Joc Pederson starts against LHP Jon Lester in Dodgers opener with Cubs

The Dodgers face a left-hander in Jon Lester on Monday night, but all but one of the left-handed regulars are starting against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The right-handed Franklin Gutierrez gets the start in left field, the one position at which the Dodgers have a true platoon. But also starting on Monday are the left-handed Joc Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez.

Lester is the fourth left-handed pitcher the Dodgers have faced in eight games, and this marks the second start for Pederson against a southpaw, after just nine starts in 46 such games in 2016.

In 2016, Pederson didn’t start his second game against a left-hander until June 1, his 13th opportunity. The opposing pitcher that night was Lester, against whom Pederson is 1-for-8 (.125) in his career.

Gutierrez has faced Lester more than any other Dodger, and is 6-for-25 (.240) with two home runs in his career against him, with one walk and 12 strikeouts, though just three of those plate appearances have come after 2012.

Gonzalez enters Monday on a six-game season-opening hit streak — in his one non-start, on Friday, Gonzalez walked in his only plate appearance, which doesn’t count against the hit streak — and is hitting .350 (7-for-20) in the early going with a .500 on-base percentage, including a team-best six walks.

Yasiel Puig, who snapped his six-game hitting streak with an 0-for-5 on Sunday, is hitting .425/.511/.700 with two home runs, three doubles, a triple, and six walks in 12 career games at Wrigley Field.

Puig is 1-for-9 (.111) with a walk against Lester, with no strikeouts.