Rival aces Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner will face off for the ninth time in a National League West showdown Friday, which is Jackie Robinson Day. The game will kick off a three-game series in Los Angeles.
Every player in the Major Leagues will wear a No. 42 jersey on Friday in celebration of the 69th anniversary of the Dodgers' Hall of Famer breaking baseball's color barrier.
Kershaw and Bumgarner squared off less than a week ago at AT&T Park, where both shined, but neither received a decision. While Bumgarner was likely happy to knock out his second career home run against his counterpart, Kershaw got the last laugh as the Dodgers notched an extra-innings 3-2 win on the Giants' home turf, their sole win of the weekend's four-game series.
Now, they meet at Dodger Stadium, where Bumgarner owns a 2.12 ERA in 13 games, his third best mark in National League stadiums. Kershaw has an even better mark on his home field, with a 2.07 ERA.
Things to know about this game
• Giants catcher Buster Posey has stepped into the batter's box against Kershaw more times than any player in the Major Leagues, but he has struggled with a .228/.256/.329 line in 75 plate appearances. That's his worst OPS against any pitcher with a minimum of 25 plate appearances.
• The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez has fared even worse against Bumgarner. The first baseman's .151/.191/.200 in 47 plate appearances adds up to his worst OPS against any of the 49 pitchers he's faced 25 times or more in his career.
• Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner is expected to return to the lineup after sustaining a left hand injury in Wednesday's win over the D-backs. X-rays came back negative and manager Dave Roberts indicated Turner's only problems were soreness and swelling
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