Dodgers at Marlins
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw already has won three National League Cy Young Awards and he's making a late-season push to add another to his collection. Kershaw looks to win his fourth consecutive start and fifth decision in a row when the Dodgers open a six-game road trip with the first of three at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
While teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu looms as the pitcher to beat for the Cy Young, Kershaw has rattled off six consecutive quality starts and has worked at least six innings in each of his 20 outings this season. Cody Bellinger swatted his 38th homer -- one shy of both the NL lead and his career high -- in Sunday's 9-3 victory as Los Angeles won for the 10th time in 12 games to boost its record to a majors-best 79-41. The Dodgers also lead the NL with 197 homers while Miami, which was swept in a three-game series by Los Angeles last month, has hit the fewest in baseball with 99. Second baseman Starlin Castro is 14-for-27 during a six-game hitting streak and had two homers and eight RBIs as the Marlins split a four-game set with NL East leader Atlanta.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 2.77 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jordan Yamamoto (4-3, 4.17)
Kershaw improved to 4-0 over his last six trips to the mound by flustering St. Louis a week ago, striking out nine while permitting one run and four hits over seven innings. He won his previous start with six innings of two-run ball versus San Diego after compiling a 2-0 mark and 1.44 ERA in four starts in July, which included a no-decision against Miami in which he struck out 10 and yielded two hits in six scoreless innings. Castro has only two hits in 29 at-bats against Kershaw.
Yamamoto posted a 3-0 mark with a combined six earned runs allowed over his first five major league starts before hitting a slump over the past three weeks. The 23-year-old Hawaiian fell to 0-3 with an 8.55 ERA in his last four turns after giving up four runs over six innings at the New York Mets on Wednesday. After not surrendering a homer in his first five starts, he's served up six in the last four, including two in a four-inning loss to the Dodgers on July 21.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dodgers rookie C Will Smith has 22 RBIs in his last 17 games.
2. Marlins rookie INF Jon Berti is batting .357 with six multiple-hit games this month.
3. Dodgers 3B Justin Turner, who homered twice Sunday, is a career .349 hitter versus Miami.