Dodgers have driven in four of the five runs that the club has scored in the first two games.

Dodgers lineup:

SS: Chris Taylor
LF: Kiké Hernandez
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
DH: Matt Kemp
CF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Logan Forsythe
RF: Yasiel Puig
C: Austin Barnes

Angels lineup:

3B: David Fletcher
SS: Andrelton Simmons
CF: Mike Trou
LF: Justin Upton
DH: Albert Pujols
2B: Ian Kinsler
1B: Jeffrey Marte
C: Martin Maldonado
RF: Kole Calhoun

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