The Los Angeles Dodgers face the Milwaukee Brewers as they continue with a road trip after having their 12-game winning streak snapped in a shutout loss to the Kansas City Royals.
Even with the defeat, the Dodgers’ 19 wins since the All-Star break are the most in baseball and their .864 winning percentage is also the top mark. L.A. enters the series opener at American Family Field having won the last four meetings against Milwaukee.
Julio Urías takes the mound as he looks to build on another successful season. The left-hander has been particularly effective in the second half, going 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA in four outings thus far.
Overall this season, Urías is 12-6 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 22 starts. Urías has been among the key contributors who have helped the Dodgers starting rotation forge ahead despite long-term injuries to Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler.
“I think with Julio, he expects a lot from himself. I think there was just a point where he wanted to be looked at as the guy,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said last week. “And how do you do that? You do that by going out there and performing.
“Julio is a guy. We already know that, but I think that that’s something for him that he wants it to be known. He’s been doing that consistently, and we’ve been the benefactors.”
The Brewers counter with Freddy Peralta, who is 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 10 starts this year. Peralta missed all of June and July while recovering from a strained right lat.
He went 3.2 innings upon coming off the 60-day injured list and five frames in his last start. Peralta allowed just two earned runs in both outings.
He faces a Dodgers lineup that welcomes back Will Smith after a day off. Austin Barnes is also available off the bench after being activated off the family emergency list.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
DH: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
2B: Gavin Lux
LF: Chris Taylor
CF: Cody Bellinger
Brewers lineup
LF: Christian Yelich
SS: Willy Adames
DH: Andrew McCutchen
3B: Mike Brosseau
RF: Hunter Renfroe
1B: Rowdy Tellez
2B: Luis Urías
C: Victor Caratini
CF: Tyrone Taylor
More must-reads: