Giants at Dodgers
The season is only two days old, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have already seen enough of San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik. The Dodgers look to get on the scoreboard for the first time Saturday when they continue their four-game series against the visiting Giants and Panik, who has powered his team to back-to-back 1-0 victories by homering in each contest.
One day after blasting a home run off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, the Giants’ second baseman took closer Kenley Jansen deep in the ninth inning Friday to silence the home crowd. The Giants’ pitching did its part again Friday as Johnny Cueto allowed one hit through seven innings before giving way to Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland, who recorded his second save in place of Mark Melancon, who landed on the disabled list Thursday with a right elbow flexor strain. The Dodgers have been held to a total of seven hits in two games and have clearly missed third baseman Justin Turner, who is out with a fractured left wrist but hopes to return in four to six weeks. Starting in place of Turner, Logan Forsythe committed three errors in Friday’s loss and is hitless in his first seven at-bats.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Derek Holland (2017: 7-14, 6.20 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (2017: 13-6, 4.22)
Holland signed a minor league deal with the Giants last month and earned a roster spot after posting a 4.05 ERA over 20 innings in spring training. After pitching his first eight seasons for Texas, Holland moved to the Chicago White Sox last season and struggled in the second half, going 2-5 with an 8.93 ERA in his final 12 games (nine starts). The 31-year-old has only faced the Dodgers once in his career, tossing five innings in a losing effort on June 14, 2009.
Maeda is hoping to build on his strong spring training in Arizona, where he was 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 16-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 17 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old is eager to start strong after posting a 6.58 ERA in five starts last April. Hunter Pence is 2-for-11 with five strikeouts against Maeda, who owns a 3-1 record and 5.56 ERA in five career starts against the Giants but has a 3.07 ERA in 29 career games (26 starts) at Dodger Stadium.
WALK-OFFS
1. Panik is the first player in major league history to hit a solo homer in back-to-back 1-0 victories.
2. The Dodgers are 0-2 for the first time since the 2010 season.
3. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he plans to start Gregor Blanco in center field on Saturday in place of Austin Jackson, who batted leadoff in the first two games and went 1-for-8.