Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood carries scoreless innings streak into series with Cubs

The Dodgers have won six of their last eight games. The Cubs have won seven of their last nine.

Both clubs played some sluggish baseball earlier in the year, but as the Cubs come to Dodger Stadium for a weekend series, both appear to be rounding into form for a rematch of the 2016 National League Championship Series. The Cubs took two of three at Wrigley Field in April.

The Dodgers set up their three most reliable pitchers for this weekend. Alex Wood will make his eighth start of the season. He has not given up a run since May 2. He carries a streak of 20 1/3 scoreless innings into Friday.

Wood has been tremendous in his last three outings. He won National League Player of the Week earlier in the month after striking out 21 batters in a pair of games. In his last appearance, on May 19 against Miami, he went 7 1/3 innings. It was his longest outing since 2015.

After starting the season in the bullpen, Wood has established himself as the rotation’s most effective starter besides Clayton Kershaw. He is building a case for his first All-Star appearance. His 1.88 earned-run average is the best in the National League among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings.

Here are the pitching match-ups for this weekend:

Friday: LHP Alex Wood (5-0, 1.88 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (5-3, 4.80 ERA)

Saturday: RHP Brandon McCarthy (4-1, 3.76 ERA) vs. RHP John Lackey (4-4, 4.82 ERA)

Sunday: LHP Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 2.01 ERA) vs. LHP Jon Lester (3-2, 3.19 ERA).

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes