Dodgers at Padres
San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates was named the National League reliever of the month after opening the season with 14 saves, but has struggled to carry that same success into May. After back-to-back-back one-run losses, Yates and the Padres look to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
The Dodgers began the series with a 4-3 victory before winning 7-6 on Saturday when Yates lost for the second straight game after walking Alex Verdugo with the bases loaded to bring in the go-ahead run with two outs in the ninth inning. Verdugo had three hits and Max Muncy belted a three-run homer for Los Angeles, which won for the seventh time in nine games and improved to 11-4 against NL West opponents this season. San Diego has lost five of its last seven games despite the play of Manny Machado, who homered twice and drove in three runs Saturday and has four homers in his last four games. While Machado is heating up, outfielder Wil Myers is looking to break out after recording four hits and 20 strikeouts in his past 37 at-bats.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (3-2, 4.41 ERA) vs. Padres LH Nick Margevicius (2-3, 3.23)
Maeda bounced back from a rough outing against the Chicago Cubs by tossing five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus San Francisco on Monday. The 31-year-old has posted a 28-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio over six starts covering 32 2/3 innings. Myers is 3-for-22 with 11 strikeouts against Maeda, who is 5-3 with a 4.40 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) versus San Diego - 3-2, 4.63 in seven starts at Petco Park.
Margevicius was victimized by three errors in Monday’s loss to Atlanta and exited after giving up three runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Part of the youngest rotation in the majors, the 22-year-old rookie had made only one start above Single-A before tossing five innings of one-run ball against San Francisco in his major league debut March 30. Margevicius has walked a total of eight batters in his last two starts compared to two in his first four outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger (shoulder) was held out of the starting lineup Saturday but was available as a pinch hitter, and should return to the lineup for the series finale.
2. The Padres are 1-12 when trailing after seven innings.
3. Saturday’s contest was the longest nine-inning game in Petco Park history at 4 hours, 12 minutes.