Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (10:10 pm ET, SPSO)
Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers lock horns in the Game 1 (10:10 pm ET, SPSO) of the four match series. The match is scheduled at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California. The Braves have a 31-22 home, 12-16 away record whereas Dodgers have 31-22 away, 18-8 home record.
In the NL East, over the past two weeks, the Atlanta Braves have vaulted from worst to first. For the first time in a decade, the surging Braves look to win nine straight games. On Wednesday, Atlanta finished a three-game sweep of the defending NL champion Phillies with a 2-1 win. If Atlanta can continue its winning ways over this next stretch, it would certainly be a surprise.
Los Angeles Dodgers team is seeking its fifth consecutive victory on Thursday night. In Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Arizona, Garret Anderson came up with the big hit, driving in Matt Kemp with a two-out single in the 14th inning. Despite Andre Ethier’s struggles at the plate, Los Angeles has won four straight matches. Since coming off the disabled list, Ethier is 1 for 14 in three games after missing the previous 15 because of a broken right pinky finger.
For Los Angeles, Hiroki Kuroda (5-3, 3.55 ERA) takes the ball looking to bounce back from his worst outing of the season. In his first five May starts, Kuroda was tagged for seven runs, five earned and 10 hits in a season-low four innings of Saturday’s 11-3 loss at Colorado, after going 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA in his first five starts in May. Against the Braves, Kuroda is 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA in two starts.
