Dodgers at Phillies
The Los Angeles Dodgers have answered a four-game skid in which they mustered just seven runs by flexing their muscles to the tune of outscoring their foes 34-8 during their last three contests. The majors-best Dodgers look to remain perfect against the free-falling Phillies on Tuesday when the clubs continue their four-game series in Philadelphia.
Cody Bellinger belted a pair of solo homers among his four hits while Max Muncy and Alex Verdugo also went deep in Monday's 16-2 romp for Los Angeles, which outscored Philadelphia 18-6 in a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium on May 31-June 2. Bellinger (8-for-17), who leads the majors with 33 homers, and Muncy (7-for-15, two homers, five RBIs, six runs scored) have flustered the Phillies this season heading into Tuesday's start versus right-hander Vince Velasquez. Philadelphia has seen its once-promising season go south in a hurry, as it stood 11 games over .500 on May 29 before losing 24 of their next 39 games. Scott Kingery provided a brief bright spot for the Phillies on Monday with a solo homer in the third inning to improve to 6-for-17 in the season series versus Los Angeles.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Walker Buehler (8-1, 3.46 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.63)
Buehler answered his lone loss of the season on May 18 with a 4-0 mark in his last eight starts, although his last two trips to the mound produced a pair of no-decisions. The 24-year-old yielded a two-run homer to Arizona's Christian Walker in the fourth inning and an RBI single to Ketel Marte in the seventh on July 3 before exiting after recording at least nine strikeouts without issuing a walk for the third time in his young career. Buehler sports a 5-1 mark with a 3.76 ERA in nine road starts this season, although he owns a 1-1 record with a 7.94 ERA in his career at Citizens Bank Park.
Velasquez sports an 0-2 mark with a 5.94 ERA in his last four starts (16 2/3 innings) after receiving a no-decision following a five-inning stint at the New York Mets on July 5. The 27-year-old Californian fell to 1-3 with a 7.91 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in seven career appearances (three starts) against the Dodgers after allowing one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning in relief during an 8-0 setback at Los Angeles on June 2. David Freese belted a solo homer off Velasquez in that contest to improve to 3-for-7 with two blasts in his career versus the hurler.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles LF Joc Pederson is 5-for-15 with two homers, five RBIs and four runs scored versus Philadelphia this season.
2. Phillies SS Jean Segura is 0-for-15 against the Dodgers in 2019.
3. Los Angeles placed OF Chris Taylor on the injured list with a fractured left forearm on Monday, one day after he was hit by a pitch in a 12-inning win over Boston.