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LOS ANGELES — At 48 home runs this month and counting http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-sylvester-williams-jersey , the Los Angeles Dodgers are closing in fast on a franchise record that, while impressive, has not been around all that long.

In June of last season, buoyed by the arrival of slugging first baseman Cody Bellinger, the Dodgers hit 53 home runs. No Dodgers team had hit that many before the calendar turned a page, although the 1953 team did hit 49 home runs in two separate months.

Poised to slow the Dodgers’ current home run train is the Chicago Cubs‘ Kyle Hendricks, who will pitch Wednesday in the third game of the current series. It is the second series in two weeks between the participants of last year’s National League Championship Series.

If he needs a model to follow, Jon Lester’s outing Tuesday would be a good one. Lester went five innings and the Cubs did not allow a long ball to the powerful Dodgers lineup in a 9-4 victory.

The Dodgers’ power explosion has been particularly impressive considering that not too many balls were flying out of the park early in the season. The Dodgers hit 25 home runs in March/April and 31 in May. Now this.

“Our lineup is built to slug,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We have guys that can hit a homer, doesn’t matter where they hit in the lineup. But everyone is capitalizing on the mistakes and taking the pitches when they need to.”

For Hendricks http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kerryon-johnson-jersey , he has given up three home runs in four June starts and 14 already this season. The most he has ever given up in a season is 17 in both 2015 and 2017.

Of more concern for Hendricks is that the Cubs have lost four of his last five starts. On Thursday at Cincinnati, he lasted just 5 2/3 innings and the Cubs lost the first of four consecutive games against the Reds. The right-hander has given up 13 June runs. He is 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three regular season starts against the Dodgers.

“I’ve got to stick with what I’m doing,” Hendricks said, according to MLB.com. “I felt better (Thursday). I made better pitches. I convicted the pitches. The last inning, I wasn’t repeating my mechanics, got out of it. Before that, everything was good.”

It was not that long ago when Dodgers starter Alex Wood was trying to find some consistency. But a mechanical adjustment on the club’s previous homestand, along with the resolution of leg cramps that affected some of his early-season starts have changed his fortunes.

Wood has won each of his last two starts, including an outing Friday against the New York Mets when he gave up two runs over six innings with seven strikeouts. He is 2-2 lifetime against the Cubs with a 2.93 ERA in eight games (five starts).

While the Dodgers have been slugging their way back to respectability this month, the Cubs have been in a prolonged offensive funk. But the tide appeared to turn Tuesday.

Cubs hitting coach Chili Davis held a meeting with the position players Tuesday afternoon and the club’s hitters went out and scored nine runs with 15 hits on Tuesday.

“Around the (batting practice) cage I have been talking to some of the guys and had some really good conversations http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-tracy-walker-jersey ,” manager Joe Maddon said. “But with Chili today, he wanted to talk to the guys about (things) specifically.”

WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals will look to continue their domination of the Baltimore Orioles when they play the penultimate game of this season’s Beltway Series Wednesday night at Nationals Park.

Trea Turner went 4-for-4 with a homer, and Anthony Rendon drove in three runs as the Nationals rallied for a 9-7 win on Tuesday night. Washington has won six straight over Baltimore, including all four games this season.

Washington trailed 4-1 entering the fifth inning. Baltimore loaded the bases but scored only one run, that coming on Manny Machado’s double-play grounder. The Nationals loaded the bases and tied it with a four-run fifth and then won it with four in the seventh as Rendon’s two-run double put them ahead.

“This team is starting to become relentless and when you start doing that you put up runs late and that’s a good sign,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said after his team collected 14 hits. “They kept pounding and pounding and pounding, had a couple of big innings there and scored some runs.”

Adam Eaton had two hits and two RBIs for the Nationals (39-32), who have outscored the Orioles by a combined 20-9.

Turner, moved down to the sixth spot in the lineup Tuesday night, homered in the second inning http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-da_shawn-hand-jersey , added a pair of singles and ended his night with a double in the seventh.

“I feel like I’ve been getting decent pitches to hit, just fouling them off or missing them and today it kind of clicked for me,” he said. “I’ve been trying to make some adjustments and felt better.”

Baltimore (20-51) got two-run homers from Jace Peterson and Trey Mancini, and a solo shot from Joey Rickard.

“There were a lot of good at-bats and walks and we didn’t get too overanxious against their first pitcher, but we just weren’t able to stem the tide,” manager Buck Showalter said after the Orioles lost for the 17th time in 20 games.

Washington’s Gio Gonzalez (6-3, 3.01 ERA) opposes Andrew Cashner (2-8, 4.98) in the middle game of the three-game set.

After a solid first two months of the season, Gonzalez has slipped in June. In his last three starts he has given up 12 runs and 20 hits over 16 1/3 innings (6.61 ERA), though Washington won two of the three.

In his last start http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jk-scott-jersey , he allowed five runs on nine hits over six-plus innings in a loss to Toronto. He allowed two home runs after giving up just five in his previous 13 starts this season.

Gonzalez is 2-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Orioles, though he pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over Baltimore on May 28.

Manny Machado is 5-for-16 against Gonzalez, while Adam Jones is 7-for-32 and Mark Trumbo 4-for-20.

Cashner will be activated off the disabled list after missing 10 days due to lower back soreness. The 31-year-old right-hander will be looking to end a personal three-game losing streak, during which the Orioles have scored a total of three runs.

Last time out, Cashner gave up three runs on nine hits over six innings in a 5-1 loss at Toronto.

Cashner is 3-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 13 career games (eight starts) versus Washington.

Daniel Murphy is 6-for-12 against Cashner, Bryce Harper is 5-for-11, and Anthony Rendon is 5-for-12 with a homer.