Alex Wood opens weekend series vs. Reds

The Dodgers last weekend swept the Reds in Los Angeles, and now look to continue that success at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, where they have also excelled the last two years.

In addition to winning nine straight games against the Reds in Los Angeles, the Dodgers have also won five of their last seven games in Cincinnati, giving them 14 wins in their last 16 against the Reds dating back to 2015.

Alex Wood takes the mound in the opener for the Dodgers on Friday night, looking to remain undefeated on the season. The left-hander has been nothing short of magnificent in 2017, ranking second in baseball in ERA (2.01) and first in FIP (1.88) and xFIP (2.42) among pitchers with at least 50 innings. He ranks fourth in strikeout rate (31.2%).

With the Dodgers in Cincinnati, let’s take this preview in a different direction:

W: Wood is 6-0 on the season, looking to be the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 7-0 since Jonathan Broxton in 2009.

K: Wood struck out seven with no walks last Saturday against the Reds, and on the season he has 67 strikeouts in 215 batters faced. That surpasses his 2016 total of 66 strikeouts, in 255 batters faced.

R: The Dodgers have scored five or more runs in each of their last six games, the club’s longest streak since a seven-game run from Apr. 12-19, 2015.

P: The Dodgers set a major league record with 607 relief appearances in 2016. This season they are down to 10th in the majors with 208 relief appearances, on pace for only 503 appearances out of the bullpen in 2017.

Game info

Time: 4:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA