Jun 30

Game 81, 2016

Dodgers at Brewers, 11:10AM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN (out-of-market only)

It’s a battle of righthanders as the Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda (6-5, 2.91 ERA) goes against the Brewers’ Zach Davies (5-3, 3.74 ERA). This will be the last time the two teams meet this year, right at the Dodgers’ halfway point of their season. Maeda faced the Brewers on June 19 and gave up just one run in 6 1/3 innings but got no decision. Davies faced the Dodgers on June 17 and gave up just one run in seven innings, also getting no decision.

Joc Pederson is unlikely for this game due to his sore shoulder. Meanwhile Kershaw has gone on the 15-Day DL. Here’s the interesting part:

Kershaw had been receiving treatment for the condition for two weeks, but reported more discomfort Monday after losing to the Pirates on Sunday night.

Lineup when available.

Jun 29

Game 80, 2016

Dodgers at Brewers, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSWI, MLBN (free game)

Brock Stewart started the season in Class A (Advanced) with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. During his rise to AAA the 24-year-old righthander has compiled a 1.47 ERA and a 99:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 14 starts. He’ll be opposed by 31-year-old rookie Junior Guerra, who’s 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA. He faced the Dodgers in LA and had the worst start of his season in which he gave up five runs on five hits but came away with a no-decision.

Here’s a stat which may surprise:

Coming into the series, both teams ranked in the top three for percent of wins via comeback this season. With 19 out of 34 (56 percent), the Brewers ranked second, and the Dodgers were right behind, winning 23 of their 42 games (55 percent) via a comeback.

Lineup:

No surprise, Pederson is not in the lineup after his wall-banging catch last night.

Jun 28

Game 79, 2016

Dodgers at Brewers, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSWI

Julio Urias (0-2, 4.33 ERA) gets one more start (when are they going to sit him down, really?) and will face Chase Anderson (4-7, 5.13 ERA). The Dodgers are still trying to limit Urias’s number of pitches, but that puts a burden on their bullpen, which had to go four innings on Monday. Anderson missed his last start; his previous outing was against the Dodgers in LA when he gave up 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Here’s a good profile of Trayce Thompson in Sports Illustrated. Here also is a plug for Corey Seager to start at shortstop in the All Star Game. Have you voted for him your allotted 35 times?

Hopefully this news about Kershaw’s back is minor.

If you haven’t noticed, Seager is now the team leader in the three Triple Crown batting categories with a .298 average, 16 HRS and 38 RBI. For good measure his OBP is .356.

Lineup when available.

Jun 27

Game 78, 2016

Dodgers at Pirates, 9:35AM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOT Sports, MLBN (out-of-market only)

The Dodgers ask Scott Kazmir (5-3, 4.52 ERA) to stop their slide before it gets worse. His last start was a quality one in which he gave up only two runs to the Nats in six innings. The Pirates ask Francisco Liriano (4-7, 5.17 ERA) to stop his personal slide during which he’s gotten no wins in his last five starts and walked 19 batters during that stretch.

Expect Adrian González to sit this one out as per this word from Dave Roberts on Sunday.

Lineup: somebody post it in the comments when it turns up. I am NOT getting up at dawn to watch this game.

Jun 26

Game 77, 2016

Dodgers at Pirates, 5:08PM PT, TV: ESPN

The Dodgers make their fifth appearance of the season on Sunday Night Baseball tonight. They’ve split the previous four. Tonight they’ll ask Clayton Kershaw to break the tie, and the odds would seem to be in their favor. He’s 11-1 and leads the major leagues in ERA (1.57), innings pitched (115), strikeouts (141), WHIP (0.67), K/BB ratio (20.14), opponents’ batting-average-against (.174) and shutouts (3). His opposite number is set to be Chad Kuhl, who will be making his major league debut. He’s been pretty good in AAA, though: 6-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

Annoying fact: “The Pirates have won 12 of their last 15 games vs. the Dodgers, winning five of six games vs. Los Angeles last season.”

Lineup:

Jun 25

Game 76, 2016

Dodgers at Pirates, 4:15PM PT, TV: Fox

Kenta Maeda makes his first trip to PNC Park. He carries a 6-4, 2.64 ERA record with him and for now appears to be the #2 guy in the Dodgers’ rotation, at least in terms of reliability. He’ll face the Pirates’ Jeff Locke, who’s 6-5 with a 5.44 ERA. His latest outing was a 6 2/3 inning one in which he outdueled Madison Bumgarner with help from the bullpen and won 1-0.

Local color:

Dodgers left-handed reliever and native Pennsylvanian Adam Liberatore is having an off-the-radar phenomenal season. In 24 innings over 32 games, he has a 0.75 ERA, second lowest among National League qualifiers, and he didn’t even open the season in the big leagues.

Tepesch DFA’ed, IF Chris Taylor up.

Lineup:

Jun 24

Game 75, 2016

Dodgers at Pirates, 4:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN (out-of-market only), ROOT Sports

To start this game the Dodgers brought up Nick Tepesch from OKlahoma City, where he’d achieved a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings. They acquired him as a free agent June 6 after he was released by the Texas Rangers, where’d he spent five years, mostly in their minor league system. He has a 9-17 record and a 4.56 ERA in the big leagues, all with the Rangers. His opponent will be Jameson Taillon, who’s 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in his previous three big league starts.

To make room for Tepesch on the roster, the Dodgers designated Will Venable for assignment.

Lineup:

Jun 22

Game 74, 2016

Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN2, ESPN

The Dodgers go for their sixth straight win and a series sweep tonight behind their youngster Julio Urias, whose 0-2 won-loss record and 4.50 ERA don’t fully reflect how he’s improved with each outing. The Nationals ask their own youngster 23-year-old Joe Ross to stop the juggernaut. Ross is 6-4 with a 3.13 ERA.

The Dodgers have held a private workout with yet another veteran Cuban infielder, one Yulieski Gurriel.

Lineup:

Jun 21

Game 73, 2016

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

The Nats send Tanner Roark (6-4, 3.14 ERA) out to make his first-ever start against the Dodgers, who counter with Scott Kazmir (5-3, 4.64 ERA). It’s a matchup of differing pitchers: Roark has made it through six innings in 11 of his 14 starts, while Kazmir hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in any of his three starts since May 31.

The Dodgers want to extend their four-game winning streak while the Nationals want to halt their three-game losing streak.

As expected, the Dodgers have activated Yasiel Puig from the 15-day DL and have optioned Carlos Frias back to OKC.

Also, Vinnie is taking the night off to rest his sore throat.

Lineup:

Jun 20

Game 72, 2016

Nationals at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN 2, ESPN

The hype has already begun for this game, and it’s only natural. Washington’s Stephen Strasburg hasn’t lost a game yet this year while winning ten; Los Angeles’s Clayton Kershaw has lost one game while also winning ten. In ERA Kershaw has the edge, giving up a measly 1.58 earned runs per nine innings; Strasburg has given up 2.90 earned runs per nine innings.

The Dodgers may activate Yasiel Puig today. If they do they’ll have to send someone down to OKC. Update: Nope, tomorrow, says Roberts.

In other news:

Lineup when available.