Giants' Anthony DeSclafani tries again to solve Dodgers

San Francisco Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani likely would have made his first All-Star team this season if not for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 31-year-old veteran is 0-2 with a 10.95 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers this season. He is 10-2 with a 1.78 ERA against all other opponents. DeSclafani (10-4, 2.78 ERA) will get another chance to figure out the Dodgers when he takes the mound in the finale of a four-game series on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. "They're definitely aggressive against me, no question," DeSclafani said after his last start against the Dodgers on June 28, when he gave up three runs on five hits over five innings in a 3-2 defeat. DeSclafani will be up against fellow right-hander Walker Buehler, who was selected to the NL All-Star team after an impressive first half that included a 2-0 record and a 0.92 ERA in three starts against the Giants. Buehler has been sharp against San Francisco throughout his career, owning a 6-0 mark and a 2.17 ERA in 10 career (eight starts). Buehler (10-1, 2.37 ERA) started the second half much the way he cruised through the first, holding the Colorado Rockies to two runs and four hits in seven innings of a 9-2 win in Denver on Saturday. Buehler retired the final 13 batters he faced, including six by strikeouts. "There's an expectation for the guys that are in (the rotation) to go deep, and it's a focus of mine," Buehler said. After the Giants won the series opener 7-2 on Monday, the past two games have been settled in dramatic fashion. Will Smith hit a walk-off, three-run homer to lift the Dodgers to an 8-6 win on Tuesday, and Wilmer Flores hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the ninth inning to lead the Giants to a 4-2 win on Wednesday. The latest result moved the first-place Giants two games ahead of the second-place Dodgers in the NL West. San Francisco has been atop the division since May 31. "We've got to find a way to salvage a series," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the loss on Wednesday. Expect the Dodgers to continue being aggressive with their swings. Chris Taylor socked three home runs in the past two games while hitting in the leadoff spot in place of Mookie Betts, who has been limited to one pinch-hit appearance in the past four contests because of a right hip pointer. Taylor homered twice on Tuesday night before Smith delivered his walk-off blow. Max Muncy and Justin Turner accounted for both Los Angeles runs on Monday night with back-to-back homers in the first inning. Turner was not in the starting lineup Wednesday after getting hit in the left knee by a pitch the night before, but he pinch-hit in the ninth and flied out. DeSclafani felt the sting of the long ball in his last outing against the Dodgers, who scored all three of their runs on solo homers by Betts, Muncy and Smith. "They obviously put three really good swings on the ball, and it ended up going against me," DeSclafani said at the time. "But if you make good pitches, it can also lead to really quick outs." In his career against Los Angeles, DeSclafani is 1-7 with a 6.32 ERA in nine starts. --Field Level Media