After getting rained out Thursday night in Pittsburgh and returning home in the wee hours of the morning, the Dodgers open up a seven-game homestand with the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Clayton Kershaw, who flew home to Los Angeles ahead of the team so he would be rested, gets the start for the Dodgers. Joe Saunders toes the rubber for Arizona.
Kershaw is making his ninth start of the season, and is 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA so far this year. He has won each of his last two starts, allowing three runs in 13 2/3 innings. Kershaw made three starts against the Diamondbacks in 2010 and won all three, striking out 24 and walking seven batters in 19 innings.
Andre Ethier has reached base via hit, walk, or hit by pitch in 35 straight games, the longest streak by a Dodger since Jeff Kent in 2007. Jamey Carroll had a very productive road trip, with a trio of three-hit games, and was 11-for-26 with three walks, hitting .423/.483/.462 in six games.
Saunders gets the start for Arizona, looking for his first win of the season. The southpaw is 0-4 this year with a 5.72 ERA, and has actually gone nine starts without a win dating back to last season. Saunders in his last five starts against the Dodgers, dating back to 2008, has a 3.52 ERA, though he has just one win to show for it.
The Diamondbacks have lost four straight games, and are 1-5 on their current road trip, which has taken them to fellow NL West foes San Diego and San Francisco. Arizona is 5-12 on the road this season. The Dodgers have beaten Arizona in 18 of their last 23 meetings at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are 9-9 at Dodger Stadium this season.
Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised on Prime Ticket. For more news and information on the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.