Padres at Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers were relatively quiet at the trade deadline but with a huge lead in the National League West and the best record in baseball, there wasn't much urgency. Los Angeles begins the final two months of the regular season Thursday with a four-game set against the visiting San Diego Padres, who took three of four in their last trip to Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles (71-39) is a pedestrian 11-7 since the All-Star break after Wednesday's 5-1 victory at Colorado featured a pair of home runs in the ninth inning - a three-run shot by Will Smith and a two-run blast by Kristopher Negron, who has homered in his first two games in a Dodgers uniform. San Diego (50-57) was in the wild card fray as the calendar flipped to July but an 8-16 month - capped by an 8-5 loss to Baltimore on Tuesday - dashed any serious postseason hopes. “More so than any point in time since I've been here, this group has a chance to win,” Padres manager Andy Green told reporters. “We've demonstrated a lot of really positive things. We've not been consistent over the last couple weeks. … We’ve played with a measure of constraints right now that some clubs aren't playing through. For the health of these guys going forward into the future, all of it's understandable. When those constraints are lifted, and this team's ready to run, I like this group a lot.” Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw on Thursday puts his undefeated record at Dodger Stadium on the line when he opposes Joey Lucchesi, who has struggled with his command of late.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; FS San Diego, SportsNet LA
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Joey Lucchesi (7-5, 4.12 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (9-2, 2.85)
Lucchesi received a no-decision after striking out eight and allowing one run on two hits while matching a career high with four walks over six innings of San Diego's 2-1 loss to San Francisco last Friday. The 26-year-old Californian issued three free passes in his previous start when he was touched for six runs by the Chicago Cubs but still owns a solid 107:35 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season. Los Angeles' Alex Verdugo (4-for-4 on Wednesday) is 4-for-7 versus Lucchesi, who is 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five starts against the Dodgers - 1-0, 4.76 in two turns this season.
Kershaw allowed two runs, three hits and three walks - only the second time in 18 starts this season he's issued three or more - while striking out nine in six innings of a 9-3 victory at Washington on Saturday. The 31-year-old Texan is 6-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 home starts this season and his 1.02 WHIP is 0.01 above his career number. San Diego's Eric Hosmer is 9-for-24 with a home run while Wil Myers is 3-for-35 with 13 strikeouts against Kershaw, who is 19-6 with a 2.00 ERA in 37 starts against the Padres - 1-0, 3.15 in three turns this year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles LF Joc Pederson, who was benched after not running out a ground ball Monday and did not play Tuesday, went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and is 0-for-12 in his last three games since going 8-for-24 during a seven-game hitting streak.
2. San Diego SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (.329 batting average) has homered in consecutive games - both leading off the bottom of the first inning - and has 19 in 72 games this season.
3. The Dodgers acquired INF Jedd Gyorko from St. Louis for RHP Tony Cingrani and minor league RHP Jeffrey Abreu, and also picked up LHP Adam Kolarek from Tampa Bay for minor league OF Niko Hulsizer.