Diamondbacks at Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers improved to 5-1 at home this season on Saturday but lost second baseman Logan Forsythe midway through the game with right hamstring tightness. Forsythe likely will be out of the lineup Sunday as the Dodgers continue their four-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost three in a row.
Forsythe went 3-for-3 to raise his average to .310 before leaving Saturday’s 8-4 win in the fifth inning. The 30-year-old Forsythe, who was acquired from Tampa Bay during the offseason, appeared in each of the team’s first 12 games while serving as the primary leadoff hitter. Enrique Hernandez likely would see a bump in playing time if Forsythe lands on the disabled list, and the Dodgers also would continue to lean on Yasiel Puig, who was 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in Saturday’s victory. Arizona has lost four of its last five games following a 6-1 start and needs more production from A.J. Pollock, who is 2-for-28 over his last seven contests.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, SportsNet LA, KTLA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Taijuan Walker (1-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Rich Hill (1-0, 1.80)
Walker allowed three runs - two earned - over five innings in Monday's 4-1 loss to San Francisco and also hit Buster Posey in the head with a 94 mile-per-hour fastball. The 24-year-old, who was acquired from Seattle in November, has struggled with his control early as he has issued five walks in his first 11 frames. Walker took the loss in his only career start against the Dodgers on April 15, 2015, when he allowed five runs and walked four in four innings.
Hill will be activated from the 10-day disabled list to start after missing one outing with a blister on his left middle finger. The 37-year-old, who spent six weeks on the DL with a blister after being acquired from Oakland in August, was cleared to pitch following a strong throwing session on Friday. Hill struggled in his one outing versus Arizona last season and owns a 1-2 record and 4.60 ERA in five career starts against the Diamondbacks.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers are 42-17 against Arizona since the start of the 2014 season.
2. Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb is 14-for-38 with two home runs and 10 RBIs during his 10-game hitting streak.
3. The Dodgers’ bullpen leads the National League with a 1.14 ERA.