The Los Angeles Dodgers are riding an eight-game winning streak and now shift focus to an Interleague matchup with the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres this past weekend and hold a 16-game lead in the National League West standings entering play on Tuesday. L.A. additionally has the best record in baseball at 75-33.
The Dodgers last saw the Twins in early April, when they swept the two games at Target Field, highlighted by Clayton Kershaw’s near-perfect game bid.
Julio Urías makes his 22nd start of the season and heads into Tuesday with an 11-6 record, 2.57 ERA and 3.64 FIP.
Urías is one of the hottest starting pitchers coming out of the All-Star break and in his three outings of the second half, is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA, trailing only Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves.
In his most recent start, Urías shut out the San Francisco Giants over six innings, allowing seven hits while striking out six. He’s credited mechanical adjustments to the increase in fastball velocity that’s held across multiple outings.
The Twins counter with Joe Ryan, who is 8-4 with a 3.67 ERA this season. Ryan is one start removed from struggling against the Padres on July 29 in which he allowed 10 earned runs in just 4.2 innings.
But in his last outing, Ryan tossed five innings against the Detroit Tigers, allowing one earned run while striking out nine.
The 26-year-old right-hander has been fairly consistent for the Twins this season and is second on the team in innings pitched while carrying the second-lowest ERA among the starting staff.
On Monday, the Dodgers optioned Miguel Vargas to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Justin Turner as he comes off the injured list. Turner hit .400/.485/.545 with two doubles, two home run, and 13 RBI in July, and is in the midst of an 18-game on-base streak.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
DH: Justin Turner
2B: Gavin Lux
LF: Joey Gallo
CF: Cody Bellinger
Twins lineup
DH: Byron Buxton
SS: Carlos Correa
2B: Jorge Polanco
1B: Jose Miranda
3B: Gio Urshela
CF: Gilberto Celestino
RF: Max Kepler
C: Sandy León
LF: Nick Gordon
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