Dodgers @ Padres May 6, 2017: Battle of the Claytons

Hey, guys, check this out — both starting pitchers in today’s match between the Dodgers and Padres are named Clayton! How’s that for fun? Clayton Kershaw (2.61 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 0.871 WHIP) will battle Clayton Richard (4.29 ERA, 4.58 FIP, 1.486 WHIP) for … I dunno, ultimate Clayton supremacy or something.

We’ve been a bit worried about Clayton Kershaw around these parts. That may seem like a silly thing to say about a pitcher with a 2.61 ERA through six starts, but it is Clayton Kershaw we’re talking about, after all. As Chad wrote about on Tuesday, Kershaw’s having some issues with his slider. Essentially, he’s throwing it harder than in seasons past, but isn’t getting as much movement on it, and as a result it’s been less effective. That’s something to keep an eye on tonight.

In any event, this will be Kershaw’s second time facing the Padres this year, the first time being Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. In that game, he pitched seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out eight.

It will also be Clayton Richard’s second time facing the Dodgers this year. In the second game of the season, Richard pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out five. The Dodgers lost that game, 1-0. Richard has mostly struggled since then, allowing 18 runs (17 earned) across 27.1 IP in his subsequent five starts.

Richard will see a lineup consisting of mostly righties, with the exceptions of Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger (and Kershaw). Joc Pederson may have been reinstated from the DL yesterday, but he’s already being given the night off against a lefty, with Enrique Hernández getting the start in center field instead. Franklin Gutiérrez, another recent DL returnee, is in left field and batting cleanup. It’s his second start since being reinstated on Tuesday, when he went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run. He’s since made two pinch hit appearances, and recorded base hits in both.