Dodgers face Matt Harvey in his Reds debut

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers push that rock up the hill again on Friday night, battling the Reds in the second game of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium.

In the series opener on Thursday the Dodgers failed to tally an extra-base hit for just the third time this season (the other two were the back-to-back 1-0 losses to San Francisco to open the season). They managed just one run despite numerous opportunities against starter Tyler Mahle, who needed 85 pitches to get through the first three innings but managed to get through five innings for the win anyway.

“If you can’t make adjustments mechanically, there’s going to be some empty at-bats and that’s what’s happening,” a frustrated manager Dave Roberts said after Thursday’s loss. “This isn’t a try league, everyone is trying. You’ve got to get production.”

In May the Dodgers are hitting just .167/.320/.192 with runners in scoring position and have scored just 3.33 runs per game.

Pitching matchup

Kenta Maeda starts for the Dodgers on Friday, looking for his first win since April 18. The Dodgers are 0-3 in his last three starts, thanks in part to scoring eight total runs in those games.

Maeda has a 9.00 ERA in the first inning and a 7.94 ERA in the third inning this season. Eleven of his 14 total runs allowed have come in those two innings.

Matt Harvey makes his first start with his new team, after getting traded to the Reds on Tuesday. With the Mets Harvey had a 6.00 ERA in four starts, then was banished to the bullpen where he struck out three of his 29 batters faced. New York wanted to send him to the minors but he refused so they cut bait.

Since the thoracic outlet surgery that ended his 2016 season, Harvey has pitched 119 major league innings, and his 6.77 ERA and 6.22 FIP ranks 160th among the 162 pitchers with at least 100 innings during that span.

But it doesn’t seem to matter the opponent for the Dodgers this season.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA