Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Paul Goldschmidt has long been a thorn in the side of the Los Angeles
Dodgers and only enhanced that reputation with a three-run homer in the
Arizona Diamondbacks’ series-opening 4-3 home victory. The two-time
All-Star slugger figures to face a much stiffer challenge Saturday,
however, as he tries to turn his luck around against Dodgers ace
Clayton Kershaw in the middle of a three-game set.
Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in Friday’s 10-inning victory as Arizona got off to a good start on improving on its 4-15 record against Los Angeles a season ago. The Diamondbacks’ decorated slugger is batting .329 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs in 58 career games against the Dodgers, with the homer and RBI totals serving as his best marks against any opponent. Goldschmidt has been much less successful versus Kershaw, going 6-for-29 with a home run and three RBIs in 29 career at-bats. Los Angeles’ Adrian Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with two walks in the loss, but was held without a home run after setting a major-league record by belting five over his team’s first three contests.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Archie Bradley (NR)
Kershaw
endured a rough outing by his standards on Opening Day at home against
San Diego, giving up three runs and six hits while fanning nine over six
frames in a no-decision. The reigning NL MVP underwent a root canal Monday to repair the damage caused by taking a liner off the jaw during a
spring-training game on March 21. Kershaw, who has won three of the
last four NL Cy Young Awards, went 3-1 with a 3.47 ERA versus the
Diamondbacks last season and is 10-7 with a 2.45 ERA in 17 career starts
against them.
Bradley, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2011 draft, makes his major-league debut after the team traded away Trevor
Cahill to Atlanta on April 2. Arizona’s top prospect struggled across
three different stops in the minors in 2014 (3-7, 4.45 ERA), but posted a
1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings during spring training to force the
Diamondbacks to open up a spot in the rotation for him. "That's why you
set those competitions up. He deserves the ball, and he's going to get
it,” Arizona chief baseball officer Tony La Russa told MLB.com last
week.
WALK-OFFS
1. Goldschmidt’s blast was his first homer since July 30, two days before he was lost for the season with a broken left hand.
2.
Dodgers LF Carl Crawford is 16-for-40 during his 11-game hitting streak
and leads the majors with a .399 batting average since Aug. 4.
3.
Los Angeles acquired RHP Ryan Webb, C Brian Ward and a
competitive-balance round B draft pick (No. 74) from the Baltimore
Orioles in exchange for C Chris O’Brien and RHP Ben Rowen on Thursday.