Step one on the path to regaining confidence was figuring out ways of winning no matter what, and that defines the previous series against the Royals—a hard-fought sweep with three close games against one of the worst teams in the sport. Step two is managing to carry on these results against superior opposition such as they’ll face in this four-game set versus the Brewers, owners of the best record in the National League for the second year in a row.
As if turning Kyle Harrison into a dominant starter wasn’t enough, the Brewers have managed to develop Shane Drohan into a solid one. Drohan was acquired alongside Harrison in an offseason trade with the Red Sox that sent Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to Boston. Coming off his worst outing of the season, in which he allowed six runs in a loss against the Twins, Drohan will be making his third appearance of the year. Drohan twice appeared in relief when the Dodgers visited the Brewers back in May, allowing three runs, two of them earned, in 4.1 innings.
For Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers starter in this series opener, who will only be making his second start at home in the last month, the matchup with the Brewers has its appeal. The starting pitcher with the highest HR/9 currently on the Dodgers staff, Sasaki, will face the team with the lowest number of home runs in all of baseball. Milwaukee enters play today with 111 home runs; for the purposes of comparison, that’s 44 fewer long balls than the Dodgers, who are tied for sixth overall. Keeping the ball in the yard, Sasaki has a chance to improve over .500, currently with a 5-5 record.
Thursday’s game info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Brewers
- Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
- Start time: 7:10 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)