Sizzling Dodgers look for sweep of Pirates

LOS ANGELES -- After a slow start, the Los Angeles Dodgers are starting to play like the team that won the National League West last season.

The Dodgers (19-14) will go for a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles has won four straight and captured nine of its past 11 contests. The Dodgers have benefitted from a variety of contributors so far, including Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and Yasmani Grandal, among others.

"I think the body of work recently has been really good," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "(Turner) obviously has been good this year, but guys pick each other up, and I think the consistency and potential of our lineup can be special. And so for me and the coaches, it's just continuing to impress on the guys that the effort and focus has to be here every night."

A pair of right-handers, Pittsburgh's Chad Kuhl (1-2, 5.54 ERA) and Los Angeles' Kenta Maeda (2-2, 5.81), will start Wednesday.

Kuhl is 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers. He made his major league debut against Kershaw and the Dodgers on June 26, 2016, at PNC Park, where he and the Pirates claimed a 4-3 win. Kuhl also bested the Dodgers in an 11-3 romp on Aug. 14 at Dodger Stadium.

In his most recent start, Kuhl pitched three scoreless innings last Friday before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers was interrupted by rain.

Kuhl has limited the opposition to two earned runs or fewer in five of his six outings this season. He is 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA in three road starts.

The Pirates (14-19) have lost three in a row after falling 4-3 in 10 innings to the Dodgers on Tuesday. A walk-off double by pinch hitter Austin Barnes sunk Pittsburgh.

"We wanted to win, but we definitely had the opportunity to be able to close it out but weren't able to do it," said Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen, who went 1-for-4 in the loss and broke up a no-hitter by Dodgers lefty Julio Urias with a ground-rule double to lead off the seventh inning. "We fought back, fought hard, but we just weren't able to close it."

Despite the loss, McCutchen continues to hit the ball well against the Dodgers. He has collected a hit in 14 of his past 16 games against Los Angeles, batting .368 with a four home runs, eight doubles and 16 RBI during that stretch.

Maeda hopes to slow McCutchen and the Pirates. He did not factor into the decision in his last start against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, where he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high-tying eight strikeouts and three walks in five innings. Los Angeles emerged with an 8-2 victory.

Maeda has faced the Pirates once, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings in a 6-1 loss on June 25, 2016. He struck out four and walked two.

After the series against the Dodgers, the Pirates visit the Arizona Diamondbacks for a four-game series beginning Thursday.

The Dodgers kick off a seven-game road trip against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.