Los Angeles @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2018 ) LA Dodgers 3, San Francisco 1

The Los Angeles Dodgers are doing all they can to overtake streaking Colorado in the National League West, but they’re quickly running out of time. The Dodgers are one game behind the first-place Rockies with two to play, including Saturday’s matinee against the host San Francisco Giants.

Justin Turner belted a two-run homer and Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed six strong innings in the series-opening 3-1 victory on Friday as the Dodgers moved two games ahead of St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot. Kenley Jansen recorded his 38th save and the Dodgers turned five double plays to improve to 22-10 since Aug. 24. Los Angeles will send ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound Saturday to face Dereck Rodriguez and a Giants team that has lost 19 of its last 24 contests. Rookie catcher Aramis Garcia has provided a late spark for San Francisco, going 17-for-54 with four homers and nine RBIs in 15 starts since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet LA (Los Angeles), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (9-5, 2.53 ERA) vs. Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (6-4, 2.50)

Kershaw won his sixth straight decision on Monday, when he allowed three runs and registered six strikeouts over six innings against Arizona. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has gone 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA and 73 strikeouts in his last 12 starts. Brandon Crawford is 5-for-40 with 12 strikeouts against Kershaw, who is 22-10 with a stellar 1.58 ERA in 44 career games (43 starts) versus San Francisco – including an 0-1 record and 1.29 ERA in three outings this season.

One of the few bright spots for the Giants this season, Rodriguez struggled in his last outing but escaped with a no-decision after giving up four runs over six innings Saturday against St. Louis. The 26-year-old rookie had recorded 15 consecutive starts of allowing three runs or fewer before last Saturday’s contest. Rodriguez, who has never faced the Dodgers, owns a 2.15 ERA in 12 home games (11 starts) compared to a 3.05 mark in eight games (seven starts) away from AT&T Park.

WALK-OFFS

1. If the Dodgers and Rockies finish tied atop the NL West, there will be a one-game playoff for the division on Monday in Los Angeles.

2. San Francisco is 21-68 when scoring three runs or fewer compared to 52-19 when plating four-or-more runs.

3. Dodgers SS Manny Machado is 8-for-28 with two homers, eight RBIs and three runs scored during his seven-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 6, Giants 2