Giants at Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have put together back-to-back wins for the first time in over two weeks. They will be looking to make it three straight when they return home to host the opener of a three-game series with the rival San Francisco Giants on Monday. The Dodgers’ pitching staff has allowed a total of two runs in the last two games while high-priced sluggers like Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez have offered some offensive support.
The Giants just got finished losing three of four to the lowly Miami Marlins at home while averaging two runs. The defending World Series champions have dropped six of their last nine games overall and sit just one game over .500 (38-37) as they embark on a 10-game road trip through Los Angeles, Colorado and Cincinnati. San Francisco has taken five of six from Los Angeles this season.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, , ESPN2, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (San Francisco), KCAL (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (7-4, 3.25 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-3, 2.96)
Bumgarner has won three straight starts and has gone at least seven innings while yielding three or fewer hits in each of the last two. The left-hander has 97 strikeouts in as many innings and has been bumping that number up with 18 punchouts in his last 14 innings. Bumgarner allowed two hits and did not walk a batter in eight scoreless innings to beat Los Angeles on April 2.
Ryu is winless in his last three turns despite posting a quality start in each of those outings. The Korean lefty has surrendered more than three runs only once in his last 10 starts. Ryu’s lone start with more than three runs allowed in that span came at San Francisco on May 5, when he was reached for four runs and eight hits in six innings to absorb a loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ramirez has homered in two straight games and has seven RBIs and three homers during his six-game hitting streak.
2. San Francisco has yet to announce a starter for Tuesday’s game with RHP Chad Gaudin questionable after being struck in the right arm by a line drive in his last start.
3. Los Angeles CF Matt Kemp (hamstring) is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque and will be there through at least Monday.