Dodgers try for 50 in opener with White Sox

The Dodgers take a nine-game interleague winning streak into their two-game series against the White Sox beginning on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. But there is another milestone in play as well, given the Dodgers’ unprecedented home success of late.

Entering Tuesday, the Dodgers are 49-14 at Dodger Stadium in 2017, on pace to finish with 63 home wins, one shy of the National League record set by the Big Red Machine in 1975 (64-17).

The modern club franchise home record is 60-17 (.779), set by Brooklyn in 1953. A win on Tuesday against Chicago would give the Dodgers a .781 winning percentage at Chavez Ravine in 2017.

The Dodgers tied for the best home record in baseball in 2015 (55-26), and tied for second-best in 2016 (53-28). With one more home victory this season -- they have 18 tries to get it done — the Dodgers will win 50 games at home in three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history.

Since the start of 2015, the Dodgers are 157-68 (.698) at Dodger Stadium.

There is a bit of a caveat here, with shorter schedules in the Brooklyn era. In 1945, the Dodgers were 48-30 in home games, a .615 winning percentage that translates into 49.85 wins in 81 home games. That was followed up with a 56-22 mark at Ebbets Field in 1946, and 52-25 at home in 1947, roughly the equivalent of three straight 50-win seasons, just without hitting the number.

Alex Wood starts Tuesday for the Dodgers, having allowed three runs over 12 innings in his last two starts. Wood at 14-1 is currently tied with reliever Phil Regan (1966) for the best single-season winning percentage (.933) in Dodgers history.

The Dodgers face Miguel Gonzalez for a second time this season. They put 11 runners on base against him in six innings in Chicago on July 18, but managed only one run, which happened to be enough for Clayton Kershaw, et al. on that night.

The 33-year-old Gonzalez, who played prep baseball at San Fernando High School then went to Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, has never pitched in the majors at Dodger Stadium.

The White Sox have lost 25 of their last 33 games, including 12 losses in their last 14 road contests.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network