Diamondbacks at Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue their chase for the top spot in the National League West when they host the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks for the first of three games on Friday. The Dodgers, who have reportedly been busy in negotiations before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, are 31-19 at home but dropped two of three at Arizona just after the All-Star break.
Los Angeles trails San Francisco in the West and holds down the top wild-card spot after splitting a pair of interleague games with Tampa Bay to start the week. Kenta Maeda makes his fourth start against Arizona (1-1 in the first three) this season and faces fellow right-hander Zack Godley. Jean Segura has hit safely in 10 straight contests for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped five of seven on their 10-game road trip after losing 6-4 at Milwaukee on Thursday afternoon. Arizona outfielder Yasmany Tomas is 9-for-20 with 10 RBIs in the last five games overall, but is just 1-for-18 against the Dodgers this season.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Godley (3-1, 5.88 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (9-7, 3.25)
Godley has won three of his four starts this season, and two of three in July despite permitting 13 runs and 24 hits over 15 2/3 innings combined. The 26-year-old has also made four relief appearances in 2016, including one against the Dodgers on June 15 when he retired the two batters he faced. Godley is 1-0 on the road this season, but has given up eight runs and 14 hits in 9 1/3 innings.
Maeda has alternated wins and losses over his last six outings after beating St. Louis on Saturday when he allowed two runs and five hits across 5 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old Japan native has yielded two or fewer runs in 12 of 20 starts and boasts 115 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings. Segura is 4-for-8 versus Maeda, who owns a 4.02 ERA in three games against the Diamondbacks in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. Goldschmidt, who is 9-for-21 during a five-game hitting streak, is two behind Steve Finley (479) for second on the franchise’s all-time RBI list.
2. Los Angeles INF/OF Howie Kendrick has hit safely in 17 of the last 18 games and is 15-for-34 versus the Diamondbacks this season.
3. Arizona 3B Jake Lamb (bruised hand) is 5-for-7 with a homer versus Maeda, but has not started the last three games.