Dodgers at Marlins
The Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed one of the best first halves of any team in recent major-league history, largely by taking care of business at home. The Dodgers will try to replicate their recent success away from Los Angeles when they kick off a five-game road trip Friday with the opener of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins.
Los Angeles (61-29) became one of five teams in the last 40 years to reach 60 victories before the All-Star Game, winning 18 of its final 19 at Dodger Stadium to enter the break with a major league-best 39-11 home record. The Dodgers, who will be leaving California to play a game for the first time since June 18, went 1-4-3 (12-14 overall) in their first eight road series but have responded by going 4-0-1 (10-4) since. While Los Angeles opens the second half of the season on a league-high six-game winning streak, Miami entered the break nearly as hot, ending its 10-game road trip last weekend by capturing five of its final six contests. The Marlins lost three of four to the Dodgers from May 18-21, however, giving up at least six runs in each contest while scoring three or fewer three times.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Brandon McCarthy (6-3, 3.12 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Dan Straily (7-4, 3.31)
McCarthy came off the disabled list after being sidelined with right knee tendinitis and settled for his third no-decision in four outings Saturday, allowing two runs - one earned - while throwing 75 pitches over six innings. The 34-year-old had a stellar end to the first half of the season, yielding fewer than three earned runs in seven of his last eight turns. McCarthy began that stretch with a victory against the Marlins on May 21, when he gave up one run and three hits in six frames.
Straily won for the sixth time in seven decisions Friday at San Francisco, permitting a solo homer among the four hits he allowed across a career-high 8 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old Marshall product has been particularly stingy during a three-game winning streak on which he has posted a 1.99 ERA while giving up no more than five hits in any of his five outings in the stretch. Straily began his recent string of success with a victory at Dodger Stadium on May 20, when he yielded three runs while striking out eight in 5 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers' plus-163 run differential was the best entering the All-Star break since at least 1933.
2. Miami OF Marcell Ozuna, who is tied for the major-league lead with 70 RBIs, drove in 16 runs during the team's pre-break trek - tying the club record for most on a road trip of 10 or more games.
3. Los Angeles All-Star 1B Cody Bellinger is batting .309 with 13 homers and 28 RBIs after the sixth inning.