Roberts looks for home improvement
05/10 Reds at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. PT:
Chris Taylor SS
Joc Pederson CF
Yasmani Grandal C
Cody Bellinger 1B
Matt Kemp LF
Chase Utley 2B
Yasiel Puig RF
Max Muncy 3B
Walker Buehler P
by Rowan Kavner
As the Dodgers try to move to .500 at home, they welcome a team they’ve had no problem with the past few years.
The Dodgers swept the season series with the Reds, 6–0, last year and have won 17 of their last 19 games against Cincinnati since the start of 2015. The Dodgers’ nine-game home winning streak against Cincinnati is the longest active home winning streak by any National League team against an NL opponent.
However, playing at home hasn’t gone the way manager Dave Roberts would’ve liked through the early portion of the season.
While the Reds enter the series with the worst record in the National League, Roberts’ club starts the four-game series 8–9 at home this year with a 16–20 record overall.
“For us, regardless of the opponent, we want to be better at home,” Roberts said. “You’ve got the fans, to be under .500 at home (is) inexcusable.”
The quest to return to .500 at home will fall in the right hand of Walker Buehler, who makes his first start since beginning the first combined no-hitter in Dodger franchise history last Friday in Mexico.
Thursday night will mark the fourth Major League start for Buehler, who’s allowed just two runs in 16 innings this year, holding his opponent scoreless in two of his first three starts.
This is just the fourth series for the Dodgers facing an opponent outside their division.
Quick Hits
- Justin Turner participated in another simulated game Thursday. Both Turner and Logan Forsythe, who returns to Los Angeles to get evaluated Thursday, are likely to head out on rehab assignments this weekend to either Single-A Rancho Cucamonga or Triple-A Oklahoma City.
- Reds starting pitcher Tyler Mahle will be batting eighth in the order.
