Monthly Archives: September 2015

Sep 08

Game 138, 2015

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Dodgers at Angels, 7:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSW

Kershaw versus Heaney. The prime-time pitcher versus the rookie. Heaney, briefly a Dodger last winter, is 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA. Kershaw is 12-6 with a 2.18 ERA.

Kershaw will want to be wary of Pujols, who is hitting .440 off the Dodgers’ ace and has a .563 on-base percentage, the third-highest mark by anyone with at least 10 at-bats against him.

Lineup when available.

Load up with right-handed hitters!

Sep 07

Game 137, 2015

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Dodgers at Angels, 6:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSW

Down I-5 (or maybe up, considering they just played four games in San Diego) to Anaheim, home of the Angels. Pujols and Trout versus Greinke and Kershaw. The Angels are 5-5 over their last ten games, which has left them 5 1/2 games behind the Astros in the AL West and 2 1/2 games behind in the race for the AL’s second Wild Card.

Today the Dodgers send Zack Greinke out in search of his 16th win to go along with his MLB-leading ERA of 1.59. The Angels send out Nick Tropeano, who’s had three separate single-game stints with the team earlier in the year and is a September call-up. He’s 1-2 with a 5.51 ERA in MLB this year. In his tours with the AAA Salt Lake City Bees he was 3-6 with a 4.81 ERA.

Odd fact: “The Angels lead the all-time series against the Dodgers, 57-46. But the Dodgers swept the Angels in August and have won the last six meetings.”

Lineup when available.

Sep 06

Game 136, 2015

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Dodgers at Padres, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

Brett Anderson (8-8, 3.43 ERA) goes for the Dodgers, while Andrew Cashner (5-13, 4.15 ERA) pitches for the Padres. Anderson is looking for his third straight win and fourth in his last five starts. He’ll have to do it against a lineup he’s mostly never seen; the last time he faced the Padres was in 2009 when he was with Oakland. Cashner’s record is a little misleading; he’s had 22 unearned runs scored against him in his 26 starts.

Anderson is in uncharted territory. He’s pitched more innings (152 1/3) than he has since his rookie year in 2009 when he threw 175 1/3. He’s got more quality starts this year (16) than he’s ever had in a season. The difference is that he’s been healthy all year.

“It takes a while to get this body going,” Anderson joked. “I have to get here a little bit earlier than most guys and do my core stuff and back stuff. It’s not fun, but it’s one of those necessary evils. I’d rather not have to do it, but it’s the cards I was dealt with.”

Lineup:


Huh. Turner at second, Seager at third. Oh well, why not?

Sep 05

Game 135, 2015

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Dodgers at Padres, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD, MLBN Free Game

The Dodgers send Alex Wood (9-9, 3.67 ERA) to the mound to make his seventh start for them since coming over from Atlanta at the trade deadline. He lost his last game to the Cubs, but since Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter against his team that’s not exactly a surprise. His opponent will be Tyler Ross (10-9, 3.27 ERA). He won his last outing, giving up three hits and no runs in seven innings.

The lineup is a little more familiar today:

Giants at Rockies, 5:10PM PT. Peavy v. Bettis. The Giants have lost seven straight and are 8 games in back of the Cubs for the second wild-card spot.

Sep 04

Game 134, 2015

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Dodgers at Padres, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

The Dodgers start Mike Bolsinger (5-3, 2.38 ERA), back up from OKC. According to Mattingly he will remain in the rotation “beyond Friday.” His opponent will be James Shields (10-6, 3.78 ERA), who’s looking for his third win in his last four starts.

Justin Turner gets the day off at third base, and young Mr. Seager will replace him there. Jimmy Rollins is expected to play shortstop.

Lineup when available.

For scoreboard watchers: Giants at Rockies

Sep 03

Game 133, 2015

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Dodgers at Padres, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

The Dodgers send out Mat Latos, who’s 4-9 with a 4.76 ERA overall and 0-2 with a 6.05 ERA since coming over to the Dodgers. Worse, he hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in any of his last three starts. I think it’s fair to say he has not performed to their expectations. He’ll be opposed by Colin Rea of the Padres, who’s 2-2 with a 5.95 ERA in his rookie season.

The Dodgers have an 8-4 lead in the season series and the Padres lost three players to injury during Tuesday’s game: starting first baseman Yonder Alonso (back tightness), catcher Derek Norris (hyperextension of left shoulder and elbow) and reliever Shawn Kelley (right forearm tightness).

Lineup when available.

Check out the Dodgers’ repostings of tweets sent out by Brandon McCarthy, Kiké Hernandez and Brett Anderson, all reflecting on Kershaw’s performance last night.

Sep 02

Game 132, 2015

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Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-BA

Can the Dodgers sweep? You gotta like their chances with Clayton Kershaw (11-6, 2.24 ERA, and did you know he’s just gone two straight months with a sub-2.00 ERA?) going against mid-season acquisition Mike Leake (9-6, 3.53 ERA). Leake’s been no slouch since coming over from the Reds, giving up seven runs in 18 2/3 innings with the Giants. He’s got no wins to show for it, though.

This will be the last series between the two teams until a four-game set to end the season starting September 28.

Lineup:

Sep 01

Game 131, 2015

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Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-BA

Bumgarner versus Greinke. If this were the opener of a playoff series the hype would hit Warp Six. Last year’s World Series MVP will pitch for the Giants against their ancestral enemy the Dodgers, who counter with this year’s leading Cy Young contender. Bumgarner won all five of his August starts with an ERA of 1.43; Greinke is 8-1 in his last ten starts and has the best ERA in MLB at 1.61.

Each manager is hoping his pitcher can go deep into the game, because bullpens on both sides were depleted in last night’s 14-inning affair. The Giants used eight pitchers in relief; the Dodgers used six. Here’s a shout-out to the Dodgers’ frequently-maligned Jim Johnson and Chris Hatcher, who combined for five spotless innings in the extra frames.

Lineup when available.

Look! Mattingly thinks he’s Tony LaRussa! Put the pitcher in the 8-hole, why not? I’m still wondering about the discussion in the dugout last night about pinch-hitting Kershaw or Greinke in the 11th inning; how hard did each of them lobby?