Category Archives: Game Threads

For discussion of today’s game

May 04

Game 28, 2016

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Dodgers at Rays, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Alex Wood (1-2, 4.82 ERA) goes against Drew Smyly (1-3, 2.60 ERA). The two lefties are both coming off good starts their last times out.

Manager Roberts says we should expect to see Justin Turner at DH and someone other than Pederson in CF. He thinks Smyly’s rising fast ball might be tough on the young lefthanded hitter.

Lineup when available.

May 03

Game 27, 2016

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Dodgers at Rays, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, Fox Sports Sun

Three ex-Rays are on the Dodgers roster these days, including lefty Scott Kazmir (1-2, 5.76 ERA). He’ll face lefty Matt Moore of the Rays (1-2, 3.66 ERA) in the first of an abbreviated two-game interleague series.

Lineup:

Somehow I doubt that Kiké ever expected to be a designated hitter. Pederson is starting against a lefty because Roberts likes his chances against Moore’s out pitch, a changeup.

Sorry for the delay. Here’s what caused it, and it ain’t done yet. For some reason the new router can’t see the printer, despite new cables from one to the other and countless imprecations directed at each.

May 01

Game 26, 2016

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

Lefthander Drew Pomeranz (2-2, 2.86 ERA) v. lefthander Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.43 ERA). Both pitchers are strikeout artists: Kershaw’s strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio is 9.73, while Pomeranz’s is 12.68. The Padre pitcher has only made it into the sixth inning in two of his four starts this year, while Kershaw’s been his usual self, getting into or past the seventh inning in all five of his starts.

Lineup when available.

A vote of confidence for a slumping Puig? Maybe, but the way he’s hitting this looks like a black hole to lead off the game. As thousands have said before, though, you only lead off once in the entire game.

Apr 30

Game 25, 2016

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Padres at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

The Padres send rookie right-hander Colin Rea (1-1, 5.06 ERA) out to face the Dodgers’ rookie Ross Stripling (0-1, 3.22 ERA). The Dodgers have seen Rea twice before, once on Opening Day and once last season. They scored three runs on five hits against him in six cumulative innings. The Padres have never seen Stripling pitch.

Lineup when available.

Apr 29

Game 24, 2016

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

The Dodgers look to Alex Wood (1-2, 6.00 ERA) to halt their unexpected 4-game losing streak. Wood has struggled so far this season, but he’s been better at home than on the road. The Dodgers hope that continues tonight. The Padres send out Cesar Vargas, a right-handed rookie who made his major league debut last weekend. He went five innings and gave up just one run but didn’t get the decision.

In this series there are a couple of guys playing against teams which traded them who have been successful doing so: Matt Kemp is hitting .310/.364/.408 in 19 games against Los Angeles. Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has had similar success against his old club, batting .316/.360/.540 in 69 games.

Lineup when available.

Apr 28

Game 23, 2016

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Marlins at Dodgers, TV: SPNLA, FS-F

The Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda makes his fifth MLB start today, and he’s already a record-setter:

Maeda (3-0, 0.36 ERA) has made four starts and allowed a total of one run, becoming the first pitcher since at least 1913 to begin a career in that fashion. The Japanese right-hander is only the third pitcher since 1900 to throw at least 25 innings in his first four Major League starts while allowing no more than one run, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his last start Saturday against the Rockies at Coors Field, finishing with 6 1/3 scoreless innings to record his third win of the season.

He’ll face right-hander Jose Fernandez, who was the NL’s 2013 Rookie of the Year but then needed Tommy John surgery in May of 2014. He started his recovery in August of 2015 but suffered a biceps strain and didn’t come back until mid-September. He’s 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA this year and hasn’t shown that he can pitch well consistently on the road. He has a career record of 5-10 with a 3.81 ERA away from Miami. He did beat the Dodgers once at Dodger Stadium in 2013.

If you think Stanton kills the Dodgers in Los Angeles, you’re right.

In 18 career games at the ballpark, Stanton is 21-for-66 (.318) with eight home runs and 21 RBIs. In this series alone, he’s 4-for-10 (.400) with three homers, one double, six RBIs and three walks.

Lineup:

Apr 27

Game 22, 2016

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Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-F

Scott Kazmir takes his 1-1 record and his 6.63 ERA to the mound along with some bruises at the base of his left (throwing) thumb. He says he’s fine and will be “good to go.” His opposition will be Justin Nicolino, who’s just been brought up from AAA New Orleans. Down there he had a 3.60 ERA over 25 innings in four starts. He pitched 74 innings in MLB last year, going 5-4 with a 4.01 ERA. He’s replacing Jarrod Cosart on the Marlins’ roster. Cosart was optioned to work on his control at the AAA level.

Lineup when available.

Apr 26

Game 21, 2016

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Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-F

Clayton Kershaw (2-0, 1.50 ERA) is matched against Tom Koehler (1-2, 4.80 ERA). Koehler’s pitched 15 innings this season, walking seven and striking out 12. Kershaw’s gone 30 innings, walking three and striking out 30.

Lineup when available.

Obviously Crawford has been reinstated from the DL. They optioned Zach Lee to OK City to make room for him.

Apr 25

Game 20, 2016

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Marlins at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-F

Don Mattingly returns to Dodger Stadium with a team that’s lost 11 of its first 17 games. The Marlins are not very good right now, and they face the added burden of being in the same division as the Washington Nationals, so they’re already 7 1/2 games behind in the NL East. They do have Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez, and they have some guy named Bonds as their new hitting coach with Frank Menechino as his assistant. Fun fact: back in 2001 Bonds and Menechino swung at the lowest percentage of pitches of all major leaguers and still reached base at a combined .447 rate. One was more successful than the other: Bonds hit 73 home runs that season; Menechino’s slash line was .242/.369/.374.

They’ll send lefty Wei-Yin Chen to the hill. He’s 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in three starts. When he was with the Orioles he faced the Dodgers in 2013 and got a win. The Dodgers will counter with the second of their two surprising starters, Ross Stripling, who has a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings but hasn’t gotten a decision yet. Stripling stumbled his last time out in Atlanta when he gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Lineup when available.

Huh. Utley gets a day off. Fine. Gonzalez gets a day off. Okay, but I didn’t know Grandal even owned a first-baseman’s mitt. Pederson and Seager also get days off, presumably because the Marlins are starting a lefty.

Apr 24

Game 19, 2016

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Dodgers at Rockies, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOTS Sports

The Dodgers ask Alex Wood to do better at Coors Field than he has in the past. He’s made three starts and given up 15 earned runs on 21 hits in 11 innings in his career there. He’s 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA and more walks (8) than strikeouts (7) so far this season. His opponent will be Jordan Lyles, who’s 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA and 9 strikeouts with only 6 walks in his three starts this year.

In other words, this could be an all-staff game from each team, and runs may be easily come by. If they are, you can bet these two guys will be in the middle of it as long as the starters remain in the game:

Yasiel Puig is a career .571 hitter (4-for-7) against Lyles, with a home run and three RBIs.

Nolan Arenado has only faced Wood nine times, but he’s done his damage, hitting a pair of home runs and plating five while batting .333.

Lineup when available.