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The Dodgers will travel to Tampa where they’ll take on the Rays for only the fourth time at Tropicana Field. Their record all-time on the road versus the Rays is 4-4.
This is the first time both teams have met since 2016, when Tampa Bay played three games at Dodger Stadium.
Both teams will meet having some of the best records in all of baseball. The Dodgers currently have the best record in the National League, and the Rays have the fourth best record in the American League. At the moment, Tampa Bay sits 1⁄2 a game out of first place in their division.
Tuesday: Clayton Kershaw (3-0, 3.40 ERA) vs. TBA
First pitch: 4:10 pm PDT
This will be the first career start at Tropicana Field for Clayton Kershaw. It’ll be the second career start he’ll make against the Rays. He faced them at Dodger Stadium back in 2013, he allowed one run in eight innings, while striking out eight.
It’s been an “uncharacteristic” start to the season for Kershaw so far. His ERA sits at 3.40, which is high by his standards. He’s coming off a seven-inning outing against the Padres. It’s the third time he’s gone seven innings this season, and has gone at least six innings in all six of his starts. If you take out his four-walk outing against Milwaukee, his strikeout-to-walk ratio has been great all season. In his five other starts, he has 29 strikeouts and only three walks. It’s been the long ball that has hurt Kershaw so far this year, as he’s allowed seven home runs so far.
The Rays, to no surprise, have yet to announce who will be starting for them on Tuesday.
Wednesday: Rich Hill (1-1, 3.00 ERA) vs. TBA
First pitch: 4:10 pm PDT
Rich Hill is fresh off his best outing of the year. Last week in Cincinnati, he struck out 10, a season-high. He also threw six scoreless innings, while walking none and allowing only two hits. Just like Kershaw, Hill has a great strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season, as it currently sits at 8-to-1.
This will be Hill’s sixth appearance at Tropicana Field, and his third career start. He has a 2.51 ERA in 14 1⁄3 innings pitched. He’s struck out 19, and allowed seven hits.
Tampa Bay, yet again, has not yet announced a starter for Wednesday’s contest.