Aug 21

Game 121, 2015

Dodgers at Astros, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

Brett Anderson (7-7, 3.48 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and Mike Fiers (5-9, 3.87 ERA) goes for the Astros.

Anderson probably needs to be watched carefully by the Dodgers, since he’s pitched more innings (134 2/3) this season than in any year since 2009. So far he’s done very well; two-thirds of his starts have been quality ones.

Fiers came over from the Brewers with Carlos Gomez at the trade deadline. This will be his fourth start for the Astros, his second at home in Minute Maid Park.

Chase Utley will likely start at second base for the Dodgers. Yasiel Puig is day-to-day, but he might be the DH in this interleague game (it still seems odd that the Astros are now in the American League and not a team the Dodgers play regularly).

Lineup when available.

Aug 19

Game 120, 2015

Jerry Hairston, after last night’s bullpen failure: “That’s the 25th time in his career the bullpen has blown a game Kershaw was in line to win.”

Dodgers at Athletics, 12:35PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSNCA

Ordinarily this would be Mat Latos’ turn in the Dodgers’ rotation, but he’s temporarily moving to the bullpen “to get the most starts possible out of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.” In other words, the Dodgers are going to a four-man rotation for a few weeks. They can do this because of days off this week and next.

That means Alex Wood will pitch for the Dodgers today. He’s 8-7 with a 3.74 ERA and got his first win as a Dodger his last time out. He went 6 1/3 innings against the Reds on August 14, giving up five hits and three earned runs while walking three and striking out three.

His opponent will be Jesse Chavez, who’s tied for most losses in the AL with twelve. He’s 4-5 with a 2.92 ERA at home, though, and that’s where the game will be played.

Lineup when available.

Aug 18

Game 119, 2015

Dodgers at Athletics, 7:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSNCA

Clayton Kershaw brings his 10-6 record and his 2.39 ERA to bear against Felix Doubront (1-1, 4.59 ERA), making his first start for the As since coming over from the Blue Jays at the deadline. He’s made two relief appearances for them. I found this rather dismissive summary of him at Yahoo Sports:

Doubront has bounced around, beginning the year with the Cubs in spring training and getting another chance in Toronto before joining the A’s at the trade deadline. The journeyman left-hander can probably be ignored for fantasy purposes.

Now that’s cold!

Hmm. The International Scouting department has just undergone a facelift. Or possibly a purge. Depends on how you look at it.

From Sunday:

Lineup:

Aug 16

Blog note

I know the comments are loading slowly. I suspect the reason is that there are now 489 posts and 26,243 comments in the SQL database for the blog. I’m not sure how to solve that unless there’s a way to archive previous years. I’m going to look for something like that.

Aug 16

Game 118, 2015

Reds at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Two righthanders face off in the series finale. The Dodgers send Zack Greinke out in search of his 13th win to go along with his league-leading 1.59 ERA, and the Reds send out yet another rookie pitcher, their third in a row this weekend. This one is named Anthony DeSclafani. He’s 7-7 with a 3.75 ERA and has made 23 starts for the Reds this season. In his last four games he’s gone at least six innings and won two of them.

Greinke might want to pitch carefully to Joey Votto. The Reds’ first baseman is 10-24 with three HRs and four walks in his career against him.

Lineup when available.

Late breaking news, non-baseball variety: 8 lbs, 9 oz, 19.5″. Those are the vital stats on Kaden Isaiah Jansen, born at 9:58AM PT today.

Aug 15

Game 117, 2015

Reds at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

I don’t know why the early start time, but there it is. Tune in an hour ahead of the usual, folks.

The Dodgers will face a lefty for the second day in a row as the Reds send out David Holmberg, who’s 1-1 with a 3.06 ERA this season (3-3, 4.38 in his short career). Brett Anderson will be his opponent. He is coming off one of his worst outings all year: he gave up ten hits, seven runs and three walks to the Nats on Monday. For the season, though, Anderson is 6-7 with a 3.43 ERA. He hasn’t gotten much run support recently: the Dodgers have scored all of 16 runs in his last six starts.

Lineup when available.

Aug 14

Game 116, 2015

Reds at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

The Reds trot out rookie (and lefty) John Lamb to make his MLB debut. He was 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA for the Reds’ AAA Louisville Bats this season after going 9-1 for the Royals’ AAA Omaha Storm Chasers. The Dodgers counter with Alex Wood, who is 0-1 in two starts for the Dodgers after his acquisition from the Braves in July.

Lineup when available.

Aug 13

Game 115, 2015

Reds at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

Cincinnati has had a disappointing season as shown by their trades of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, but they can still be dangerous. They send rookie righthander Keyvius Sampson (1-1, 3.00 ERA) to the mound for his third big league start. He’ll face the Dodgers’ Mat Latos (4-8, 4.67 ERA), who’s making his third start for the Dodgers since arriving in trade from the Marlins. Latos has had one good outing against the Angels and one bad outing against the Pirates.

Lineup when available.

Aug 12

Game 114, 2015

Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN

Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.51 ERA) against Jordan Zimmermann (8-7, 3.44 ERA). Two staff aces going against one another.


Need I say more?

Oh, okay. Carl Crawford is hitting .455 against Zimmermann in their career meetings. Ryan Zimmerman has hit .438 against Kershaw in their career meetings.

Lineup when available.

Okay, I understand Crawford’s playing because he hits Zimmermann, but no Rollins?

Aug 11

Game 113, 2015

Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN

“Zack, Save Us!” Well, maybe that’s overwrought. Nonetheless, the Dodgers are hoping that Zack Greinke, who’s 11-2 with a Major League-leading 1.71 ERA, can stop their four-game losing streak. If nothing else, they’re hoping he can get to the seventh or eighth inning so they don’t have to go to their beleaguered bullpen before then.

Greinke’s mound opponent will be rookie righthander Joe Ross, who’s 3-3 with a 2.80 ERA, 47 strikeouts and only four walks in 45 big league innings.

It’s Lakers Night at the ballpark, which is probably not as big a deal after the last two seasons the basketball team has had as it would be if we were still in the 1980s.

Lineup: