The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back against the St. Louis Cardinals with an impressive 7-2 victory on Saturday and are in position to end their nine-game road trip with another series win. With the San Francisco Giants losing earlier in the day, Los Angeles can trim their deficit in the National League West to three games.
The Dodgers are 25-26 on the road and have taken three of five games from the Cardinals thus far. Sunday’s meeting, which will be nationally televised for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, is the final regular-season game between the two clubs.
Overall the Cardinals and Dodgers are about evenly split, with Los Angeles winning 1,021 games, and St. Louis 1,019 contests in head-to-head matchups since 1892.
While the Dodgers starting rotation has sustained several injuries, those who have managed to remain healthy have at at times surpassed expectations and risen to the occasion.
That was particularly true for Scott Kazmir in his last outing as he overcame cramps to turn in a quality start against the Washington Nationals. The southpaw tossed seven strong innings, allowed just one run and had eight strikeouts.
It was the third time in the last six starts Kazmir tallied at least eight punchouts. The three-time All-Star has faced the Cardinals three times in his career, including once this season in what was arguably his best start of the year.
Kazmir dazzled in front of a home crowd on May 14, spinning 8.2 innings and holding the Cardinals to three runs (two earned). If not for allowing a two-run home run in the ninth inning, he likely would’ve thrown a complete game.
In the three starts against the Cardinals, Kazmir is 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. On the season, he’s is 8-3 with a 4.30 ERA, 4.27 FIP and 1.27 WHIP. After Tyler Lyons tossed 4.2 innings out of the bullpen during Friday’s 16-inning game, the Cardinals were forced to find another starter for the series finale.
Thus, they call on the 24-year-old Mike Mayers to make his Major League debut. In 18 starts split across Double-A and Triple-A this season, the right-hander is 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and .234 opponents’ batting average. Mayers underwent surgery last year for thoracic outlet syndrome.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sticks with the same eight from Saturday’s lineup, which means Yasiel Puig sits again as he’s battling right hamstring tightness. Andrew Toles went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Saturday’s victory, and his speed caused an error at home plate to score.
Howie Kendrick enters play with a 15-game hitting streak, batting .393/.464/.590 with six doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs during the stretch. Justin Turner’s hot bat has provided five home runs in eight games since the All-Star break.
He’s hitting .378/.452/.838 with two doubles and 14 RBIs over that span. Turner’s 18 home runs on the season are a career high.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
LF: Howie Kendrick
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Andrew Toles
CF: Joc Pederson
P: Scott Kazmir
Cardinals lineup:
LF: Randal Grichuk
SS: Aledmys Diaz
RF: Stephen Piscotty
1B: Matt Holliday
2B: Jedd Gyorko
C: Yadier Molina
CF: Tommy Pham
2B: Kolten Wong
P: Mike Mayers
