Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA
Clayton Kershaw, who’s 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA, goes for the Dodgers. Chase Anderson, 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA, pitches for the D-Backs. The two have come close to meeting before, years ago.
Anderson is from McKinney, Texas, about 30 minutes from where Kershaw grew up in Highland Park.
The pair came within one game of facing each other in the Texas State High School playoffs, but Anderson’s team came up one game short.
“I threw the regional finals my senior year, we lost the game 2-1 or 3-2,” Anderson said. “I had 15 strikeouts. I would have pitched against Kershaw’s team in the first round of the playoffs in 2006, our senior year of high school, so that would have been a lot of fun.”
The two also came close to crossing paths on two other occasions.
“He was on the same summer ball team that following summer, but he got drafted so he went with the Dodgers and I went to play summer ball,” Anderson said. “He worked out at API [Athletes’ Performance Institute] a couple of offseasons ago where I worked out, but we never really ran into each other. We’re both Texas boys.”
That’s kind of startling. This is the 26-year-old Anderson’s second start in the major leagues. Kershaw, also 26 years old, will be making his 186th start in the bigs this evening. However much we appreciate Kershaw’s talent, it’s not enough.
Yasiel Puig now has an extra-base hit and an RBI in seven consecutive games. That feat is a subset of a fifteen-game hitting streak.
Lineup when available.
#Dodgers lineup at Phoenix:
Gordon 2B
Puig RF
Ramirez SS
Gonzalez 1B
Kemp CF
Crawford LF
Uribe 3B
Ellis C
Kershaw P
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 17, 2014
Well, there went superstar reliever Butera’s 0.00 ERA…
Pfui.
On the bright side, Gnats and Rocks both losing.
Four runs with two outs? Worst. Pitching. Ever.
I just started watching this inning. Why, oh why?
I’ve just tuned in too to see this mess
Impressive scoring in top of inning.
Depressing giving back in bottom.
Five runs so far in the inning. Never say die!
Surprising: 2 out of 3 games, the starters are destroyed (“stunning” that Kersh is one of them).
Unsurprising: 2 out of 3 games, the offense makes a rookie pitcher look A-list.
Wasn’t the other destroyed starter Maholm? His destruction was pretty much going to happen at some point, even tho he’d muddled thru some starts.
Do the “hitters” just want to get this over with?
Is that Kershaw’s shortest start ever? Bound to be close if not.
2nd shortest, according to Vin . . . he lasted 1.1 vs. Milwaukee
Puig’s on fire! Eight straight with an extra base hit!
Great for him . . . too bad it’s not contagious.
“Yasiel Puig homers on a fly ball” seems to appear on Gameday in every Dodger game.
I approve this message.
Kersh is entitled to a meltdown or two per year. Far better here and now than in a playoff game. Still very early season for him due to DL time.
Unless there’s some physical cause–doesn’t appear so–he’ll probably be himself next time out.
Hmm. This year’s ERA title hunt just took a big hit.
Vin just said he had a 6-run game in 2012, when he won that title, so there’s hope. . . . But there doesn’t seem to be any positive continuity to their play . . . in any of its aspects.
Are these the Cardinals?
Is this Groundhog Day-ing the last game of the LCS?
What a nightmare for Kersh . . . the Dodgers . . . and us! You would think Maholm was on the mound.
Plus that 1st inning didn’t bode well for the offense.
Reportedly Tony LaRussa hired today as Arizona “Chief Baseball Officer,” in charge of all baseball operations. Supposedly has met with both Gibson and Towers. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall, especially LaRussa/Gibson.
Wonder the Vegas odds on how long before Gibson decks LaRussa and/or is fired.
Or how long before LaRussa takes over one or both jobs…