After bouncing back with a win on Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers now look to avoid their first series loss of the season by taking the rubber match from the Texas Rangers. Doing so will also give L.A. a winning record on their six-game road trip.
The 1990 Cincinnati Reds hold the MLB record for consecutive series to start a season without a loss at 17. The 1977 Dodgers produced such a streak of 14 series, while this year’s club enters play at 11.
Tony Gonsolin was recalled Sunday to make his fourth start of the season. He’s yet to earn a decision in 2020 but has turned in a combined 14.2 scoreless innings to go along with a 0.55 WHIP. Josh Sborz was optioned as the corresponding move to place Gonsolin on the active roster.
Texas counters with Kyle Gibson, who is in his first year with the team. He’s 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in six starts. Gibson has allowed a combined 12 runs in his past two starts, including seven to the Oakland Athletics his last time out.
With another right-hander on the mound, Gavin Lux is in the Dodgers lineup for a third time this season. Lux first joined the team as the 29th player for a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants, then was recalled Saturday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team views Lux as an everyday player longterm but for now his starts will come against a righty. Lux is 0-for-7 with three strikeouts thus far.
The Dodgers are up to 54 home runs hit in August and are three away from breaking the National League record for most in a single month. The Atlanta Braves hit 56 in June 2019. The 2018 Dodgers slugged a franchise-record 55 homers in June of that season.
Although Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy each went deep Saturday night, setting a new NL record at the pitcher-friendly Globe Life Field figures to be a tall order.
Dodgers lineup
DH: Mookie Betts
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Max Muncy
1B: Cody Bellinger
CF: AJ Pollock
RF: Joc Pederson
LF: Chris Taylor
C: Will Smith
2B: Gavin Lux
Rangers lineup
LF: Shin-Soo Cho
2B: Nick Solak
DH: Jose Trevino
RF: Joey Gallo
3B: Todd Frazier
SS: Isiah Kiner-Falefa
1B: Ronald Guzman
CF: Leody Taveras
C: Jeff Mathis
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