Dodgers Vs. Pirates Preview: Road Trip Continues For Ailing Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers road trip now hits Pittsburgh after they dropped two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals. losing a three-game series to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers’ slow start to the second half of the season has dropped them into a first-place tie with the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.
Hyun-Jin Ryu takes the mound Monday in search of his 11th win of the season. July has been a bag of mixed results for the left-hander, as he’s posted a 1-1 record with a 5.28 ERA.
Despite his struggles, Ryu is coming off a quality start against the San Diego Padres where he threw six strong innings and struck out 10 batters.
Ryu faced the Pirates once this season on May 31 and earned his sixth win of the season, only giving up two runs while striking out 10.
Edison Volquez takes the mound for the Pirates and is on the hunt for his ninth win of the season. Volquez currently owns an 8-6 record and is 4-0 in his last four starts.
During that span, Volquez has struck out 18 hitters and only given up three runs. The right-hander faced the Dodgers on June 1 and earned his third win of the season.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez knocked in the game-tying RBI in the top of the ninth inning for his only hit of the game on Sunday. Gonzalez is 4-for-14 against Volquez with two home runs.
Matt Kemp has hit Volquez well in his career, going 6-for-14 with a double and home run against the righty. Current Dodger players are hitting .269 against Volquez with five home runs and 18 RBIs.
Current Pirate offense have seen little success against Ryu. They have scored a mere four runs against the lefty in 42 combined at-bats. Andrew McCutchen is 1-for-6 against Ryu with a home run.
Dodgers Lineup:
2B: Gordon
SS: Turner
1B: Gonzalez
RF: Kemp
CF: Ethier
LF: Crawford
3B: Uribe
C: Ellis
P: Ryu
Pirates Lineup:
3B: Harrison
LF: Marte
CF: McCutchen
1B: Sanchez
2B: Walker
C: Martin
SS: Mercer
RF: Martinez
P: Volquez
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