With a thrilling walk-off victory the Los Angeles Dodgers are in position Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. Los Angeles enters with their first three-game losing streak of the season, and they have yet to sweep a series in 2017.
Hyun-Jin Ryu makes his fifth start of the season and is still searching to collect his first victory. Despite suffering the loss in his previous four outings, Ryu has shown progress in each start.
He’s coming off a second consecutive six-inning outing, in which Ryu held the San Francisco Giants to one run on five hits in a 2-1 loss at AT&T Park. Ryu’s previously faced the Phillies in 2013 and 2014, making one start each season.
In 28 career starts at Dodger Stadium he’s 11-9 with a 3.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Overall this season, Ryu is 0-4 with a 4.64 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 5.77 FIP and 86 ERA+.
The Phillies counter with Nick Pivetta, who is one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. Pivetta was selected by the Washington Nationals in the fourth round of the 2013 Draft. Sunday’s start is his MLB debut.
The 24-year-old went 3-0, with a 0.95 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley prior to being called up. In 19 total innings pitched, Pivetta has allowed three runs (two earned) on 12 hits and two walks.
He pitched four innings in a start during the 2017 World Baseball Classic, allowing one run on five hits. Pivetta faces a Dodgers lineup that sees the return of Justin Turner, but is without Corey Seager.
Turner made a pinch-hit appearance on Saturday night, hitting the third of back-to-back-to-back home runs to tie the game. Turner’s homer was his first of the season. Turner enters with a career-best 15-game hitting streak.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Andrew Toles
LF: Cody Bellinger
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
RF: Yasiel Puig
C: Yasmani Grandal
2B: Chris Taylor
SS: Kiké Hernandez
P: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Phillies lineup:
2B: Cesar Hernandez
SS: Freddy Galvis
LF: Daniel Nava
3B: Maikel Franco
CF: Aaron Altherr
RF: Michael Saunders
1B: Tommy Joseph
C: Cameron Rupp
P: Nick Pivetta
