Dodgers Open Homestand with Key Matchup Against Rangers
The Los Angeles Dodgers return to Chavez Ravine after a 5-1 start to their first road trip. They begin a six-game homestand with the Texas Rangers as their opening opponent.
Series preview
The Rangers enter the matchup at 7-5. That record puts them atop the American League West. They are currently the only team in the division with a winning mark.
Texas was swept by the Cincinnati Reds before sweeping the Seattle Mariners. They arrive in Los Angeles seeking a stronger offensive push.
Starting pitchers
Kumar Rocker, Rangers
Texas plans to start Kumar Rocker in his second major league outing. In his debut last Saturday, he conceded two runs in the first inning. Defensive miscues contributed to those early runs.
Rocker settled after that and worked four scoreless frames. He stranded a runner at third with no outs in his final inning.
Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers
The Dodgers will counter with Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow has completed six innings in each of his two starts so far.
Across those outings he has allowed four hits and two earned runs. His early form gives Los Angeles confidence going into this matchup.
Offense and team trends
Texas has struggled for consistent run production. The Rangers have not scored more than three runs in any of their last seven games.
The Dodgers hope to rekindle the bats that produced 45 runs in four games early in their road trip. Offense will be a key factor in this series.
Roster notes and analytics
The Rangers feature former Dodgers Corey Seager and Joc Pederson. Andrew McCutchen also joined Texas this season.
On replay trends, the Rangers have used just 12 challenges under the new ABS system. Nine came from batters and three from catchers.
The Dodgers have registered 22 challenges. Six were from batters and 16 from catchers.
Promotions
Friday night marks the first of two Shohei Ohtani “greatest game” bobblehead giveaways. The figure commemorates his three-home-run performance in Game 3 of the NLCS versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
As the Dodgers open homestand, they face a key matchup against the Rangers at Chavez Ravine. Filmogaz.com will provide series coverage and updates throughout the homestand.
