Dodgers try to keep the fireworks going in July

After setting franchise records in June, the Dodgers look for that to carry over into July as they battle the Padres on Saturday night at Petco Park in San Diego.

Sure, the game will be enticing enough, with Rich Hill on the mound against Dillon Overton for the Padres. But the fun might start before the game even starts, like when lineup cards are exchanged at home plate.

Though, Dave Roberts and Andy Green have probably cooled off considerably after Friday night’s kerfuffle.

The offense got all the headlines in June, but the Dodgers did a great job of preventing runs as well. The Dodgers allowed 97 runs in June — 3.46 per game — the only team to allow fewer than 101 runs in the month. On the season, the Dodgers have allowed only 3.43 runs per game, half a run fewer than any other team in baseball.

Hill seems ready to rejoin the run prevention parade, especially after finding his command thanks to a revised delivery unleashed in his last start. Hill allowed three runs and lost on Monday night, but lasted seven innings and was pounding the strike zone all night, striking out seven.

“[I] felt more like myself than any game I have pitched all year,” Hill said Monday night. “The ball came out of my hand the way I want to.”

The Dodgers have seen success on all sides against the Padres this year. San Diego has scored just 2.71 runs per game against the Dodgers this season, and never more than four runs in any of their seven meetings, six won by Los Angeles.

On offense, the Dodgers have scored 7.86 runs per game against the Padres in 2017, including four games double-digit runs and another eight-run contest.

That offense gets to face the 25-year-old left-hander Overton, who will be called up from Triple-A El Paso to start Saturday night for the Padres. Claimed off waivers from the Mariners on June 19 by San Diego, Overton has been lit up like a Christmas tree in 2017. In 17 games between Triple-A and the majors this year, opposing batters are hitting .290/.333/.560 against Overton, with 14 home runs in 225 plate appearances.

Including Friday night’s win, the Dodgers are 15-9 when facing left-handed starting pitchers this season, including five straight wins and 12 wins in their last 14 such games.

The Dodgers were dead last in the majors across the board against lefties in 2016, hitting .213/.290/.332 with a 72 wRC+.

This season, the club is hitting .258/.346/.454 against southpaws, third in OPS (.800) and third in wRC+ (113).

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA