Dodgers at Giants
The Los Angeles Dodgers own a sparkling record inside the National League West, but the divisional foe that has given them the most problems is the last-place San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers attempt to break the tie in their season series with their archrival and continue to improve upon the best record in the majors beginning Friday when they visit San Francisco for the opener of a three-game set.
Los Angeles (43-20) has won six of its seven series against NL West opponents despite suffering a 3-2, 11-inning setback at Arizona on Wednesday, falling to 15-6 inside the division. Half of those defeats - and the Dodgers' only series loss - have come against the Giants (25-36), who own the second-worst record in the NL and will begin the weekend 17 games behind Los Angeles. The Giants are returning home after a 4-5 road trip in which they displayed their offensive capability at times before wrapping up their trek by getting outscored 14-3 in a pair of losses to the New York Mets. Despite five of their six 2019 meetings being decided by two runs or fewer, the difference between the teams at the plate this season is striking: the Dodgers lead the NL in team batting average (.265) and runs scored (340) while the Giants rank last (.221) and second-to-last (236), respectively.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, Sportsnet LA (Los Angeles), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (5-0, 3.20 ERA) vs. Giants LH Drew Pomeranz (1-6, 8.08)
Kershaw has pitched at least six innings in each of his nine turns, and Los Angeles remained unbeaten when he takes the mound following Saturday's no-decision against Philadelphia. The three-time Cy Young Award winner yielded one run and struck out six in seven frames versus the Phillies, but was unable to win a fifth straight start when Julio Urias blew a save chance in eighth. Buster Posey is batting .231 with three homers in 108 at-bats against Kershaw, who is 22-10 with a 1.70 ERA in 45 games (44 starts) against the Giants.
Pomeranz is likely fighting to keep his spot in the rotation and coming off one of the worst outings of his career Friday in Baltimore after surrendering eight runs on six hits and two walks across 1 1/3 innings. The 30-year-old has not completed five innings in any of his last five turns and dropped each of his four decisions over that span. Cody Bellinger (2-for-4) has fared well in limited at-bats versus Pomeranz, who is 1-5 with a 3.80 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts) against Los Angeles.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers have won seven of their last nine away from home after going 11-11 over their first 22 road contests.
2. San Francisco gave up back-to-back home runs to lead off the first in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Mets - the first time that has happened to the Giants since Aug. 3, 1994.
3. Los Angeles is 8-0-2 in series play since dropping two of three in San Francisco from April 29-May 1.