Category Archives: Game Threads

For discussion of today’s game

Aug 13

Game 115, 2015

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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

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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

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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:

Aug 10

Game 112, 2015

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

Brett Anderson (6-6, 3.06 ERA) tries to right the ship for the Dodgers after their three-game sweep at the hands of the Pirates. He’ll face Gio Gonzales (8-4, 3.75 ERA), who’s won his last four decisions but hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in any of his last three starts.

Dodger fans get a chance to see Bryce Harper, who’s having an MVP-caliber year so far with 29 HRs and 69 RBI to go along with a slash line of .335/.463/.656.

Lineup when available.

Aug 09

Game 111, 2015

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Dodgers at Pirates, 5:00PM PT, TV: ESPN

Alex Wood (7-7, 3.65 ERA) makes his second start for the Dodgers. He went six innings in his first game, then balked (video) with two men on. He walked the next guy to load the bases and was relieved by Peralta, who then gave up a grand slam to Maikel Franco. Wood was saddled with the loss.

He’ll face Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.19 ERA), who was 6-1 through June, lost three in a row in July, and won his last outing in August. This will be his second career start against the Dodgers; the first was five years ago.

Lineup when available.

Aug 08

Game 110, 2015

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

Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29 ERA) makes his second start for the Dodgers since coming over from the Marlins, while Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92 ERA) is searching for his fourth straight win. Latos is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA in his career against the Pirates; Liriano hasn’t lost to the Dodgers in three career starts, posting a 1.37 ERA. He’s making it very hard to hit him this year: opponents’ batting average is an anemic .201, sixth lowest in the league. Latos has improved since his inflamed knee was drained and he came back from the disabled list: his ERA since then is 1.73.

Lineup:

Aug 07

Game 109, 2015

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Dodgers at Pirates, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ESPN

It’s a battle of aces as the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.37 ERA, 37-inning scoreless streak) goes against the Pirates’ Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.29 ERA, averaging 106 pitches in each of his last eight starts). Kershaw is 2-1 with a 2.39 ERA lifetime against the Bucs, while Cole is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA against the Dodgers.

Lineup when available.

Aug 06

Game 108, 2015

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Dodgers at Phillies, 10:05AM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

Zack Greinke (10-2, 1.41 ERA) goes back to the hill for the Dodgers. The last time he faced the Phillies was July 9 when he went 8 innings and gave up 1 hit to them, striking out 8 and walking none. His opposition will be David Buchanan (2-5, 6.44 ERA), who pitched better than that record indicates in July. He got his two wins last month in 18 2/3 innings in which he gave up 7 runs, struck out 11 and walked only 3.

Lineup when available.

Aug 05

Game 107, 2015

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

Old friend Aaron Harang starts for the Phillies. He had a stretch of bad luck (eight straight losses between May 24 and July 1) and then went onto the DL with a foot injury. He came off it on July 30 and got a win, but he’s still 5-11 with a 3.97 ERA. The Dodgers counter with Brett Anderson, who’s 5-6 with a 3.14 ERA but has missed only one start all season, a welcome change for a guy who’s missed parts of every year since 2010.

Lineup when available.

Aug 04

Game 106, 2015

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Dodgers at Phillies, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN

Jimmie Rollins returns to the town where he holds records for most hits, most doubles, and third-most runs in Phillie history. He did that while playing 1,047 games for them.

The Dodgers’ new acquisition Alex Wood makes his first start for the team after going 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA for the Braves. He last pitched on July 27 against the Orioles, giving up no runs, three hits, no walks and seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. His opponent will be Hawai’i-born Jerome Williams, who’s 3-8 with a 6.36 ERA and who had a horrible last outing, giving up ten hits and four runs in only 4 2/3 innings.

Lineup when available.