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The Dodgers will go for the sweep of the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night in Arizona, and will send Hyun-jin Ryu to the mound to try to close out Arizona. But rather than the mound, Ryu will try to continue Dodgers pitcher prowess at the plate.
Zack Greinke was 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's win over Arizona, and Ricky Nolasco was 2-for-2 with a run scored in his Dodgers debut. That's 5-for-5 at the plate for Dodgers pitchers in the series, to go along with one run allowed in 14 innings.
That will get it done.
Ryu had a career best game at the plate on Apr. 13, as he was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored. In five games at Chase Field this season, Dodgers pitchers at the plate are 9-for-13 (.692) with three runs scored this season.
The starters also have a combined 2.02 ERA in five starts in Arizona, with 39 strikeouts and seven walks in 35⅔ innings. And five consecutive quality starts.
Ryu himself has pitched eight straight quality starts and has 14 quality starts in 17 outings. Wednesday will mark his final start before the All-Star break and a chance to wrap up what has been a wildly successful first half.
The Dodgers paid $25.7 million to secure the rights to negotiate with Ryu, then gave him a six-year, $36 million contract. Given his first three months of performance, they would do it all over again, too. Ryu is 7-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 17 starts, with 90 strikeouts and 37 walks, and has averaged 6.57 innings per start.
To complete the sweep and finish off a 7-2 road trip through the National League West, Ryu will have to beat Tyler Skaggs, making his second start since he was recalled from Triple-A Reno.
Skaggs pitched eight scoreless innings against the Rockies on Friday. He allowed one run in five innings last Sept. 1 at Dodger Stadium in his third major league start, a no-decision against the Dodgers.
A win by the Dodgers on Wednesday night would put them at .500 for the first time since Apr. 30, when they were 13-13.
Game info
Time: 6:40 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket