Sep 19

Game 150, 2016

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

It’s a battle of left-handed aces, with Clayton Kershaw (11-3, 1.81 ERA) making his third start since coming off the DL. He’ll face Madison Bumgarner (14-9, 2.66 ERA), who’s not been ace-like against the Dodgers this season, going 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA in three starts against them.

This may not be all we need to know about the Giants’ bullpen, but it’s significant:

The Giants’ bullpen has matched a franchise record set in 2004 and ’05 with 28 blown saves this season. Santiago Casilla has nine blown saves alone.

Unlikely masher department: Kiké Hernandez is hitting .579 with three home runs in 19 at-bats against Bumgarner.

Lineup:

Sep 18

Game 149, 2016

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

RHP Jose De Leon is the latest rookie pitcher to make a splash with the Dodgers (following Maeda, Stripling, Urias and Stewart), starting off his big league career with a 2-0 record and an ERA of 4.09 with 12 strikeouts. He’ll face LHP Robbie Ray (8-13, 4.55 ERA). Ray is a strikeout pitcher: he’s recorded 202 this season.

This is the last game of the road trip for the Dodgers. They head home after the game to start a seven-game homestand with a three-game set against the Giants beginning Monday.

Lineup:

Goodness gracious. It’s “Let’s give the left-handed hitters a day off today” day. Beyond his right-handed hitting, Puig is 5-for-11 with a homer and two RBIs lifetime against Ray.

Sep 17

Game 148, 2016

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

Rookie RHP Brock Stewart (1-2, 6.55 ERA) gets the start for the Dodgers, replacing the scratched Bud Norris. His opponent will be RHP Shelby Miller (2-11, 7.12 ERA), who hasn’t had a good year since he played for the Cardinals in 2014. They traded him to the Braves before 2015 and the D-Backs gave up several good prospects to get him last off-season. He’s 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three starts since being called back up from Triple-A Reno where he’d been sent to work out his troubles. He’s 1-2 with a 7.02 ERA against the Dodgers in six career starts against them.

Lineup when available.

Sep 16

Game 147, 2016

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

RHP Kenta Maeda (14-9, 3.28 ERA) goes for the Dodgers and RHP (and old friend) Zack Greinke (12-6, 4.54 ERA) goes for the D-Backs. It’s hard to believe Greinke’s ERA is nearly three runs higher this year than it was last year when he pitched for the Dodgers. He’s gone against them twice this year with vastly different results. On September 5 he gave up eight runs on five homers to them in just 4 2/3 innings, while on June 13 he gave up only two runs in 7 2/3 innings and got the win. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have won seven of Maeda’s last nine starts. He’s pitching on four days rest for the first time since August 9, which may have an impact on him.

Lineup:

Sep 15

Game 146, 2016

Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

LHP Rich Hill (12-3, 1.80 ERA) makes his fourth start for the Dodgers and his first since he was pulled after seven innings of perfect baseball against Miami on September 10. Hill has yet to give up a run in 19 innings pitched as a Dodger. He’ll face RHP Archie Bradley, (6-9, 5.10 ERA). Bradley lasted only three innings his last time out, giving up five runs to the Giants on September 10.

News of note:

The Dodgers have won 10 of 15 against Arizona this season, including four in a row.

[snip]

Joc Pederson has feasted on D-backs pitching this season with a .385 average, six home runs and 10 RBIs in 10 games. He has two of those home runs against Arizona’s starter on Thursday, Archie Bradley.

Lineup when available.

Sep 14

Game 145, 2016

Dodgers at Yankees, 1:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, YES

Clayton Kershaw (11-3, 1.89 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the DL. He’ll face Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.07 ERA). Pineda has given up 14 runs in his last four starts. This will be Kershaw’s first start in Yankee Stadium; he’s got a 1.20 ERA against them in two previous appearances.

Lineup:

Welcome back, Andre!

Sep 13

Game 144, 2016

Dodgers at Yankees, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, YES, MLBN (free game, out-of-market only)

Youth versus experience is the feature here in a battle of lefties. The Dodgers send out just-turned-twenty Julio Urias (5-2, 3.69 ERA) to face the Yankees’ forty-something C.C. Sabathia (8-12, 4.27 ERA). “Sabathia was already pitching in the Major Leagues when Urias was 4 years old.” The Yankee pitcher has made 479 starts in his career but only two of them against the Dodgers, one in 2008 and the other in 2010. Urias made his first big league start in Queens against the Mets in May, so he’s pitched in the big town before.

Lineup when available.

Kendrick at 3B, Puig in LF, Kiké in CF, Segedin in RF. Let’s shake things up!

Sep 12

Game 143, 2016

Dodgers at Yankees, 4:05PM PT, TV: SPNLA, YES

RHP Jose De Leon (1-0, 4.50 ERA) makes his second big league start for the Dodgers, and RHP Brian Mitchell (1-0, 0.00 ERA) goes for the Yankees. De Leon is rated the #2 prospect in the Dodgers’ organization, while Mitchell is highly regarded by the Yankees. De Leon went six innings against the Padres on September 4, giving up four runs, three earned. Mitchell spent five months recovering from a left big toe which needed surgery for a broken bone, so his first start of the year was September 7 against the Blue Jays. He went five scoreless innings in that game.

Turner or Ethier may DH for the Dodgers in this game.

Here’s a good story by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register talking to Joc Pederson about his improvement in hitting and reduction in strikeouts this season.

Lineup when available.

Kendrick at 1B? Hmm.

Sep 10

Game 141, 2016

Dodgers at Marlins, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-F

Lefty Rich Hill (11-3, 1.94 ERA) makes his third start for the Dodgers. In his first two he’s thrown 12 scoreless innings. He’ll face RHP Tom Koehler (9-10, 3.87 ERA), who hasn’t won since August 9 but whose last outing was six shutout innings against Cleveland on September 4.

Personnel move:

“Manager Dave Roberts said Ethier will get an occasional start, but with the club’s outfield depth, Ethier will mostly be used coming off the bench as a late-innings pinch-hitter.”

Lineup:

Hmm. Utley gets the day off and Kendrick is back at 2B for the first time in a while. His LF slot will be taken by Puig.