Dodgers at Cardinals
The Los Angeles Dodgers are riding the hot bat of rookie Cody Bellinger up the standings while picking off contenders from the National League Central. The Dodgers will try to move closer to clinching their third straight series win over an NL Central foe when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals in the second of a four-game series on Tuesday.
Bellinger became the fastest player in team history to reach double digits in home runs when he smacked his 10th in his 31st game on Sunday to cap a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, and he wasted no time adding to his total by belting his 11th in the opener against the Cardinals on Monday. Bellinger, who is up to nine home runs in May, can set a franchise rookie record for home runs in a calendar month with one more blast in the next two games. St. Louis, which dropped two of three at Los Angeles last week, has lost nine of its last 12 games overall and is hoping to avoid its fourth consecutive series loss against an NL West opponent. The Cardinals will send right-hander Michael Wacha to the mound on Tuesday while the Dodgers counter with Kenta Maeda.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (4-2, 5.08 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (2-2, 3.66)
Maeda worked five innings in his first start off the disabled list on Thursday against St. Louis and earned the win after allowing three runs and seven hits over five innings. The Japan native is 3-0 in his last four turns and did not yield more than three runs in any of those outings. Maeda won his only previous start at Busch Stadium last season and owns 44 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings this season.
Wacha is winless in his last five starts and was lit up for six runs and seven hits over four innings at Los Angeles on Thursday. The Texas A&M product tossed six scoreless innings in a no-decision against San Francisco in his previous turn but has not recorded an out in the seventh inning in any of his last five outings. Wacha is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five home starts this season versus 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA on the road.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers placed LHP Alex Wood (shoulder inflammation) on the 10-day DL and recalled RHP Brandon Morrow.
2. St. Louis rookie 3B Paul DeJong is 3-for-5 with a home run and a double in his first two big-league games.
3. Los Angeles 2B Chase Utley has homered in three of the last five games.