The Los Angeles Dodgers began their 11-game road trip on the wrong foot, and now need a victory Saturday afternoon to avoid their second four-game losing streak of the season. The afternoon matchup with the San Francisco Giants is the first game of a split doubleheader.
Los Angeles enters just 10-23 in their last 33 games at AT&T Park, and are 3-4 against the Giants this season. Two of those losses have come on the road for the Dodgers.
They’ll look to turn the tide with Walker Buehler taking the mound for just his second career Major League start. Buehler scattered four hits and went five shutout innings earlier this week.
He was optioned to High-A Rancho Cucamonga in nothing more than a paper move, and rejoins the Dodgers as their permitted 26th man for the doubleheader. Buehler went 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Buehler is opposed by Chris Stratton, who enters 2-1 with a 2.32 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in five starts. He was tabbed with the loss in his 2018 debut, which came against the Dodgers, but the Giants have won each of Stratton’s four starts since.
Stratton also faced Los Angeles in his second outing of the season, in which he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in five-plus innings. Stratton exited with a 3-1 lead but didn’t factor into the decision of a game the Giants won in walk-off fashion in the 14th inning.
Corey Seager returns to the lineup after appearing as a pinch-hitter in the series opener. He was bothered by lingering hip soreness after slipping on a catch attempt Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Matt Kemp, who was removed early due to left quad tightness, is out.
Dodgers lineup:
CF: Chris Taylor
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
1B: Cody Bellinger
LF: Joc Pederson
C: Austin Barnes
RF: Yasiel Puig
3B: Max Muncy
P: Walker Buehler
Giants lineup:
CF: Gregor Blanco
SS: Brandon Crawford
RF: Andrew McCutchen
1B: Brandon Belt
3B: Pablo Sandoval
LF: Mac Slater
C: Austin Hundley
2B: Kelby Tomlinson
P: Chris Stratton
