Jul 08

Game 89, 2017

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

RHP Ian Kennedy (3-6, 4.44 ERA) starts for the Royals and RHP Brandon McCarthy (6-3, 3.25 ERA) goes for the Dodgers.

Kennedy has won three straight games after going 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA in his first 11 starts. He’s been prone to the gopher ball, giving up 16 HRs so far this season. He’s also 5-9 against the Dodgers in his career. McCarthy is coming off the 10-day DL; his last start was June 25 when he lost his control and threw three wild pitches against the Rockies while lasting only three innings. He’d been 4-2 with a 1.57 ERA over six starts before that.

To make room for McCarthy the Dodgers optioned Scott Van Slyke to OKC.

Kershaw is an occasional goof.

This date in Dodgers’ history:

  • 1949 Hank Thompson, who broke in to the majors as a member of the St. Louis Browns twelve days after Larry Doby’s American League debut with the Indians in 1947, becomes the first African-American to play for the Giants. When the former Kansas City Monarchs’ standout faces Dodger right-hander Don Newcombe, it marks the first time a pitcher-batter confrontation takes place between black players in the major leagues.

Lineup:

Jun 13

Game 62, 2015

Dodgers at Padres, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD, MLB (free game)

Zack Greinke is really hard on the NL West in general and the Padres in particular.

He’s 22-2 with a 2.06 ERA against division rivals since joining the Dodgers, and 5-1 against San Diego. His only decision against the Padres this year is a win and he’s allowed them two runs in 20 2/3 innings.

He starts today against Ian Kennedy, who is 0-2 with an 8.71 ERA against the Dodgers this year and 5-9 in his career with a 4.50 ERA. Overall, Greinke is 5-1 with a 1.92 ERA this season and Kennedy is 3-5 with a 6.48 ERA.

Okay, on paper the Dodgers should win. That’s why they play the games, as Chris Berman used to say about some NFL mismatch.

Lineup when available.

May 23

Game 42, 2015

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

Right-hander Mike Bolsinger tries to continue his early-season success (he’s 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings, all starts) against right-hander Ian Kennedy, who’s had a slow start. He’s 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA over 6 starts and a 2-1 K/BB ratio.

Grandal wasn’t scheduled to play today anyway, according to Mattingly, but now they’re going to monitor him for concussion and rest him at least until tomorrow. If it’s determined he has been concussed he’ll likely go on the 7-day DL, which was instituted in 2011 for just this kind of circumstance.

Of note to the strikeout-obsessed: “Pederson has struck out four times in his past 39 plate appearances (10.3 percent). Prior to that in 2015, he had struck out 43 times in 127 plate appearances (33.9 percent).”

Fun fact: There was some wondering about one-pitch winners and whether a reliever could win a game without throwing a pitch. It reminded me of Tippy Martinez of the Orioles, who picked off three runners in the tenth inning of a game against the Blue Jays in 1983. Infielder Lenn Sakata had been pressed into duty as the catcher because the Os had used both their starter and his backup in the rally in the ninth to tie the game. Sensibly, the Jays thought they could run on Sakata. The first three guys got on base, and Martinez picked off each one (see Roger Angell’s “Season Ticket” for another description). To make it even sweeter, Martinez got the win when Sakata homered in the bottom of the tenth.

Lineup when available.

Apr 25

Game 17, 2015

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

Brandon McCarthy goes for the Dodgers. He’s got a 5-1 lifetime record against the Padres and won his last start. McCarthy has averaged 6 innings per start and has given up 18 hits in 18 innings while striking out 25 and walking only 3. His ERA is 4.50 and falling.

His opponent will be Ian Kennedy, who strained a hamstring in his only start this year and just came off the DL.

Lineup when available.


André in right in place of Puig. I guess that hamstring is hurting him pretty badly.

Sep 10

Game 146, 2014

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

The Dodgers send Dan Haren out to do battle with Ian Kennedy. Haren’s 12-10 with a 4.17 ERA and has had three consecutive good starts. Kennedy has already made five starts against the Dodgers this year, going 0-2 with a 3.90 ERA. He’s 10-12 with a 3.75 ERA overall this season.

The Padres have beaten the Dodgers three of their last five meetings, which is not what you’d expect in games between the first-place and third-place teams in the division.

The Diamondbacks play the Giants tonight at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Josh Collmenter goes for the D-Backs and Ryan Vogelsong goes for the Giants.

Lineup:

Huh. No Gordon. Just resting, I hope.

John_from_Aus linked to this article at Dodgers.com in the comments to the last post. It’s a discussion of Puig’s slumping bat. Is it just a slump or could he be injured?

Aug 30

Game 136, 2014

Dodgers at Padres, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD, MLB.tv free game

Zack Greinke brings his presumably-recovering elbow to the mound to face the Padres at Petco Park for the first time this season. He beat the San Diegans on April 1 at Dodger Stadium in his only time facing them this year. Greinke is 13-8 with a 2.79 ERA. Ian Kennedy of the Padres, on the other hand, will face the Dodgers for the fifth time this season. He was the losing pitcher in the Greinke game on April Fool’s Day, in fact. Kennedy is 10-11 with a 3.75 ERA.

In player news, Hyun-Jin Ryu will come off the DL tomorrow and pitch against San Diego. Roberto Hernandez will now pitch on Monday against the Nationals. Mattingly says the matchups make sense, since Ryu has given up only one run to the Padres in 19 innings this year. Hernandez has allowed Washington one unearned run in 15 innings this year. Scott Van Slyke’s ankle isn’t nearly as bad as it looked when he first turned it the other night, as should have been obvious since he was sent up to pinch-hit last night.

Lineup when available.

I don’t know whether it was oversight or Hanley talking his way into the lineup, but the original one had Rojas at short hitting 7th.

Aug 19

Game 127, 2014

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

Kevin Correia gets the start for the Dodgers. He’s faced the Padres twice already this season, even though he pitched for the Twins of the AL before his acquisition. In May he went six innings against them, striking out six, walking one, and giving up three earned runs. In August he also went six innings, struck out three, walked one, and again gave up three earned runs. In his first start for the Dodgers last Monday he threw six innings of one-run ball with just four hits and one walk allowed with five strikeouts and beat the Braves. Correia is 6-13 on the season with a 4.79 ERA. He had a horrible April, ending the month with a 7.33 ERA. It’s been dropping every month thereafter.

Ian Kennedy will go for the Padres. He’s 9-10 with a 3.54 ERA. This will be his fourth start since missing a turn due to a minor oblique injury; the previous three he went five, six and six innings and gave up no more than three earned runs in any of those games.

Hanley Ramirez is expected to come off the DL on Sunday, the moment the 15 day period is up. We get to see Erisbel Arruebarrena at short tonight. He’s been in eight previous games at the big league level, getting five hits in sixteen ABs and playing error-free ball.

Jul 12

Game 96, 2014

I made a mistake the day before yesterday: Clint Robinson has been designated for assignment, not sent to Albuquerque.

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

Paul Maholm will pitch for the Dodgers, taking Josh Beckett’s place while he’s on the DL. Maholm has made seven starts this season, going 1-4 with a 5.50 ERA. Overall he’s 1-4 with a 5.18 ERA. He’ll face Ian Kennedy, who’s 7-9 with a 3.71 ERA. He’s gone 4-4 with a 3.49 ERA in nine starts on the road as he’ll be tonight.

Lineup when available.

Jun 20

Game 75, 2014

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

The Padres send out Ian Kennedy tonight. He’s 5-8 with a 3.72 ERA. The Dodgers counter with Dan Haren. He’s 7-4 with a 3.54 ERA, but he’s been having trouble with the long ball. He’s given up ten HRs in his last seven starts.

“The Dodgers’ last homestand was their first with a winning record this season. They began it 13-19 at Dodger Stadium and finished 17-20.” Also, they’ve won three straight. They haven’t had a winning streak longer than three games all season long. Can they expand it tonight?

Kershaw talked to ESPN about his no-hitter one day later.

Lineup when available.