Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling is scheduled to make his second major league appearance against the Los Angeles Angels when they meet in the middle game of their three-game interleague series at Angel Stadium on Saturday evening.

He last faced the Angels just over two years ago in his first season with the Dodgers. That game likely stands out to Stripling because it’s the only time he hit a batter in 257 2/3 innings in the majors.

That miscue forced in a run and ended the night after 4 2/3 innings for Stripling Ryan Jensen Color Rush Jersey , who had walked two other batters in the inning. The bullpen then gave up the lead with the inherited runners and Stripling took the loss in the 7-4 defeat at Angel Stadium.

Stripling (6-2, 2.27 ERA) has not only avoided hitting another batter since then, but has mastered his overall control, entering Saturday with 96 strikeouts and just 13 walks this season. His ERA is seventh best in the majors among pitchers with at least 12 starts.

Not bad for a pitcher whose first 10 appearances this season came out of the bullpen, where he’s 0-0 with a 0.59 ERA this season.

Stripling will try to get the Dodgers (47-40) back atop the NL West after Kenley Jansen blew a save in the series opener on Friday night and the Angels won 3-2. The Dodgers had taken over first place for the first time this season while idle on Thursday, but the Arizona Diamondbacks moved back into first with the Dodgers’ loss to the Angels (45-44).

Angels rookie David Fletcher continues to cement himself as a major leaguer. He drove in the tying run with a two-out pinch-hit single off Jansen, then scored the winning run from first on a check-swing single by Ian Kinsler, followed by a throwing error by Dodgers right-fielder Yasiel Puig.

“If I can help the team win, it’s a big deal,” Fletcher told FOX Sports West after the win.

Stripling knows he needs to be sharper on Saturday than he was in his last outing, when he allowed four runs and a season-high nine hits in six innings of a 6-4 victory against the visiting Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Stripling told the Southern California News Group following the game that he didn’t believe he was getting fatigued. Stripling has thrown 83 1/3 innings this season, more than the 77 1/3 he logged last season, but less than the 104 1/3 he accumulated during the 2016 season.

“They’ve seen me throw 80 innings now this year,” he said. “I think they’ve got an idea what’s coming. I’ve just got to stay sharp.”

Angels center fielder Mike Trout faced Stripling twice on May 17, 2016 Jack Mewhort Jersey , and had a solo homer and a two-run single.

Deck McGuire (0-1, 7.56) is scheduled to make his fourth appearance with the Angels after he was acquired from the Texas Rangers for cash considerations on June 19. Texas had claimed the 28-year-old McGuire from the Toronto Blue Jays a few days earlier.

He made two relief appearances for the Angels before making his first start on Sunday and allowed five runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-2 loss against the Baltimore Orioles.

McGuire was sent down to Triple-A Salt Lake following that game, but was recalled on Wednesday, the day Tyler Skaggs was scratched from his scheduled start on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners because of a strained abductor.

McGuire has never faced the Dodgers in his career.

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants will be out to avenge a series defeat on the road last week when they get a rematch with the Miami Marlins in a three-game set that begins Monday night.

The Marlins’ Caleb Smith (5-6, 3.75 ERA) and the Giants’ Andrew Suarez (2-4, 4.92), two young left-handers who dueled Wednesday in Miami, will square off again in the series opener.

Neither pitcher was part of the decision in the Marlins’ 5-4 win on Wednesday, a game in which the Giants blew 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 leads en route to a walk-off defeat.

Brian Anderson’s sacrifice fly off Giants closer Hunter Strickland ended the game, which was the Marlins’ third straight narrow victory to open the series.

The Giants salvaged a game in the finale Thursday, prevailing 6-3 in a 16-inning affair started by San Francisco’s Dereck Rodriguez and Miami’s Dan Straily, who are scheduled to hook up again Tuesday.

Smith allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings in his outing against the Giants last week. It was the first time he faced San Francisco in his career, leaving him with a 0-0 record and 4.26 ERA against them.

The 26-year-old left the team for personal reasons and was placed on the bereavement list later in the week, but he is expected to be reinstated to the active roster in time for Monday’s start.

The second-year major-leaguer has struggled on the road in his career Pat McAfee Jersey , going 3-5 with a 5.68 ERA. He has never pitched in San Francisco.

Among the eight hits he allowed Wednesday was a two-run homer by Andrew McCutchen, who had quite a series against the Marlins, going 7-for-20 with two doubles, two home runs, five runs scored and five RBIs in the three games.

Nick Hundley and Brandon Belt homered for the Giants in their 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, which allowed San Francisco to complete a 4-6 trip.

The Giants have won seven of their last eight home games.

San Francisco played Sunday without third baseman Evan Longoria, who suffered a broken hand Thursday. The Giants also are expecting to be without shortstop Brandon Crawford for the series against the Marlins.

Crawford is scheduled to go on paternity leave Monday, with the birth of his fourth child considered to be imminent.

It’s possible Giants fans will get to see Pablo Sandoval at shortstop in the series. It’s a move San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy indicated could be in the cards after Sandoval was pressed into emergency duty at second base when Joe Panik was injured last month.

“That decision hasn’t been made, until we take a look at Pablo taking a few ground balls at short.” Bochy said recently with a laugh,

Suarez was in line for his third win of the season when he was pulled from last week’s game after five innings with a 3-2 lead. He allowed two runs and five hits in his five innings.

It was the rookie’s first outing against the Marlins. He’s 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA against them.

Smith had two of the Marlins’ five hits off Suarez. He’s now 3-for-20, one of just 30 pitchers to have three or more hits this season.

The Marlins opened a nine-game trip by winning two of three at Baltimore, giving them five wins in their last six games They’ll play three at Colorado later in the week.