Dodgers at Reds, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA and ESPN (no blackout, supposedly)
Dan Haren has fallen on hard times recently, but he’s still got a 5-4 record and a 3.50 ERA. His opponent is LHP Tony Cingrani, who’s got a record of 2-6 with a 4.09 ERA. Cingrani had a good five innings last Wednesday against the Giants but gave up three runs after two outs in the sixth and lost the game.
I think we can assume that some of the Reds really look forward to facing Dan Haren:
Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, right fielder Ryan Ludwick and shortstop Zack Cozart each have a pair of home runs in their careers against Haren. Phillips is 6-for-18 (.333) with five RBIs against the right-hander, Ludwick is 5-for-9 (.556) with four RBIs, and Cozart is 3-for-5 with four RBIs.
Puig and Gordon are still day-to-day. Apparently Gordon is more iffy than Puig, since Puig is in the lineup today.
#Dodgers lineup at Reds:
Figgins 2B
Ramirez SS
Puig RF
Kemp LF
Van Slyke CF
Turner 3B
Romak 1B
Federowicz C
Haren P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 9, 2014
NPUT
The Los Angeles Road Warriors, also known as the Dodgers, now have a 21-12 away record.
SF is 20-12 away, 22-10 at home.
If the Dodgers weren’t 13-19 homekill and had a home record comparable to or better than road–a very reasonable expectation–look how much the NL West standings would change.
On the road, our pitchers give up .25 runs less per game, but our offense increases by a full run (3.8 to 4.8). Our OPS is .705 at home and .760 on the road. A big element of this increase is in OBP. We have about 40 more walks on the road than at home in basically the same number of games.
That walks stat kinda backs up one thing DM was complaining about after the White Sox series.
Said the hitters were swinging at a lot of pitches off the plate, not making WS pitchers throw them strikes.
We don’t seem to strike out all that much more at home, but our babip is about 20 points lower, so may not be getting good wood on those that we connect with.
Finally, we win and the Giants lose.
Well done, Dodgers.
Gordon’s hip appears to be just fine, thank you very much.
Yeah, but if it was just a little bit smaller, he would have stolen that base.
Okay, that turned out very well indeed.
This is not good. Bases loaded, no outs?
oh ye of…
Little faith but long experience. 🙂
That GDP by Hamilton appears to have been a first.
Yep. None last year (his rookie season) and none until today this season.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamilbi02.shtml
Turner has been a pleasant surprise, for the most part.
I think SVS has just muddied the crowded outfield problem even more if/when everyone is healthy at once
Even more muddled because the Dodgers seem committed to playing Kemp in LF to the point that they have SVS in CF! (setting things up for Joc to slide into CF at some point?). SVS could also platoon with Agon depending on whether you’d like to see him or Ethier battle with lefties.
SVS2X4
Tuned back in just in time to hear the HR call! Good for Van Slyke.
Nice to see that from Matty.
Weird way to give up a run.
SVS dinger! Slugging .683 against lefties coming into the game.
with only 3 regulars (if we had our best team all fit and ready) our run scoring potential this game is going to be very interesting
Go Blue! Looking forward to this game, for no rational reason!
maybe because it is going to be game 2 of a yet unknown big winning streak!
Your optimism has been justified, thanks to SVS!
Would be great if Matty started pounding southpaws like he used to. His career numbers righty/lefty are OPS .799/.943. So far in 2014 he is at .877/.464.