Dodgers at Brewers
Christian Yelich could have been forgiven if he was unable to maintain the pace he set last year (.326 batting average, 36 homers, 110 RBIs) considering he had never batted better than .300, hit more than 21 homers or drove in 100 runs previously. The reigning National League MVP is instead enjoying a brilliant encore, and attempts to sustain his otherworldly production at home Sunday when the Milwaukee Brewers try to earn a split of their four-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yelich continued to torment NL pitching in Saturday's 5-0 victory, belting a pair of solo homers to run his major-league leading total to 13, breaking a club record for most home runs before the end of April and leaving him one shy of the most homers by any big-league player before May 1 - held by Albert Pujols (2006) and Alex Rodriguez (2007). The two-time Silver Slugger has hit all his homers and accounted for 29 of his majors-best 31 RBIs at Miller Park, where he is batting .435. After holding their opponents to three runs or fewer in every contest during their six-game winning streak, the Dodgers surrendered three home runs to the same team they beat in last year's NL Championship Series. Los Angeles didn't fare much better at the plate either Saturday, as the NL's highest-scoring offense was limited to two singles and shut out for the second time this season.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FS Wisconsin, WYTU (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 5.23)
Kershaw worked his way back from the shoulder inflammation that delayed the start of his season by firing seven innings of two-run ball in his season debut Monday in a no-decision against Cincinnati. "For me, it was a success overall. … (My) curveball … was a lot better than it had been in rehab starts, so I'll take it for the first one," the three-time Cy Young Award winner told reporters afterward. Yelich is 9-for-17 with two homers versus Kershaw, who is 6-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 14 starts against Milwaukee.
Woodruff earned his first victory in his last three trips to the mound Tuesday against St. Louis, allowing two runs despite giving up seven hits and two walks across 5 2/3 frames. The Mississippi State product has completed six innings only once and failed to register a quality start in four tries, although he has amassed 26 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings. Woodruff faced the Dodgers three times in relief during last season's NLCS, allowing three runs while fanning 17 in 9 1/3 combined frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Sunday will mark the seventh and final time the Brewers and Dodgers meet during the regular season (3-3).
2. Yelich has 35 home runs in 87 games at Miller Park since becoming a Brewer before the start of 2018.
3. Los Angeles 1B Cody Bellinger went 0-for-3 with a walk Saturday, only the third time in this season he was held hitless.