Giants at Dodgers
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy isn’t ready to push the panic button, but it might be under consideration Thursday when the Giants look to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the host Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants have dropped four straight and eight of their last 10 to fall three games back of Los Angeles in the National League West with 36 games remaining.
Bochy’s team is a major league-worst 11-25 since the All-Star break and needs more production from players such as first baseman Brandon Belt, who is mired in a 5-for-30 slump and was moved down to seventh in the batting order in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss. “I think it's going to be important we get cracking. It's been a struggle since the break for us," Bochy told reporters. “The record shows it, and you look at some of the numbers and some things are hard to explain, but it is what it is. That’s behind us. Hopefully, something will spur us to get back to where we were in the first half.” The Giants will send Matt Moore to the mound in the series finale against a hot-hitting Dodgers team that has won four in a row. Dodger first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is batting .412 (28-for-68) with six homers and 22 RBI during his 17-game hitting streak, while third baseman Justin Turner is 5-for-7 in the last two games.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Matt Moore (7-10, 4.18 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Ross Stripling (3-4, 4.04)
The Giants were hoping Moore would provide a much-needed boost to the starting rotation when they acquired the 27-year-old from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, but he’s gone 0-3 with a 4.70 ERA in his first four starts. Moore continues to struggle with his control, walking 17 batters in 23 innings with his new team. Howie Kendrick is 6-for-14 against Moore, who is 1-1 with a 5.73 in two career starts covering 11 innings against Los Angeles.
Stripling was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start in place of Brett Anderson, who landed on the disabled list with a blister on his left index finger. The 26-year-old rookie is hoping to duplicate his stellar effort against the Giants from April 8, when he made his major league debut and took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning. Stripling received the nod for Thursday’s contest after going 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA in his last seven games (three starts) with the Dodgers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles will activate INF/OF Rob Segedin from the paternity leave list in time for Thursday’s contest.
2. The Giants have lost eight of their last nine games at Dodger Stadium.
3. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that RHP Bud Norris will start Friday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs.