Dodgers vs. Pirates pitching matchups: Zack Greinke makes Dodgers debut

It took the Dodgers 11 tries last year to lose two games, but the 2013 squad looks to bounce back after dropping two of three games to the rival Giants. In 2012 the Dodgers welcomed the Pirates to Dodger Stadium for their second series of the year and promptly swept them. They hope for more of the same this year, and here are the pitching matchups for the weekend series.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (Prime Ticket)

Zack Greinke makes his Dodgers debut, looking to give the Dodgers quality starts in their first four games for the first time since 1972. Left-handed pitcher Jonathan Sanchez, whose teams have lost his last eight starts (he is 0-7 with a 9.96 ERA during that span), seems like he was hand picked out of a lineup to break Matt Kemp out of his slump.

Saturday, 6:10 p.m. PT (Prime Ticket)

Team home run leader Clayton Kershaw, still the only Dodger batter with a run-scoring hit this season, gets the start for the Dodgers, facing A.J. Burnett. You may remember Burnett politely telling strikeout victim Hanley Ramirez to take a seat on the bench last Aug. 16:

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. PT (Prime Ticket)

Hyun-jin Ryu makes his second start in the series finale. Jeff Locke, the fifth starter for the Pirates, gets the call in the finale. If Carl Crawford gets another day off this weekend, despite off days on both Thursday and Monday, look for it to come Sunday against the left-hander. "We'll see where he's at over the weekend with that day game," manager Don Mattingly said on Wednesday night.