The Los Angeles Dodgers improved to 32-31 with their win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday, marking the first time since April 23 that the club has surpassed the .500 mark.
The Dodgers now look to make it two in a row as they send Alex Wood to the mound against his former team. The start is Wood’s 13th start the season, and he enters with a 4.48 ERA, 3.52 FIP and 1.14 WHIP in 64.1 innings with 60 strikeouts to 30 walks.
In his last start against the Colorado Rockies on June 3, Wood logged only two innings after allowing five hits and six earned runs. He additionally tallied more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) and yielded his eighth home run of the year.
Despite the poor outing, the Dodgers still managed to find the win column after breaking out the bats for 10 runs and 11 hits. Afterward, Wood was impressed with the club’s ability to pick him up and overcome an early deficit.
The Braves counter with Anibal Sanchez, a Spring Training addition who makes his fifth start of the season. In 25 innings pitched, the 34-year-old has compiled a solid 2.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 21 strikeouts compared to nine walks.
Sanchez last took the mound on June 3 as well, when he tossed seven shutout innings against the Washington Nationals. He has particularly fared well at Dodger Stadium, allowing just one run over 11 innings pitched in two starts (0.82 ERA).
All-in-all, Sanchez owns a lifetime 3.21 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 28 innings against Los Angeles across five career starts. He faces a Dodgers lineup that again does not feature Justin Turner.
He’s battling soreness in his left wrist that was fractured during Spring Training, which has kept Turner out three consecutive games. The Dodgers are in the midst of seven straight multi-home run games.
Should they produce such an effort Saturday, it would set a new record for most in franchise history.
Dodgers lineup:
SS: Chris Taylor
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Matt Kemp
1B: Cody Bellinger
RF: Yasiel Puig
C: Yasmani Grandal
CF: Joc Pederson
2B: Logan Forsythe
P: Alex Wood
Braves lineup:
2B: Ozzie Albies
SS: Dansby Swanson
1B: Freddie Freeman
RF: Nick Markakis
C: Tyler Flowers
LF: Charlie Culberson
CF: Ender Inciarte
3B: Johan Camargo
P: Anibal Sanchez
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