Monthly Archives: April 2015

Apr 29

Game 21, 2015

Posted on by

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

It will be Zack Greinke v. Ryan Vogelsong in the rubber match of the series. Greinke didn’t pitch in last week’s series against the Giants, while Vogelsong gave up two runs in six innings in the Giants’ 10-inning 3-2 victory. That was the game Kendrick saved with his headlong dive behind second base in the ninth inning only to watch Maxwell single past third base to drive in the winning run in the tenth.

Greinke has been the best pitcher the Dodgers have so far this season, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in four starts, all of them quality ones. Vogelsong is 0-1 in four starts with a 7.71 ERA, and righthanded hitters have been particularly troublesome for him, hitting .298 so far this year.

Puig and Crawford are on the DL, but Van Slyke, who’ll probably replace one of them, has a seven-game hitting streak of his own. If Guerrero replaces the other all he’s done is hit five home runs in limited duty.

Lineup when available.

My goodness, what have we here? Joc leading off, Rollins in the two-hole, Uribe in the eight-hole, and something which will cause lots of talk, no Guerrero in the starting lineup.

Apr 28

Game 20, 2015

Posted on by

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

Like yesterday’s, this game is a rematch of the starters in last week’s series. Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner squared off last Wednesday. Neither one got the decision in a game ultimately won by the Giants. Each gave up two runs; Kershaw gave up three hits, Bumgarner gave up six. Kershaw walked one and struck out nine, Bumgarner walked two and struck out six. Each pitcher has faced the other team a lot in his respective career: Kershaw is 14-5 against the Giants with a 1.48 ERA and four shutouts. Bumgarner is 11-5 against the Dodgers with a 2.56 ERA.

Lineup when available.

The reason Alex is in left field is that Carl Crawford was placed on the 15-day DL and IF/OF Kiké Hernandez was brought up from Oklahoma City. There’s been no Twitter explanation for Joc’s absence from the starting lineup.

Apr 27

Game 19, 2015

Posted on by

Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN

This is a rematch of the pitchers in last Tuesday’s game against the Giants. Brett Anderson gave up nine hits in only four innings, giving up four runs and taking the loss, 6-2. It’s small consolation that five of the nine hits were infield singles. Tim Lincecum went six innings and got four double plays behind him, giving up one run and five hits and getting the win.

Lineup:


In other news today the Dodgers traded LHP Xavier Cedeño to the Rays for cash.

In late news, Brandon McCarthy has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will probably need Tommy John surgery. Scott Baker will stay on the roster and Adam Liberatore will come back up to fill McCarthy’s spot.

Apr 26

Game 18, 2015

Posted on by

Dodgers at Padres, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

The Dodgers send newly-called-up Scott Baker to the hill. Baker is 2-0 with a 1.93 in two career starts against the Padres. His opponent will be Brandon Morrow. Morrow will be making his first career start against the Dodgers. He ranks fourth in the Majors in strikeouts per nine innings (9.29) since 2010. So far this young season he’s got no decisions in three starts, going 20 innings, giving up 17 hits, walking 5 and striking out 15.

Puig and Peralta may be headed for the disabled list, Puig with the hamstring injury and Peralta with a “dead arm”. McCarthy’s right elbow tightened up on him, which he says has been happening since his last start against the Rockies. He’s got an MRI scheduled for Monday.

Lineup when available.

Apr 25

Game 17, 2015

Posted on by

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.

Apr 24

Game 16, 2015

Posted on by

Dodgers at Padres, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, Fox Sports SD

Zack Greinke goes to the hill to play stopper for the Dodgers after their unexpected and aggravating series sweep at the hands of the Giants. He’s 2-0 on the season with a 1.83 ERA on 12 hits, 2 walks and 14 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. He’ll face San Diego’s Andrew Cashner, who has lost two of his first three starts but has seen his ERA drop from 9.00 after the first game (which he lost to the Dodgers April 8) to 2.65 now. He’s striking out better than one man per inning while walking two per game.

Lineup when available.

Apr 23

Game 15, 2015

Posted on by

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

The Dodgers try to salvage one game of the three-game series behind the pitching of Mike Bolsinger, who’s fresh off being named the PCL Pitcher of the Week. In two starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, the right-hander struck out 17 batters while allowing three hits and three walks over 11 innings. He also has a 0.00 ERA.

Ryan Vogelsong will go for the Giants. He’s been a starter for the previous four years he’s been with the team, but this year he’s made three appearances and two have been in relief. He’s 0-1 with a 10.45 ERA over 10.1 innings, giving up 20 hits and 9 walks while striking out 10.

Lineup when available.

Apr 22

Game 14, 2015

Posted on by

Dodgers at Giants, 7:15PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBC Bay Area

This game pits last year’s regular season MVP Kershaw against last year’s World Series MVP Bumgarner. How about that? Apparently this is the first time in MLB history that’s ever happened.

This marks the fourth time in their careers that Bumgarner and Kershaw have faced off and the first since Sept. 13, 2013. The Giants are 2-1 in those contests, but Kershaw has better numbers (2.08 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings) compared to Bumgarner, who has a 3.32 ERA and 19 punchouts in 19 innings.

Not only that, but they hit against each other. Kershaw’s 3 for 5 against Bumgarner, while Bumgarner is only 1 for 7 with 4 Ks, but that’s partly because Kershaw bears down against him: “He’s country strong, as they say.”

Neither guy has started off his season as well as he pitched last year, but that can’t last.

In other news, the Dodgers optioned LHP Adam Liberatore to OKC and recalled OF Chris Heisey from there.

Lineup when available.

Apr 21

Game 13, 2015

Posted on by

Dodgers at Giants, 7:15PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Brett Anderson has started two games for the Dodgers so far this season, going six innings in one game and five innings in the other. He got a no-decision in the first game and picked up a win in the second. He’s got an ERA of 3.27. He’s only made three starts against the Giants in his career, and he’s 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA.

Anderson will face two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, who hasn’t looked like the same pitcher he was in 2008 and 2009 when he won those awards in quite a while. He’s started two games this year. In his first outing he looked like a throwback to those years, though; he went 7 scoreless innings, walked 3, struck out 5 and gave up 4 hits. Unfortunately he didn’t get a decision. His second outing was similar: he went 5 innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 runs while walking only 1 and striking out 4. In that one he got a loss. Lincecum is 9-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 24 career starts against the Dodgers.

Lineup:

Puig is in the lineup, which means his hamstring is better. It also means that Mattingly knows he’s 8 for 14 against Lincecum in his short time in the big leagues.

Apr 19

Game 12, 2015

Posted on by

Rockies at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Brandon McCarthy trots out for the Dodgers hoping for a more reasonable start than his last one. In that game he struck out ten, walked none but gave up four home runs in seven innings of work, with no decision for his trouble. His opponent will be Eddie Butler, who has five starts in the big leagues. Three were last year, two of those were against the Dodgers, and they didn’t go well. He was 0-1 with a 9.90 ERA. This season he’s 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings, which looks good but hides the 10 walks and 6 strikeouts so far in those two starts.

Lineup when available.

Uribe is probably just taking a day game off after a night game. Puig’s hamstring is beginning to worry me, and I imagine it’s worrying his employer more.