The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals meet Thursday night in the rubber match of their three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Kenta Maeda returns from the 10-day disabled list to make his first start since May 10.
When Maeda was last on the mound he threw a career-best 8.1 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He landed on the DL the following afternoon due to left hamstring tightness. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Maeda had pitched through the discomfort for multiple weeks.
In seven starts this season, Maeda is 3-2 with a 5.03 ERA, 4.33 FIP and 1.17 WHIP, while striking out 40 and walking nine in 39.1 innings. Maeda has only faced the Cardinals once, on July 23, 2016, when he gave up two runs on five hits in 5.2 innings, earning a victory.
The 29-year-old put an emphasis on his first start back, citing the importance it can have in building momentum.
The Cardinals, who boast one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, send another solid starter to the mound Thursday in Michael Wacha. The 25-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA, 3.34 FIP and 1.15 WHIP in seven starts.
Wacha has faced the Dodgers four times in his career, going 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA. Yasmani Grandal is 3-for-8 with one home run off Wacha. He’s the lone current Dodgers player to have a homer off the right-hander.
Corey Seager is 3-for-6 with an RBI against Wacha. The Dodgers otherwise have little success to speak of. Los Angeles has scored just three runs in the first two games against the Cardinals, and are just 7-for-70 (.100 batting average).
After playing third base in his first two games since returning from the DL, Logan Forsythe is out of the lineup. Kiké Hernandez gets the start at third base in his place, and Chase Utley is at second base.
That leaves Chris Taylor in center field for a second consecutive game. Joc Pederson was put on the seven-day concussion disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Chris Taylor
SS: Corey Seager
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
LF: Cody Bellinger
2B: Chase Utley
3B: Kiké Hernandez
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Kenta Maeda
Cardinals lineup:
CF: Dexter Fowler
LF: Tommy Pham
1B: Matt Carpenter
3B: Jedd Gyorko
C: Yadier Molina
RF: Stephen Piscotty
SS: Aledmys Diaz
2B: Kolton Wong
P: Michael Wacha
