With Friday’s win the Los Angeles Dodgers moved back into first place in the National League West, and are in position to take another series. A victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday will guarantee the Dodgers a winning record on their seven-game road trip.
Rich Hill takes the mound for his sixth start of the season. He enters 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. On the road this season, Hill is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts.
He’s is coming off a solid showing against the St. Louis Cardinals in which he allowed just one run on two hits in five innings to earn the win. Hill said he felt more confident and comfortable in adjustments that were made between starts.
Hill last faced the Brewers on Aug. 28, 2007 as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He allowed three runs on seven hits, and had nine strikeouts to zero walks over in seven innings.
Hill is backed by a Dodgers bullpen that continues to shine. The group has allowed just two runs in 35.2 innings pitched since May 25. Collectively, the Dodgers pitching staff leads the Majors with a 3.13 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, while leading the NL with 539 strikeouts and .229 opponents’ batting average.
The Brewers counter with a veteran of their own in Matt Garza. He’s 2-2 with a 3.98 ERA and 1.21 WHIP this season. Garza permitted four runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings and the suffered the loss in his last start.
The right-hander has at least four strikeouts in six of seven starts this season. Garza is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers. He held them scoreless over six innings last season but didn’t factor into the decision.
Kiké Hernandez earns the start at third base in part because Logan Forsythe is limited by a hip/groin issue. Hernandez is batting .248/.317/.514 this season, with 20 of his 27 hits going for extra bases.
Similar to what held true in the series opener for Clayton Kershaw and Jimmy Nelson, neither lineup has extensive experience against either starting pitcher.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
LF: Cody Bellinger
CF: Chris Taylor
3B: Kiké Hernandez
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Rich Hill
Brewers lineup:
CF: Keon Broxton
RF: Domingo Santana
1B: Jesus Aguilar
3B: Travis Shaw
LF: Hernan Perez
C: Jett Bandy
2B: Jonathan Villar
SS: Orlando Arcia
P: Matt Garza
