Jun 11

Game 63, 2016

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

The Dodgers send Scott Kazmir (5-3, 4.46 ERA) to do battle with Jeff Samardzija (7-4, 3.33 ERA). Kazmir has made two starts against the Giants this season and they haven’t been good: he’s given up 10 runs in eight innings in the two games. In Samardzija’s last start he went five innings against the Cardinals and gave up six runs on nine hits, four of them HRs.

Puig goes to Lake Elsinore Rancho Cucamonga to begin rehab on Monday. The Dodgers want him to shorten his swing a bit while there, hoping to reduce his rotation and “eliminate some of the strain he exerts.”

Lineup when available.


I just noticed that in this lineup all members of the infield hit first. Then Roberts goes off script and has C Yasmani hitting between CF Joc and LF Howie. Come on, Doc, symmetry is important!

Jun 05

Game 58, 2016

Braves at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSO

The Braves send righthander Matt Wisler (2-5, 3.16 ERA) out to face the Dodgers’ Scott Kazmir (4-3, 4.38 ERA). Wisler’s last two starts were quality ones, but he did give up six runs combined in them. He’s 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA on the road this season. This is his second big league season, both with the Braves. They got him in the Craig Kimbrel/Upton Jr. deal with the Padres last spring.

This is almost unbelievable. Kazmir has made 282 starts in the big leagues and has never faced the Braves. Yes, up until this season he had only pitched in the AL, but there’s been interleague play for quite a while now; you’d think at some point along the way his team would have played Atlanta. Huh.

Lineup when available.

The Dodgers designated Carl Crawford for assignment and brought Austin Barnes up from AAA. Vin speculated on the radio that Crawford might just retire, as poorly as his body has served him over the last few years.

May 31

Game 53, 2016

Dodgers at Cubs, 5:00PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ESPN (out-of-market only), ABC7

The last time the Dodgers saw Jake Arrieta it was a Sunday Night Baseball game on ESPN in which Jessica Mendoza made her second ESPN appearance and he threw a no-hitter against them. That was last August 30. Since then he’s thrown another no-hitter, hasn’t lost a game yet this season, and is currently 9-0 with a 1.72 ERA. Scott Kazmir (4-3, 4.84 ERA) has been improving (he’s 3-1 in May with a 4.13 ERA) since a poor start, but he’s got his work cut out for him. He’ll need to hold the Cubbies at bay and hope the Dodgers can get a couple of runs off Arrieta.

Oh, the Cubs have won all of the last 23 starts Arrieta has made. That ties a Major League record.

Lineup when available.

Personnel news: Julio Urias will be brought back up to replace Alex Wood, who’s been placed on the 15-day DL with elbow soreness. Yasiel Puig has been scratched from today’s game with a sore left hamstring and Alex Guerrero has been designated for assignment.

May 25

Game 48, 2016

Reds at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-O

Scott Kazmir (3-3, 5.23 ERA) will try to get his form back after a rough game his last time out. In that one he walked seven Padres, gave up three hits including a two-run single to the opposing pitcher and somehow avoided taking the loss when the Dodgers scored six runs only to lose on a Justin Melvin Upton walk-off home run.

His opponent will be right-hander Dan Straily (2-1, 2.85 ERA), who threw six innings of one-run ball against the Mariners on Friday but got no decision for his hard work.

This is the last game in a stretch of 20 consecutive ones for the Dodgers. They head for New York and Chicago for six games beginning Friday.

Lineup:

May 20

Game 43, 2016

Dodgers at Padres, 7:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

Scott Kazmir (3-3, 4.89 ERA) hopes to continue the pitching which got him within an out of a complete game win last time out. He’ll face Christian Friedrich (0-1, 1.50 ERA), who made his Padres debut last week, going six innings and throwing 116 pitches while walking six. He’s a callup from AAA El Paso to replace Andrew Cashner and his balky hamstring.

Dodger manager Dave Roberts says Adrian Gonzalez won’t start but will be able to pinch-hit tonight and get back in the starting lineup tomorrow.

Danger, Will Robinson! Matt Kemp is hitting .317/.371/.463 in 89 plate appearances against the Dodgers.

Lineup:

Pederson sits tonight, presumably because Friedrich is left-handed.

May 14

Game 37, 2016

Cardinals at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-M (HLKLA, take notice!), MLBN (out-of-market only)

The Dodgers hope Scott Kazmir (2-3, 5.54 ERA) can right his ship. He showed signs last outing, coming within one out of a quality start (5 2/3 innings, three earned runs against the Mets). He’ll face Carlos Martinez (4-2, 2.61 ERA). The Cardinals hope Martinez has recovered from a respiratory illness which caused him to lose 15 pounds in ten days and pushed this start back two days.

Lineup when available.

May 09

Game 32, 2016

Mets at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

It’s a battle of dueling lefties tonight at Chavez Ravine as Scott Kazmir (2-2, 5.68 ERA) of the Dodgers meets Steven Matz (4-1, 2.83 ERA) of the Mets. This is the first meeting of the two teams since last season’s Division Series, and the Dodgers had better have their hitting shoes on. After Matz they’ll face Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Bartolo Colon in this four-game series.

Lineup when available.

May 03

Game 27, 2016

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.

Apr 27

Game 22, 2016

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 22

Game 17, 2016

Dodgers at Rockies, 5:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOT Sports

Scott Kazmir (1-1, 6.43 ERA) tries to get his groove back after two consecutive poor starts, both against the Giants. He’s only made one career start against the Rockies. It was at Coors Field and he got the win, but that was in 2007 when Kazmir was a Devil Ray. His opponent will be Jon Gray, the third draft pick overall in 2013. He made his ML debut last year, but tonight will be his first game of this season. He’s a righthander with a fastball, changeup, slider and curve.

Lineup when available.

I got to wondering and looked it up: Utley has the third highest number of hits this young season as a leadoff guy: 16. The two guys ahead of him are Gonzalez with 22 and Puig with 17. (Seager has 14 while Pederson and Hernandez each have 13).