:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59189757/824114820.jpg.0.jpg)
The planned pitching matchups between the Dodgers and Giants for their opening series received a blow with Madison Bumgarner breaking his pinkie and Jeff Samardzija suffering a strained pectoral muscle. That put San Francisco in scramble mode, and here is a look at the revised plan for this four-game series in Los Angeles.
Two of the four games will be televised exclusively by ESPN, including opening day.
Thursday, 4:08 p.m. PT (ESPN)
Clayton Kershaw has more starts against the Giants allowing zero or one run (21) than he does allowing two or more runs (19).
Ty Blach last year had three starts (plus two relief appearances) against the Dodgers and allowed a total of five runs in 19 innings. Yet he was 1-2 because all three games were 2-1.
Friday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KTLA)
After starting Game 4 and Game 8 the last two seasons, Alex Wood gets the coveted No. 2 spot in the rotation this year following his All-Star campaign a year ago. In 2017 against the Giants Wood allowed nine runs in 12 innings at Dodger Stadium and got two wins. In San Francisco he pitched six scoreless frames and got a no-decision. Baseball.
Johnny Cueto in nine career starts at Dodger Stadium has a paltry 2.67 ERA and 44 strikeouts to go with his 15 walks, but is just 4-5 in those starts.
Saturday, 6:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)
Kenta Maeda struck out 16 and walked two this spring. He managed to face the Giants just once in 2017, and allowed four runs in three innings in September in San Francisco. Derek Holland won a rotation spot as a non-roster invitee, but more importantly does impressions.
.@Dutch_Oven45 really just did a full interview with @AmyGGiants as @KermitTheFrog pic.twitter.com/uxg0pZgJKI
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 28, 2018
Sunday, 5:37 p.m. (ESPN)
Rich Hill in 18 career starts at Dodger Stadium (17 with the Dodgers) has a 2.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 101 innings. Chris Stratton had a one-batter start against the Dodgers last September, in that odd rain-delayed game that was played until 2 a.m. for some reason. Stratton faced one batter that night before the rains came. It was Curtis Granderson, who struck out, naturally.