Game Thread: Joe Musgrove vs the Dodgers

Hyun-jin Ryu (6-1, 1.52) takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, to be faced by Joe Musgrove (3-4, 3.67), as the Pirates desperately cling to their 25-23 winning record against the National league’s winningest team.

The oft-injured Ryu, once the best starting pitcher in South Korea before coming to the Dodgers in 2013, returned to regular action in mid-2018, posting a 1.93 ERA in 15 starts and has continued that success this year, as his 1.52 ERA in 9 starts leads major league baseball. He’s working on a string of 31 consecutive scoreless innings, having not allowed a run in any of his last three starts. He faced the Pirates in Los Angeles on April 26, allowing two runs in seven innings, as he struck out ten without a walk.

Ryu’s fastball averages 90.5 mph, the same as always, which he primarily complements with a change, while also throwing a curve and slider. He hasn’t had to worry about platoon splits, as this year Ryu has allowed only a .525 OPS to right-handed batters and .505 to lefties, but nonetheless, he will face eight Pirates swinging from the right side.

Musgrove is coming off two good starts. On May 14 vs the Diamondbacks he tossed seven one-hit shutout innings and followed that up on May 19 when he didn’t give up a hit until the fifth and had a shutout through six before faltering in the seventh, when he allowed three runs.

Seven of the Dodgers’ starting lineup, including the first five batters, will bat left-handed against Musgrove, who has allowed a .694 OPS to left-handed batters this year, compared to a miniscule .491 by right-handers.

.

DODGERS

1 L Joc Pederson LF

2 L Max Muncy 3B

3 L Cory Seager SS

4 L Cody Bellinger RF

5 L Matt Beaty 1B

6 R Russell Martin C

7 L Alex Verdugo CF

8 R Chris Taylor 2B

9 L Hyun-jin Ryu LHP

.

PIRATES

1 L Adam Frazier 2B

2 S Bryan Reynolds LF

3 R Starling Marte CF

4 S Josh Bell 1B

5 S Melky Cabrera RF

6 R Kevin Newman 3B

7 R Francisco Cervelli C

8 S Cole Tucker SS

9 R Joe Musgrove RHP