Editorials

Preview: Dodgers Return Home For Final Regular-Season Series

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

After 159 games played this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers head back to Chavez Ravine for the final three games of the regular season. The National League West-division winners face the team they saw on Opening Day, the San Diego Padres.

Taking the mound for the Dodgers is Alex Wood. The southpaw is 11-12 on the year with a 3.89 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 1.37 WHIP. Wood recently had two consecutive starts where he allowed a combined two runs and four hits in 14.1 innings. However, he struggled last Sunday against the Colorado Rockies. The 24 year old allowed eight runs on 11 hits in a Dodgers loss.



Wood’s lone start against the Padres came on Sept. 5 when he pitched one of his strongest games as a Dodger. The left-hander tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out four.

The Padres counter with Casey Kelly. The young 25 year old is making just his second start of the season. Kelly’s first start in nearly three years came last week against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander allowed six earned runs in just five innings — though four runs came on a grand slam.

The Florida native eventually settled down and retired the final 11 batters he faced. Prior to that outing, Kelly last pitched in the Majors in 2012 when he made six starts for the Padres. In his combined time in the Majors, Kelly is 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA, 4.77 FIP, and 1.69 WHIP.

Don Mattingly will use a very similar lineup to the one he used in Thursday’s game in San Francisco. The two exceptions are A.J. Ellis and Justin Turner, with the latter returning to the lineup after missing the previous two games due to a bruised forearm.

Adrian Gonzalez, batting third in the lineup, looks to continue his hot hitting against his former club. In 16 games against the Padres this year, the All-Star first baseman has posted a .328/.397/.738 slash line, going 20-for-61 with seven home runs.

San Diego are without their top two hitters in Matt Kemp and Justin Upton. Kemp will miss the rest of the season with a partially torn tendon in his right middle finger. While Upton strained his neck after colliding with a padded wall in Wednesday night’s game and may not play in the weekend series.

The Dodgers entered the day tied with the New York Mets for home-field advantage in the National League Division Series, though the Mets own the tiebreaker by winning the season series.

Dodgers Lineup:

LF: Carl Crawford

2B: Howie Kendrick

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

3B: Justin Turner

RF: Andre Ethier

SS: Corey Seager

C: A.J. Ellis

CF: Kiké Hernandez

P: Alex Wood

Padres Lineup:

2B: Cory Spangenberg

C: Bud Norris

3B: Yangervis Solarte

SS: Jedd Gyorko

CF: Melvin Upton Jr

LF: Alexi Amarista

1B: Cody Decker

RF: Travis Jankowski

P: Casey Kelly

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