Tonight at 10:10 p.m. two former Cy Young winners will do battle in a match between fierce interstate rivals. Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 2.06 ERA) of the Los Angeles Dodgers will face off against Tim Lincecum (4-7, 4.52 ERA) of the San Francisco Giants in a game that can be live streamed here. Dodgers fans can hear the game on 570 Fox Sports LA, while the Giants broadcast can be heard on KNBR 680.
Kershaw has looked every bit the ace that he is in 2013, despite his pedestrian win-loss record. He is allowing just 6.4 hits per nine innings, nearly the lowest rate of his career, and carrying a sub 1.00 WHIP of 0.998.
The specter of facing Kershaw becomes more daunting now that the Dodgers lineup has picked up its production significantly. Center fielder Matt Kemp has rejoined the order, ready to bolster the soaring tandem of Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez.
Much has been said of Puig, a hotshot rookie batting .420 with seven big flies and 14 RBI to go with two stolen bases, making him a true power and speed combination. Ramirez, too, has exploded in 2013 after pushing through his myriad injuries.
In the last seven days, Ramirez has hit .364 with three home runs and six RBI. He has forced opponents to feed Puig, and with Kemp back this lineup has been transformed from anemic to frightening.
They'll be facing Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young winner who has fallen off a cliff in terms of results over the last two years. Lincecum has lost much of his sizzle from his debut in MLB as "The Freak."
Three of his last four outings have been quality starts, and he could be a crucial cog in getting the World Series champions back on track.
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