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Clayton Kershaw makes his fourth start of the season on Thursday afternoon, and his fourth career start against the Mariners.
He’s won all three career starts against the Mariners, including both in Seattle (2012, 2018). Kershaw is also coming off seven strong innings last Friday in Anaheim, allowing only one hit and one run.
Dodgers-Mariners lineups
| Pos | Dodgers | Pos | Mariners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Dodgers | Pos | Mariners |
| RF | Betts | LF | Haggerty (S) |
| LF | Pollock | SS | Moore |
| 3B | Turner | DH | Lewis |
| CF | Bellinger (L) | 3B | Seager (L) |
| SS | Taylor | 1B | Nola |
| 1B | Muncy (L) | RF | Lopes |
| 2B | Hernández | 2B | Long (L) |
| C | Barnes | CF | Bishop |
| DH | Beaty (L) | C | Odom |
Kershaw enters Thursday with 2,482 career strikeouts, just four behind Don Drysdale for second-most in Dodgers history. Kershaw currently ranks 40th on the all-time MLB strikeout list.
Corey Seager gets a day of rest in the series finale, his first healthy scratch of the season. Chris Taylor starts at shortstop, his ninth start at the position this season. Taylor has also started five games in left field, four times at second base, and three times at designated hitter.
At designated hitter on Thursday for the Dodgers is Matt Beaty, who bats ninth against Mariners lefty Yusei Kikuchi. This is just the ninth time in franchise history a Dodgers DH is batting ninth, and the first since Chase Utley against the White Sox on July 8, 2017.
Also included in that group is Vic Davallilo, who started at DH in Game 6 of the 1978 World Series, at Dodger Stadium. From 1976-85, designated hitter usage wasn’t based on the home park but rather used in every game of the World Series in every even year.