May 06

Game 31, 2017

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

Lefty Clayton Kershaw (4-2, 2.61 ERA) twirls for the Dodgers and lefty Clayton Richard (2-3, 4.29 ERA) goes for the Friars. Kershaw beat the Padres on April 3, giving up only a solo HR to Ryan Schimpf over seven innings. Richard shut the Dodgers out for eight innings on April 4.

Both pitchers have done well against the opposing team: Kershaw is 15-6 lifetime against San Diego with a 2.03 ERA in 30 starts; Richard is 7-4 with a 1.93 ERA against the Dodgers in 20 games.

On this day in Dodgers history:

  • 1937 Dodgers and Giants fans attending afternoon ball games at both the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field are thrilled to have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Hindenburg when the passenger airship appears over New York, nearing the end of its maiden voyage of the season from Germany. A few hours later, the majestic German zeppelin will explode on a landing strip in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 36 of its passengers.
  • 1947 In a small office high up behind home plate at Ebbets Field, National League president Ford Frick meets with seven Cardinal players individually, revealing he is aware of their secret plan to strike as a protest to Jackie Robinson playing for the Dodgers.
  • 1978 After going deep as a pinch hitter on May 2, Lee Lacy becomes the first major leaguer to pinch-hit home runs in consecutive at-bats. The Dodgers’ super sub will make it three in a row on May 17.
  • 2009 With a 10-3 victory over Washington, the Dodgers break the major league mark for consecutive victories at home to open a season with their 13th straight win in L.A. The previous record of 12 was established in 1911 by the Tigers.

More Dodgers history of a sort: Here’s Bill Shaikin’s column about Vin Scully’s induction into the Dodgers’ Ring of Honor.

Lineup when available.

May 05

Game 30, 2017

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

RHP Kenta Maeda (2-2, 6.58 ERA) goes for the Dodgers. He lost to the Padres on April 4, but he’s since found a cut fastball and its use led to a very good outing against the Phillies last week: seven innings, five hits, two runs and a win. He’ll face RHP Jhoulys Chacin (3-3, 5.82 ERA), who hasn’t allowed a run in 14 2/3 innings at home this year.

The Dodgers are expected to activate Joc Pederson from the 10-day DL, which means someone has to be sent down to OKC to make room. Might be Bellinger, might be one of the relief pitchers. We’ll probably know by early afternoon.

On this day in Dodgers history:

  • 1955 In his first major league start, Dodger rookie starter Tommy Lasorda ties a record, throwing three wild pitches in the first inning of the team’s 4-3 victory over St. Louis at Ebbets Field.
  • 1962 Bo Belinsky throws the first no-hitter in Angels history and the first one ever tossed at Dodger Stadium, beating the Orioles, 2-0. The 25 year-old southpaw is only the tenth rookie to throw a no-hitter.
  • 2009 The Dodgers tie the major league record of 12 consecutive wins at home to start the season with their 3-1 victory over Arizona. L.A.’s 12-0 start at home equals the mark set by the Tigers in 1911.

Kershaw, McCarthy and Bill Shaikin try their hands at financial analysis of the Dodgers’ methods of acquiring starting pitching.

Lineup when available.

Note Bellinger is at 1B. Here’s why:

May 03

Game 29, 2017

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Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, KTLA, NBCS-BA, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Righthander Jeff Samardzija (0-4, 6.32 ERA) will try to get his ship going in the right direction after a winless April. I’m not sure the Dodgers are the best team for him to face if that’s the goal, however: he’s 1-3 in six previous meetings with them. His last outing was his best of the year; he gave up three runs (two earned) while walking one and striking out five in seven innings as the Giants beat the Padres last Friday.

The LHP and no-longer-a-teenager Julio Urias (0-0, 1.59 ERA) will pitch for the Dodgers. His last appearance was his first of the year in the bigs against the Giants last Thursday. He went 5 2/3 innings, struck out four, walked four and gave up four hits but only one run.

Lineup when available.

May 02

Game 28, 2017

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Injury news:

The Dodgers are getting Pederson ready to return to the club Friday for the series opener against the Padres in San Diego.

“He’s going to DH tonight [at Rancho Cucamonga], go through that progression and hopefully if things go well we’ll see him on Friday,” Robert said. “He’ll take three at-bats tonight, so that’s exciting.”

The other walking wounded that we’ll see soon include:

Outfielder Franklin Gutierrez (hamstring) is scheduled to be activated before Tuesday’s game, Roberts said. Second baseman Logan Forsythe (broken toe) is expected to begin a Minor League rehab assignment with Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday or Thursday.

Kazmir, Ravin and Segedin will be a while yet.

Ravin made his first rehab appearance with Rancho Cucamonga on Monday, striking out one and allowing one hit in a scoreless inning. He’s essentially starting Spring Training, Roberts said.

Kazmir threw a bullpen session over the weekend and is scheduled to remain in Los Angeles and throw again when the Dodgers leave for San Diego.

[snip]

Segedin is working out in Arizona at the Dodgers’ complex at Camelback Ranch Glendale. Roberts said a date for a rehab assignment for Segedin has not been set yet.

“He’s in Arizona right now doing some baseball activities, but he still says that it’s not right,” Roberts said. “I know, obviously, every day he’s getting better, but I think that with the time he’s missed, it’s still, once he starts, it’s going to be certainly a week of games at least to show that he’s healthy.”

If you’ve forgotten, Segedin injured a big toe and ligament in his very first plate appearance with the Dodgers on April 17.

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

It’s a lefty matchup between the Giants’ Matt Moore (1-3, 4.80 ERA) and the Dodgers’ Alex Wood (1-0, 2.29 ERA). Moore held the Dodgers to one run on two hits over seven innings last Thursday and came up with no decision. He’s made 18 starts in his career with the Giants, and five of them have been against the Dodgers.

Wood pitched six shutout innings and allowed one hit Wednesday in San Francisco, also getting no decision. In his three starts this season he’s got a 3.14 ERA, and he’d no doubt like to have another good outing to persuade the Dodgers to keep hi in the starting rotation.

Lineup when available.

Note that Bellinger is at first base.

May 01

Game 27, 2017

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Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Look, a right-handed opponent! Yes, the Giants are sending out Johnny Cueto (3-1, 5.10 ERA) to do battle with the Dodgers and lefty Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.29 ERA). Here’s a useless stat for you: over his career Cueto is 23-13 in May with a 2.80 ERA. Here’s perhaps a more useful one: he’s allowed six home runs in five starts this season, including three in the last two. He gave up only 15 for the entire 2016 season.

Kershaw, on the other hand, seems to have come out of the gate in mid-season form. He’s looking for his fourth straight win, and his lifetime record against the Giants suggests he might just get it if his team can hit. He’s beaten them 19 times and he’s got a 1.60 ERA in 37 games versus them.

Turner extended his hitting streak to 16, the longest one in MLB in the new season.

Lineup when available.

Apr 30

Game 26, 2017

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Phillies at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P

The Phillies send RHP Nick Pivetta out to make his major league debut. He was 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts in Triple-A. He’ll face the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-4, 4.64 ERA), who had a good start his last time out, holding the Giants to one run in six innings.

Note: Yasmani Grandal has a 1.117 OPS against the Phillies, the highest of any active player.

Lineup when available.

Apr 29

Game 25, 2017

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Phillies at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, CSN-P, MLBN (out-of-market only)

RHP Zach Eflin (0-0, 1.50 ERA) takes the hill for the Fightin’ Phils against RHP Brandon McCarthy (3-0, 2.25 ERA) of the Blue Crew. The last time the Dodgers saw Eflin they scored seven runs and hit three homers in three innings in his final start of 2016.

McCarthy last faced the Phillies in April of 2014 when he was with the Diamondbacks. A.J. Burnett beat him with help from his now-teammate Chase Utley despite McCarthy’s seven innings and 12 strikeouts.

Justin Turner has a 14-game hitting streak.

The Number One prospect in the MLB draft is a kid named Hunter Greene from Notre Dame HS in Sherman Oaks, Ca. He pitches and plays shortstop. He visited the Dodgers and tweeted these photos this morning:

It’s unlikely he’ll still be available by the time the Dodgers select in the first round, folks.

Lineup when available.

Apr 28

Game 24, 2017

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Phillies at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, TCN

The Phillies start RHP Jerad Eickhoff (0-1, 2.55 ERA). This will be his second appearance against the Dodgers; he gave up four runs in a six-inning start last season. The Dodgers will counter with Kenta Maeda (1-2, 8.05 ERA), who had some extra days of rest and spent it working on his mechanics. Maeda leads the major leagues this season in an unenviable category: among the 17 runs he’s allowed in his 19 innings of work are seven home runs.

Surprising news (to me, anyway): Ethier won’t be back any time soon:

Ethier has still not been cleared to resume baseball activities, and manager Dave Roberts indicated there is no timetable for that process to begin. Given Ethier’s extended downtime, Roberts admitted on Thursday that Ethier will not be ready to rejoin the Dodgers until June — “at the earliest,” he said.

And arriving even that soon is predicated on Ethier making significant progress in the next week or so.

Puig, on the other hand, has shown plate discipline and a willingness to take walks that he hasn’t shown since 2014. He’s letting that low outside pitch go by so far this year, after a year or more of lunging after it.

Lineup when available.

Hmm. Is this the first day Puig has had off since the season began?

Apr 27

Game 23, 2017

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Dodgers at Giants, 12:45PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA

After a 5-2, 3.39 ERA season last season in 77 MLB innings lefthanded youngster Julio Urias makes his first appearance of the year for the Dodgers. He’s pitched 14 innings at AAA Oklahoma City this year with no decisions and a 1.93 ERA.

Urias will face YALHP Matt Moore of the Giants. Moore is 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA this year but 5-3 with a 3.38 ERA in eight starts at AT&T Park for his career. In his last start against the Dodgers on Aug. 25 of 2016 he no-hit them for 8 2/3 innings until Corey Seager broke it up. That was the same day news of the A.J. Ellis trade broke.

Lineup when available.

Apr 26

Game 22, 2017

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In case you missed it, here’s the most amazing play of the year thus far:

Dodgers at Giants, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBC-Bay Area, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Lefty Alex Wood (1-0, 3.29 ERA) faces Johnny Cueto (3-1, 5.25 ERA) in Game Three of the four-game set. It might be Wood’s last start for a while, because of this news:

followed by this remark: “Roberts said Urias is up to stay.”

Lineup when available.

Roberts keeps switching batting orders around for reasons I don’t understand. Bellinger’s leading off? Toles was leading off and now he’s hitting eighth? Utley’s hitting 0-for April and yet he’s at second base?