Dodgers vs. Cardinals schedule & probable starting pitchers

The Dodgers continue their gauntlet against 2015 playoff teams, welcoming the Cardinals to town for a three-game series. Here is a look at the schedule and probable starting pitchers this weekend at Dodger Stadium.

Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)

Ross Stripling starts the opener for the Dodgers, still in search of his first major league win, though his three quality starts include a pair of excellent outings, including allowing just one hit and one run in six innings on Sunday in Toronto, with six strikeouts and no walks.

Through six major league starts, Stripling has 14 strikeouts and six walks at home, and 14 strikeouts and six walks on the road. He gets the call in start number seven against his former Texas A&M teammate.

Michael Wacha has lasted at least six innings in each of his last six starts, though his quality start streak was snapped at five by giving up four runs in six innings to the Pirates in his last start.

Saturday, 6:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)

Scott Kazmir leads the Dodgers with nine home runs though he has yet to allow exactly one home run in any start. The Cardinals enter this weekend series tied for first in the National League with 51 home runs on the season. St. Louis is tied with the Mets, who just left town after hitting four home runs in four games in Los Angeles.

Carlos Martinez was pushed back from a scheduled Thursday outing after leaving his start last Saturday in the fourth inning with a respiratory ailment. But outside of that injury Martinez has lasted at least six innings every time out, and sports a 2.61 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 11 walks in 38 innings on the season.

Starting with Marco Estrada last Sunday in Toronto, here are the ERAs of the opposing starting pitchers the Dodgers will have faced, through Martinez: 2.64, 2.83, 1.99, 2.58, 2.82, 3.12, 2.61.

Sunday, 5:05 p.m. (ESPN)

Alex Wood tries for his ninth quality start in nine tries at Dodger Stadium since joining the Dodgers. In his last three starts, which does include a road start, Wood has 25 strikeouts against only three walks.

Mike Leake won his first game of the season on Tuesday against the Angels, allowing one run in eight innings. Though he still brings a 5.10 ERA into Sunday's game, having not allowed fewer than four runs an any of his first six starts with the Cardinals.