Padres Vs. Dodgers Game Preview: Kiké Hernández Draws Start Against Knuckleballer

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to get back on track following a tough loss in extra innings to the San Diego Padres that also ended their four-game winning streak at Dodger Stadium.

Gavin Stone is on the mound for his third start of the season after mixed results to begin his year. He was solid in his first outing, throwing five innings of three-run ball against the St. Louis Cardinals with six strikeouts.

But in his last start, Stone only managed to throw three innings while giving up five earned runs and walking three. He didn’t pitch in ideal conditions, with cold weather and rain throughout his start and poor defense behind him.

Unfortunately for Stone, there is also the potential of rain at Dodger Stadium for his start, but it’s expected to die down near the start of the game and for the rest of the night.

Overall this season, he’s posted a 9.00 ERA across eight innings with a 2.13 WHIP and 11 strikeouts.

The Dodgers face a new challenge with knuckleballer Matt Waldron on the mound for San Diego. Like Stone, Waldron has also had mixed results to begin his season.

In his first outing, Waldron allowed four runs in four innings while giving up nine hits, but he followed that up with 5.1 innings of scoreless ball his next time out.

He’s thrown 9.1 innings total this season with a 3.86 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 12 strikeouts. Over 50.2 career innings, he holds a 4.26 ERA with 43 strikeouts and a 1.28 WHIP.

Despite a right-hander on the mound, Kiké Hernández draws the start in left field amid Jason Heyward’s injury and Chris Taylor’s continued struggles at the plate.

The rest of the Dodgers lineup features their regular starters against right-handers, but Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy were flipped in the order.

Dodgers lineup

SS: Mookie Betts
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
RF: Teoscar Hernández
3B: Max Muncy
CF: James Outman
LF: Kiké Hernández
2B: GavinKiké

Padres lineup

CF: Jackson Merrill
RF: Fernando Tatís Jr.
1B: Jake Cronenworth
DH: Manny Machado
LF: Jurickson Profar
SS: Ha-Seong Kim
2B: Tyler Wade
3B: Eguy Rosario
C: Kyle Higashioka