Article author:
Reuters
The sight of Yu Darvish on the mound of Dodger Stadium always rekindles certain memories. And San Diego's right-handed players pitch in Los Angeles on Saturday as well.
Darvish had a short stay with the Dodgers, but it happened during the 2017 Club World Series. That season, the Houston Astros celebrated the title, leaving Darvish holding the loss.
In the World Series, which became known for the Astros cheating scandal, Darvish gave up five runs (4 goals) at the start of one of his 2/3 innings in the decisive battle. The Los Angeles attack was tied with a knot, and the Astros fired a champagne cork on the ceiling of the changing room at the end of the night.
More sign stealing was suspected. Pitch chips were blamed. Darvish takes full responsibility and started out as a free agent for the Chicago Cubs and is now in his second season at the Padres.
Last season was an All-Star, and this year the ERA was 3.26, 7-3, and Darvish's life is once again good.
He hasn't made a decision against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday after giving up three runs in six innings, but his ERA is only a few in the last four starts (28 innings). It's 1.61. He struck out the season's best nine on Sunday, but the Phillies departed and won 8-5.
"That is, he had to fight fiercely," Padres manager Bob Melvin told the San Diego Union-Tribune about Darvish. "It was hot over there. What did you leave 6 innings, 3 runs, 2 runs leads? Again, he did his job. That's the game we usually win."
Darvish is 2-3 and ERA is 2.09 with seven career starts with the Dodgers.
Los Angeles sends left-handed Tyler Anderson (8-1, 3.23) to the mound. Riding an effective change-up, Anderson offered a stable first half in his first season with the Dodgers.
Anderson was so solid that he hadn't experienced his first defeat until he gave up four runs in Colorado on Monday and hit 10 hits in six innings to hit the season's best.
"Overall, I think there are too many pitches that caught a lot of the plates," Anderson said. "I made some good pitches they hit, and some other hits that caused the damage were just pitches that didn't reach where I wanted."
With 12 career appearances (11 starts) against the Padres, including one this season, Anderson scored 4-3 and 2.63 ERA in 68 1/3 innings.
The Dodgers starter has set high standards in the current series for Anderson to match. Right-handed Tony Gonsolin and Mitchell White have joined and abandoned two runs in the first two games. Both are victories in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers were 4-1 against the Padres this season, 2-0 in the current four-game series, and the team played for the first time in Los Angeles in 2022.
Up-And in a recent attack, the Dodgers got two home runs from Justin Turner on Thursday and a long ball from Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger on Friday.
The Dodgers are 2-0 at homestands in 11 games this season, and star right fielder Mookie Betts could return from cracked ribs at some point next week.
– Field-level media
