Milwaukee @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 1, 2018 ) Milwaukee 4, LA Dodgers 6

Turning the calendar did nothing to slow down Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, who homered twice Wednesday after batting .364 in July. Now tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks atop the National League West, the Dodgers aim for a split of their four-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

Rich Hill tossed six strong innings and Grandal belted a walk-off blast in the 10th inning as the Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak with Wednesday’s 6-4 victory. Brian Dozier, who was acquired Tuesday from the Minnesota Twins, made his Dodgers debut and went 3-for-4 with a solo homer while hitting fifth and playing second base. Milwaukee fell to 5-2 on its eight-game road trip as newly acquired infielder Jonathan Schoop started at second base and went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Lorenzo Cain had three hits but Christian Yelich’s 15-game hitting streak came to an end as the Brewers fell one game back of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Jhoulys Chacin (10-3, 3.45 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 2.52)

Chacin tossed seven innings of one-run ball in last Saturday's 7-1 victory over San Francisco after becoming the first pitcher in Brewers history to allow two or fewer hits without walking a batter in consecutive starts. The 30-year-old native of Venezuela, who walked one versus the Giants, has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his last three outings. Chacin is 11-8 with a 4.03 ERA in 25 career games (24 starts) against Los Angeles, including 5-4 with a 4.08 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw turned in a dominant outing Friday against Atlanta, allowing one run over a season-high 7 2/3 innings in a 4-1 victory. “That was vintage Kershaw,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “That was as good as I remember him since last year. The off-balance swings, the depth of the slider, the velocity held.” The three-time Cy Young award winner owns a 5-5 record and 2.85 ERA in 13 career starts versus Milwaukee but has struggled to contain Yelich (7-for-14 with a home run).

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 3B Justin Turner (groin) is expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to Thursday’s game.

2. The Brewers optioned Tyler Saladino to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Schoop.

3. Dodgers OF Matt Kemp ended a 0-for-26 slump with a leadoff single in the 10th inning Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Brewers 2