Dodgers at Giants
Mac Williamson is about to force the San Francisco Giants to make some difficult decisions, but the team isn’t complaining. The powerful left fielder looks to continue his hot start Friday when the Giants begin a four-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, who dropped two of three against the lowly Miami Marlins.
Williamson has homered twice in four starts since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento and provided an immediate boost for the Giants (11-13), who have won four of their last six games to pull within two games of .500. The 27-year-old Williamson took the roster spot of veteran Hunter Pence, who was batting .172 when he landed on the disabled list with a thumb sprain last week but will begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday. The Giants will soon need to figure out how to accommodate six outfielders for five spots, but first they’ll turn their attention toward the Dodgers, who are dealing with outfield questions of their own. While Matt Kemp is hitting .313 with four homers and 12 RBIs, Yasiel Puig is batting .195 with no homers and could begin sharing time with Joc Pederson, who appears to be heating up with six hits in his last 19 at-bats.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-0, 1.99 ERA) vs. Giants LH Derek Holland (0-3, 4.98)
Opponents are batting .141 against Ryu, who continued his impressive start last Saturday by holding Washington to two hits over seven scoreless innings. The 31-year-old has pitched at least six innings and recorded at least eight strikeouts in each of his last three outings. Buster Posey is 9-for-28 with a home run against Ryu, who owns a 4-6 record and 3.38 ERA in 12 career starts against the Giants, including 0-2 with a 1.17 ERA in three outings last season.
Holland is still seeking his first win with the Giants after allowing four runs over six frames against the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday. The 31-year-old native of Ohio gave up 31 home runs in 29 games (26 starts) last season as a member of the Chicago White Sox and allowed three in the 4-3 loss to the Angels. Holland fell to 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers after pitching five solid innings in a loss on March 31.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers are beginning a season-high 11-game road trip against San Francisco, Arizona and San Diego (in Monterrey, Mexico).
2. San Francisco RHP Chris Stratton is expected to be reinstated from the paternity list in time to start the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
3. The Dodgers traded RHP Wilmer Font to Oakland for minor league LHP Logan Salow.