Dodgers at Pirates
It's been a bit of an all-or-nothing effort for the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout their eight-game road trip, either finding themselves on the right side of an offensive explosion or struggling to score runs. The Dodgers experienced the former in the series opener and hope to continue their recent dominance of the Pittsburgh Pirates when they play the middle contest of their three-game road set on Saturday.
Los Angeles has yet to play a game during its trek in which the final margin was fewer than four runs, as it has averaged 7.8 over its four victories while totaling one in its two losses. The Dodgers wasted little time turning Friday's meeting with Pittsburgh into a laugher, using a grand slam by David Freese to cap a five-run first inning before coasting to a 10-2 win. The Pirates have been dealing with lopsided margins all week long, with each of their four games being decided by at least five runs, and too often throughout the season as Friday's setback was their sixth by eight or more runs. Pittsburgh also has struggled mightily against Los Angeles of late, losing eight straight meetings and 15 of 17 - a stretch during which it has been outscored 119-56.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-1, 1.52 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (3-4, 3.67)
Ryu, who will be making his 10th start of the season, is riding a 31-inning scoreless streak and coming off another dominant effort in which he permitted five hits over seven frames against Cincinnati on Sunday. The National League's ERA leader has yet to allow more than two runs in an outing and owns a 59:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 59 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .190 batting average. Josh Bell is 1-for-6 with a homer versus Ryu, who is 5-0 with a 2.51 ERA in five career starts against Pittsburgh.
Musgrove ran into trouble late after cruising early but still managed to win his second straight start on Sunday in San Diego after surrendering four runs - three earned - over 6 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old once again is doing an exceptional job of keeping the ball in the park, allowing only two homers in 54 frames this season and a total of 14 in 169 1/3 innings since joining the Pirates in 2018. Musgrove permitted three runs - one earned - over 6 2/3 frames in a loss to the Dodgers on April 27.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dodgers INF Max Muncy is batting .324 with four homers and 10 RBIs during his nine-game road hitting streak.
2. Bell is two homers shy of tying the club record for the most in May set by Jason Bay in 2006, when he belted 12
3. Los Angeles' rotation has registered 11 consecutive quality starts, going 8-1 with a 1.00 ERA while recording 82 strikeouts in 72 innings.