Cubs @ Dodgers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Chicago Cubs (38-31)

@ Los Angeles Dodgers (47-23)

Starting Pitchers:

Darvish (CHC): 2-3; 4.98 ERA

Buehler (LAD) 7-1; 3.35 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Chicago Cubs: 5-5

Los Angeles Dodgers: 6-4

Current odds:

Chicago Cubs: (+170)

Los Angeles Dodgers: (-185)

• Yu Darvish returns to the mound on which he suffered through a miserable Game 7 of the 2017 World Series when the Chicago Cubs visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday for the third contest of their four-game series. Darvish, then with the Dodgers, was hammered for five runs in 1 2/3 innings of a 5-1 loss to Houston and indicated that he expects to be booed by the fans in his return to Dodger Stadium. Darvish said he is looking forward to putting the World Series debacle behind him, and Chicago manager Joe Maddon feels the Japanese right-hander will rise to the challenge. “I think he’s going to come out here with a different mindset,” Maddon told reporters. “I think a lot of that’s going to be in his rear-view mirror, I do. He’ll admit to the fact that there’s going to be hurdles to get over for him – I get that. But I think he’s been better at putting things in the rear-view mirror more recently.”

• The Dodgers are playing long ball, hitting six homers while winning the first two games of the series, and Matt Beaty belted a two-run shot – his first in the major leagues – while Justin Turner launched a solo blast in Friday’s 5-3 victory. Los Angeles has won 11 of its last 12 home games as it enters the third contest of an 11-game homestand.

• Darvish has gone eight starts without a decision since defeating Arizona on April 27. The 32-year-old allowed four runs and six hits over six innings against Colorado in his last turn. Darvish, who never has faced Los Angeles, went 1-2 with a 4.84 ERA in four regular-season starts at Dodger Stadium in his short stint with the franchise.

• Buehler has registered 20 strikeouts and issued one walk while winning his last two starts, giving up one run and seven hits in 15 innings during the stretch. The 24-year-old blanked San Francisco on five hits over seven innings in his last turn and has yielded fewer than two runs in five of his last six outings. Buehler did not factor in the decision against Chicago on April 24, when he allowed three runs and four hits over 5 2/3 innings, and is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two career appearances (one start) versus the club.

• Dodgers RF Cody Bellinger, who hit two homers in the opener, reached base three times on a single and two walks on Friday.

• Chicago 3B-RF Kris Bryant has homered in each of the first two games of the series while going 4-for-6 with two walks and four runs scored.

• Los Angeles INF-OF Chris Taylor was hitless in four at-bats on Friday and is 6-for-41 this month.