The Los Angeles Dodgers arrived at Wrigley Field to begin a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs playing their best baseball of the season. Despite winning seven of their last eight, L.A. was humbled rather quickly as the Cubs scored six runs in the first two innings against Kenta Maeda and went on to cruise to a 7-2 victory in the series opener.
The Dodgers look to bounce back Wednesday night in the second game of the series with right-hander Walker Buehler squaring off against lefty Cole Hamels.
Buehler is coming off his best start of the season, tossing 6.1 innings while allowing just three hits and one unearned run while striking out eight and walking one last week against the Cincinnati Reds.
Overall in four starts this season, Buehler is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA, 3.12 FIP and 1.20 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and six walks in 18.1 innings. Buehler faced the Cubs once last year in a relief appearance upon returning from the injured list from broken ribs, and it was a disaster as he allowed five hits and five runs in an inning of work.
A four-time All-Star, Hamels, has pitched well so far this season. In his first four starts, the 35-year-old is 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA, 3.19 FIP and 0.85 WHIP. He has struck out 23 and walked just three in 26 innings.
Hamels has faced the Dodgers nine times in his career and had a lot of success, going 3-2 with a 1.86 ERA and 0.97 WHIP while striking out 60 and walking nine in 63 total innings.
With the lefty Hamels on the mound, the Dodgers are going with the same lineup they had on Tuesday against Jose Quintana. The only player in the lineup that has had success against Hamels in the past is Justin Turner, who is 6-for-15 (.400 batting average) with a home run off the veteran.
It is a bit interesting to see the National League’s leading hitter, Cody Bellinger, once again batting sixth. Bellinger enters play batting .416 and has hit safely in 21 of 24 games this season.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Kiké Hernandez
3B: Justin Turner
1B: David Freese
SS: Corey Seager
CF: A.J. Pollock
RF: Cody Bellinger
LF: Chris Taylor
C: Austin Barnes
P: Walker Buehler
Cubs lineup:
2B: Daniel Descalso
3B: Kris Bryant
1B: Anthony Rizzo
SS: Javier Baez
LF: Kyle Schwarber
C: Willson Contreras
RF: Jason Heyward
CF: Albert Almora Jr.
P: Cole Hamels
