Dodgers at Pirates
Although he has not flashed the dominant form of a year ago, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill takes an unbeaten streak of eight straight starts into Wednesday's matchup at the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third of a four-game series. The Dodgers could use a solid outing from Hill after they were forced to go to their bullpen for seven innings Tuesday in an 8-5 win.
Chris Taylor was hitless in six at-bats in the series opener but bounced back with three hits and three RBIs to lift his batting average to .310 as Los Angeles won for the 23rd time in 27 games. Los Angeles, which is one victory shy of reaching 90 for the season, placed 14-game winner Alex Wood and rookie standout Cody Bellinger on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday. Second baseman Josh Harrison is 4-for-9 with four RBIs in the series for Pittsburgh, which has lost eight of 10 to drop eight games behind first-place Chicago in the National League Central. Opposing Hill on Wednesday will be Pirates right-hander Trevor Williams, who was pummeled by the Dodgers in his first start of the season.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Rich Hill (9-4, 3.54 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.71)
Hill lasted only five innings at Detroit on Friday but improved to 5-0 since July 1 by limiting the Tigers to three runs on six hits. The 37-year-old has made it through six innings once in his last four turns, a span in which he has surrendered five home runs -- one more than he allowed in 20 starts last year. Hill has made eight career starts against Pittsburgh, posting a 3-1 record and 3.69 ERA.
Williams matched his worst start of the year when he was rocked for eight runs and seven hits in three innings by the St. Louis Cardinals -- identical numbers to his line in a drubbing at the hands of the Dodgers in Los Angeles on May 8. He also lost his previous turn at Toronto on Aug. 12, giving up four runs over six innings. Taylor went 2-for-2 with a grand slam against Williams in early May.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dodgers SS Corey Seager is riding an 11-game hitting streak.
2. Pittsburgh's bullpen took a hit when RHP George Kontos and RHP Joaquin Benoit went on the disabled list Tuesday.
3. Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez became the 11th active player to reach 2,000 hits.