The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to revive their offense Sunday afternoon and avoid a three-game road sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers went 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position while suffering 5-0 and 2-1 losses during the first two games in this series at Busch Stadium.
Their only run Saturday was scored on a wild pitch while Freddie Freeman was striking out. Freeman went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and Will Smith and Tommy Edman each went 0-for-2.
That futility puts more pressure on the Dodgers pitchers.
“Obviously our offense is better than that,” Los Angeles reliever Ben Casparius said after suffering Saturday’s loss. “It’s a close game like that, but I don’t see it as (the pitchers) trying to do too much.”
The Dodgers, who have lost five of their last seven games, will turn to veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 5.17 ERA) to finish the series.
Kershaw will continue his comeback from knee and toe surgeries while making his fifth start. In his first four starts this season, Kershaw has completed just 15 2/3 innings while rebuilding his endurance.
He struggled with his command in his last outing while needing 92 pitches to work 4 2/3 innings.
Kershaw allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks against the New York Mets on June 3. He struck out two in a game the Dodgers eventually won 6-5 in 10 innings.
In his career, Kershaw is 11-6 with a 2.87 ERA in 22 career starts against the Cardinals.
The Dodgers bolstered their pitching staff Saturday, activating Kirby Yates from the 15-day injured list and Michael Kopech from the 60-day IL.
“It’s great, they haven’t pitched in a while,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But to have those guys, who are mainstays for our club, to get them back kind of solidifies things for sure.”
The Cardinals, who have won three of their last four games, will bid for the sweep while striving to remain one of the National League’s more surprising playoff contenders.
“They just embrace competition man, it doesn’t matter who’s across the way,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “This is a very respected (Dodgers) team across the way, a really good roster. And they’ve been looking forward to this matchup. It tells out a lot about this group. It’s young, but it plays the right way. It’s fun.”
Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado went 3-for-4 with a run in Friday’s victory, then he came off the bench to hit the walk-off RBI single Saturday.
“Obviously (the Dodgers) have some stars over there that people want to watch, but we’ve got a great team, man,” Arenado told FanDuel Sports Network. “We’re not afraid of anybody.”
After getting well-pitched games from starter Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde, the Cardinals promoted prospect Michael McGreevy (1-0, 0.00 ERA) from Triple-A Memphis to make Sunday’s start.
With the team in a stretch of 28 games in 29 days, McGreevy could stick in the majors as a sixth starter.
McGreevy defeated the New York Mets on May 4 in his only previous start this season. He blanked the Mets on one hit for 5 2/3 innings in that game.
This will be his first career appearance against the Dodgers.
–Field Level Media
