Category Archives: Game Threads

For discussion of today’s game

Aug 13

Game 116, 2016

Posted on by

Pirates at Dodgers, 1:05PM PT, TV: FS1, SPNLA, ROOTSPIT

Brandon McCarthy (2-2, 3.00 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and Gerrit Cole (7-7, 2.94 ERA) goes for the Buccos. McCarthy hopes he’s solved the mysterious loss of control he’s exhibited over the last three games he’s started. Cole had a rough game his last time out against the Reds, but he’s 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA in his only two career starts at Dodger Stadium.

Chase Utley had made 409 plate appearances this season entering Friday’s game and had not hit into a double play in even one of them.

Lineup:

Aug 12

Game 115, 2016

Posted on by

Pirates at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOTPIT

I’m beginning to think that Rich Hill is a phantom. His blisters preclude him from starting again today, so the Dodgers ask rookie RHP Ross Stripling (3-3, 3.79 ERA) to step in. He’ll face the Pirates’ Ivan Nova (8-6, 4.83 ERA), who will be making his second start for them after coming over from the Yankees at the trade deadline. His first one was successful: he went seven innings and gave up just three runs in a win over the Reds last Saturday.

Josh Reddick hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the Dodgers, but he’s 5-for-13 with two homers against Nova in his career.

Lineup when available:

Aug 10

Game 114, 2016

Posted on by

Phillies at Dodgers, 12:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P

Scott Kazmir (9-5, 4.51 ERA) goes for the Dodgers against Jeremy Hellickson (9-7, 3.72 ERA) for the Phillies. Worrisome stat: Kazmir has made 22 starts for the Dodgers and hasn’t gotten past the sixth inning in 12 of them. Hellickson, on the other hand, has gotten through the sixth in all but one of his last ten starts and in two-thirds of all his starts this season.

Lineup:

Hmm. No Turner, Segedin at 3rd?

Aug 09

Game 113, 2016

Posted on by

Phillies at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P

The Dodgers put RHP Kenta Maeda (10-7, 3.22 ERA) on the hill to face RHP Vince Velasquez (8-3, 3.33 ERA). Maeda has now exceeded Kershaw in number of innings pitched this season with 125 2/3. Velasquez has walked 17 in his last 36 innings, which is not ideal.

SVS goes to the 15-day DL, Taylor is recalled.

Lineup:

Aug 08

Game 112, 2016

Posted on by

Phillies at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P

The Dodgers keep putting youngster Julio Urias (1-2, 4.98 ERA) on the hill despite their efforts to minimize his number of pitches this year because their other options keep getting injured. Tonight he’ll face RHP Zach Eflin (3-4, 4.77 ERA), whose last two starts have been forgettable. In one of them his team got six runs against Madison Bumgarner, no less, and he couldn’t hold the lead.

This will be the first time Chase Utley faces his former team.

Lineup:

Joe Blanton went on the bereavement list and Josh Ravin was called up to fill his slot.

Aug 07

Game 111, 2016

Posted on by

Red Sox at Dodgers, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NESN, MLB Plus free game

The Sox ask David Price (9-7, 4.30 ERA) to win the rubber match of this series, and the Dodgers ask Brandon McCarthy (2-2, 2.76 ERA) to keep him from doing so. This will be Price’s third start of this 11-game West Coast road trip for the Red Sox; he’s pitched 15 innings, given up only four runs and gotten two no-decisions out of it. Today was supposed to be newly-acquired Rich Hill’s first start for the Dodgers but the blister which landed him on the 15-day DL hasn’t yet healed, so McCarthy will pitch with normal rest. He hasn’t made it past the fourth inning in either of his last two starts.

Lineup when available.

Segedin? Who’s he? Oh. To make room on the 40-man roster Trayce Thompson has been moved to the 60-day DL.

Aug 06

Game 110, 2016

Posted on by

Red Sox at Dodgers, 1:05PM PT, TV: FS1, SPNLA, NESN

The Red Sox send LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 5.91 ERA) out to do battle with the Dodgers’ Ross Stripling (2-3, 4.14 ERA). Rodriguez has a 2.63 ERA and has gone at least five innings in all four starts since he was brought up from Pawtucket July 16. Stripling gave the Dodgers 3 2/3 innings of relief last Sunday when he replaced Bud Norris, who left after a dozen pitches with a mid-back strain. He’s replacing him again today, as the Dodgers have placed Norris on the 15-day DL.

The Red Sox will have David Ortiz at first base for the first time this season. Manager Farrell said Friday that “his bat in our lineup is an important one and it will be in the lineup tomorrow.”

Lineup:

Aug 05

Game 109, 2016

Posted on by

Red Sox at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NESN

Former University of Hawai’i pitcher Steven Wright (12-5, 3.20 ERA) goes for the Sox and Scott Kazmir (9-4, 4.41 ERA) goes for the Dodgers. When Wright pitched for UH he didn’t throw the knuckleball, which is what his bread-and-butter pitch has become. This will be his first start against the Dodgers, while it will be Kazmir’s 30th start against the Red Sox thanks to all the time he spent with the Rays.

The Dodgers and Sox met once in the World Series in 1916, when some guy named Ruth won Game Two by outpitching Sherry Smith in 14 innings. Smith did hold the Babe hitless in the 13 innings he pitched. Other than that, they’ve played just twelve times between 1901-2016.

The Dodgers will honor the Sox’ retiring Big Papi, David Ortiz, before the game. I have no idea why. I don’t begrudge him the accolades, but it’s not like he or his team are hated enemies that the Dodgers play multiple times a year and he’s been mashing against them. That’s a guy you’d want to say “Bye! Good luck! Glad you can’t hurt us anymore!” to. For example, if Paul Goldschmidt were to retire, or Matt Holliday, or Hunter Pence, I’d be quite happy to see them off.

Lineup when available.

Aug 04

Game 108, 2016

Posted on by

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOTRM

Kenta Maeda (9-7, 3.23 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers hoping to salvage one game from this series. He’ll face the Rockies’ Tyler Chatwood (10-6, 3.50 ERA). Maeda has made two starts against the Rockies this year and been dominant, giving up only one run over 13 innings. Chatwood’s made two starts against the Dodgers; he gave up three runs in only four innings the first time out but one run on only one hit over eight innings in his second game against them.

Lineup:

Aug 03

Game 107, 2016

Posted on by

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOTRM

Rookie righthander Brock Stewart (0-1, 9.00 ERA) spot-starts for the Dodgers, filling in for the newly-acquired Rich Hill and the possibly-injured Bud Norris, not to mention the disabled Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brett Anderson and Clayton Kershaw. In his first and only other MLB start he went five innings, gave up five runs, struck out seven and walked two. He’s been very good in the minors, posting a 1.80 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A and has a 3.00 ERA in four Triple-A starts since he went back down after that MLB start. He’ll be opposed by the Rockies’ rookie lefty Tyler Anderson, (3-3, 3.33 ERA), who’s had six quality starts in his first nine in the big leagues. He hasn’t given up a dinger in his last 22 1/3 innings.

Personnel news: Stewart, Fields and Urias up; Toles and Josh Ravin down (the latter after reinstatement from the restricted list for PED usage; he also recuperated from broken bone surgery while out); Coleman (right shoulder fatigue) and Liberatore (left elbow inflammation) to DL. And the biggest and most unpleasant news of all: Kershaw moved to 60-day DL. Eligible to return August 27.

Lineup when available.