The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have regained their edge as they try to solidify their hold on first place Friday when they hit the road to face the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series.
The heated rivals each have 16 games remaining in the regular season, which includes seven against each other. Following this weekend’s series in the Bay Area, the teams have a four-game series next weekend in Los Angeles.
After stumbling on their last road trip — losing the first five games at Pittsburgh and Baltimore — the Dodgers have rebounded with a four-game winning streak led by impressive starting pitching. They led the National League West by three games prior to the San Diego Padres’ game Thursday night.
The past week for the Dodgers has included a pair of no-hit bids that were dashed in the ninth inning — plus Tuesday’s game when young right-hander Emmet Sheehan was perfect through five innings.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8, 2.72 ERA), who’s slated to start Friday, was one out away from a no-hitter Saturday at Baltimore when Jackson Holliday hit a home run. The Dodgers never recorded another out as the Orioles finished off a 4-3 victory.
Los Angeles responded with a win streak that featured Tyler Glasnow and Blake Treinen combining for eight no-hit innings Monday night before settling for a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. It also included Wednesday’s 9-0 victory over the Rockies when Mookie Betts hit a grand slam. Betts has multiple RBIs in five consecutive games and 13 total in the stretch
Teoscar Hernandez hit his third home run in two games, while the team welcomed the recent returns of third baseman Max Muncy, left-hander Alex Vesia and utility man Tommy Edman. Catcher Will Smith continues to work through a hand injury that limited him to one game over the past week.
“I just know that the vibe and the feel of it, as far as the camaraderie, the energy — it’s definitely one that’s been more positive as of late,” Betts said. “We just got to keep that positive energy around us. Just go to San Fran and … play one game at a time.”
The Giants are eight games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, but only two games out of a wild-card spot entering Thursday’s play. San Francisco has gone 13-4 since Aug. 23 while winning five out of six series.
“First of all, we’ve got to win,” Giants infielder Wilmer Flores said this week, according to the San Jose Mercury News. “I don’t think it matters where we are in the standings. If we control how we play, honestly, we could be a game out, we could be in the playoffs, we could be out, all you can do today is play well to win the game.”
The Giants have benefited from the production of Rafael Devers and Willy Adames of late. Devers was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in June and is batting .333 with six home runs and 18 RBIs over his past 14 games. Adames, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, is batting .304 with six home runs and 15 RBIs over his past 13 games.
San Francisco is set to send right-hander Justin Verlander (3-10, 4.09) to the mound against Yamamoto. The 42-year-old Verlander is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four regular-season starts against the Dodgers. That does not include going 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts in the 2017 World Series as a member of the Houston Astros.