Indians at Dodgers
A hot streak has catapulted the Los Angeles Dodgers into a virtual tie for first place in the National League West as they open a three-game series against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Monday. The Dodgers were 9 1/2 games behind San Francisco three weeks ago but are now just one percentage point behind the Giants after winning 12 of 16 games. Los Angeles attempts to stay hot against a Cleveland squad that has lost six of its last eight games.
The Indians had just one hit – Lonnie Chisenhall’s fifth-inning single – while losing to Felix Hernandez and Seattle on Sunday. Cleveland is a meager 16-27 on the road and the away-from-home deficiencies have dropped the club three games below .500 exactly halfway through its slate. The Dodgers are coming off a strong four-game set in which they won three of four from St. Louis and held the Cardinals to four total runs.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Corey Kluber (7-5, 3.09 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Dan Haren (7-4, 3.83)
Kluber ended a four-start winless stretch by tossing seven innings of four-hit shutout ball against Arizona on Wednesday. He had eight strikeouts, his most since having eight or more in six straight outings from May 4 to May 30. Kluber hasn’t pitched in Dodger Stadium before but is 12-7 on the road in his brief career, compared to 8-8 at home.
Haren hasn’t lost since June 3 but also has failed to make it out of the sixth inning in three of his last four outings. He gave up four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings while taking a no-decision against Kansas City in his last turn. Haren is 4-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 12 career starts against Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers have won four of the six previous regular-season meetings but Cleveland took two of three in Los Angeles in 2008.
2. Los Angeles SS Hanley Ramirez (calf) sat out Sunday and could be placed on the 15-day disabled list early this week.
3. Cleveland OF David Murphy is 9-for-24 with two homers against Haren, while SS Asdrubal Cabrera is 2-for-23.