Dodgers Vs. Padres Preview: Ryu Takes The Mound In First Half Finale
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter Sunday with an opportunity to take three of four games from the San Diego Padres heading into the All-Star break. The Dodgers begin the day not only atop the National League West, but they also hold the best record in the NL.
The Dodgers turn to Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is coming off the worst start of his season. Against the Detroit Tigers, Ryu allowed seven runs in just 2.1 innings. The southpaw has faced the Padres twice this season.
On March 30, Ryu threw seven innings while striking out seven. On June 22, the second-year Dodger went six innings en route to earning his ninth win of the year. Ryu is still in search of his 10th win of the season, as he currently sits with a 9-5 record.
The Padres turn to left-hander Tyson Ross, who boasts a 7-9 record with a 2.93 ERA and 117 strikeouts on the year. Ross has pitched exceptionally well against the Dodgers this year, but a lack of run support has hurt his efforts.
In two games against the Dodgers this season, the 27-year-old right-hander is 0-2, tossing a combined 12 innings and only giving up five earned runs. Despite his win-loss record being below .500, Ross has been selected to participate in the 2014 All-Star Game.
The Padres offense has been subpar all season, with few player hitting close to .300. The one exception is outfielder Seth Smith, who leads his team in nearly every offensive category. He boasts a .284 batting average with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs.
After replacing Yasiel Puig in the fourth inning Saturday, Carl Crawford makes his first start since coming off the disabled list. Matt Kemp receives the day off and Andre Ethier remains in center. As expected, Hanley Ramirez is once again not in the lineup.
Dodgers Lineup:
2B: Gordon
LF: Crawford
RF: Puig
1B: Gonzalez
CF: Ethier
3B: Uribe
C: Ellis
SS: Rojas
P: Ryu
Padres Lineup:
RF: Denorfia
3B: Headley
LF: Quentin
1B: Grandal
C: Rivera
CF: Maybin
2B: Conrad
SS: Amarista
P: Ross
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