May 10

Game 38, 2014

Giants at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, Fox Sports 1

The Giants send out Matt Cain and his 0-3, 4.35 ERA to face the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke and his 5-1, 2.35 ERA. Greinke went only three innings in his last outing, but that’s because the rains came and halted the game for three-plus hours. In those innings he gave up two runs which turned out to be enough to saddle him with his first loss of the year. This is Cain’s first start since he missed two with a cut on his index finger, suffered when he tried to catch a knife that fell while he was making a sandwich. There’s no word on what kind of sandwich he was making that required such a sharp knife; probably not peanut butter.

Puig has a nine-game hitting streak which equals the longest of his career. In less cheery news, the Dodgers opened the series with the worst fielding percentage in the league and ranked third in most runners left on base. Given that, it’s amazing they’re still above .500.

May 05

Game 33, 2014

Dodgers at Nationals, 4:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Zack Greinke puts his 5-0, 2.04 ERA record on the line against the Nats’ Jordan Zimmermann and his record of 2-1, 3.27 ERA. The Nationals have never beaten Greinke. He’s 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four lifetime starts against Washington, and his last time out against them he threw six scoreless innings last July 20 in his only start at Nationals Park. Zimmerman is looking for his second consecutive win.

Lineup when available.

According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange Country Register “Yasiel Puig will not be taking batting practice on the field with #Dodgers Rode stationary bike this afternoon, headaches came back.”

Apr 30

Game 27, 2014

Rain and snow cause trouble for the Dodgers’ schedule.

Tuesday’s game has been rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader Thursday, with the second game starting at 6:10 p.m. CT, ahead of an overnight flight to Miami, where the Dodgers play a Friday evening game against the Marlins.

Worse, there is a 70 percent chance of precipitation (snow and rain) for both Wednesday and Thursday.

Dodgers at Twins, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA Update: The game is free on MLB.tv

Thanks to yesterday’s rain/snowout, Zack Greinke gets an extra day off before pitching this game. He’s 4-8 with a 4.73 ERA in 22 outings against the Twins, including 18 starts. On the other hand, this season he’s 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings and in the midst of a streak of 16 starts of at least five innings without allowing more than two runs.

Starting for the Twins is Kyle Gibson, who’s 3-1 with a 3.63 ERA this season. This is only his second season in the bigs, and last year he only threw 51-plus innings, going 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA. He’s still almost a rookie.

Hanley Ramirez says his thumb’s fine and he expects to play. The weather may not cooperate, though, as rain is forecast for Wednesday.

Lineup when (or if) available.

Apr 23

Game 22, 2014

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

Cole Hamel makes his season debut for the Phillies, while Zack Greinke brings his 3-0, 2.42 ERA record to the party.

Adrian Gonzalez’ hitting streak ended at 16 games as he went 0 for 3 in yesterday’s 10-inning loss.

Lineup when available.

Apr 18

Game 17, 2014

D-Backs at Dodgers, 7:10PM, TV: SPNLA.

This is already the third series between the two teams in the young season. Greinke (3-0, 2.76 ERA) has faced the Diamondbacks once this year and won; he’ll try to do it again. Miley (2-2, 5.04 ERA) has faced the Dodgers twice already and has lost both games.

Whether Hanley Ramirez plays or not will be a game-time decision based on how his left hand feels after getting hit by Ryan Vogelsong Wednesday night. Adrian Gonzalez has a twelve-game hitting streak.

Lineup when available.

Apr 12

Game 12, 2014

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5:10 PM PST, TV: SPNLA and MLBTV (free game today). The D-Backs send out Wade Miley, who’s 2-1 with a 4.05 ERA, and the Dodgers counter with Zack Greinke, who’s 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA.

Miley faced the Dodgers in the opening game in Sydney when he gave up three runs in five innings. With him pitching, Mattingly sits Ethier and Crawford and generally loads up the lineup with right-handers.

Lineup:

Apr 06

Game Eight, 2014

Giants at Dodgers, 5:00PM PST, ESPN2.

Zack Greinke goes for the Dodgers and Matt Cain goes for the Giants. Oddly, they have identical ERAs of 3.60 for the young season. Greinke has a win and Cain has no record.

Lineup:

Hmm. No Puig. From a tweet an hour after the lineup was posted: “Don Mattingly: Yasiel Puig is on his way to get an MRI. We don’t expect it to be anything major. X-rays were negative.”

Apr 04

Game Six, 2014

Today is the home opener for the Dodgers, and it’s against their fellow migrants from New York, the San Francisco Giants, also known as “the hated enemy.”

First, we get the news that Matt Kemp will start in center field. Second, we learn that that was not the original plan, but that Mattingly changed the lineup to try to get the message across to Yasiel Puig that being late costs playing time.

It’s Ryu v. Vogelsong at 1:10PM PST on SPNLA or in Northern California on CSN-BA.

Due to a quirk in the schedule, this will be Ryu’s third start in five games, all on normal or better rest.

Paul Maholm and Zack Greinke will start Saturday and Sunday for the Dodgers, while rehabbing right-hander Josh Beckett will pitch in a Minor League game Friday.

Maholm was signed to be insurance if fifth starter Beckett wasn’t fully healed from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Beckett’s recovery, however, was complicated by a bruised right hand suffered in the clubhouse in Spring Training. This will be Maholm’s first start of the season.

Beckett will pitch for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. Greinke, who pitched five innings for a win Tuesday, will be pitching on normal rest.

Lineup:

Update: According to SI, “Puig thought he was supposed to be at the park at 10 AM PT, when he was actually supposed to be there in time for a stretch at 9:40 AM.” Okay, that’s a lot less annoying than I thought it might be. I was expecting that he’d underestimated traffic and hadn’t left his home on time, which in my world is unacceptable (I’m ten minutes early for everything).

Apr 01

Game Four, 2014

Dodgers at Padres, 3:40PM PST, TV: In LA, SportsNet LA. In San Diego, FSSD, FOX Deportes San Diego. Greinke v. Kennedy.

Lineup:

The middle of the Dodgers’ lineup has not yet begun to hit. Hanley Ramirez is hitting .091. Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .111. Andre Ethier is at .167. Anybody worried?

Update: Disappointing news about Kershaw from the pregame show: after an examination by Dr. Neal ElAttrache earlier today, his injury is “more serious” than previously thought. He may not be allowed to pitch for another two or three weeks.

Well, that stinks.

Mar 27

2014 Freeway Series, Game One

Angels at Dodgers, Santiago v. Greinke, 7:00PM PST. It’s the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day, also on FSW and SPNLA.

Lineup:

Update: Greinke and Hanley Ramirez looked ready for the season in a 7 – 5 loss. Unfortunately, Jose Dominguez came in for the seventh inning and didn’t have anything, giving up four runs while retiring only one hitter.

Game Two of the Freeway Series is tomorrow.