Dodgers at Nationals, 4:10 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MASN 2, MLBN (out-of-market only)
The Dodgers currently lead the Nationals by five games in the race for best record in the National League.
LHP Alex Wood (14-3, 2.81 ERA) starts for the Dodgers. He’ll face RHP Edwin Jackson (5-5, 4.14 ERA), now on his twelfth team since he was drafted by the Dodgers in 2001.
Wood’s pitching has deteriorated in the second half of the season after an All-Star performance in the first half. In his last two starts he’s given up nine runs in eleven innings. He’s had a sternum injury, but I wonder if his arm is tired. He’s thrown 134 innings this season after only 60 the year before when he was recovering from elbow surgery mid-season. Jackson has made 10 starts for the Nats after coming over from the Orioles (short distance between moves, anyway) and has a 3.88 ERA in that stretch. His last two outings have been shaky: he’s given up nine earned runs in nine innings.
Here are Houston Mitchell’s suggestions for which players should be sitting and which playing.
What’s the deal with those Pantene 294 fans who travel to Dodgers games?
On this day in Dodgers’ history:
- 1946 In Brooklyn, a giant swarm of gnats engulfs Ebbets Field at the end of the fifth inning of the second game of a doubleheader. Due to the bothersome insects and the impending darkness, the game is called, resulting in a 2-0 victory for the Dodgers over the Cubs.
- 1950 At Ebbets Field, Cardinal starter Cloyd Boyer hurts his arm while warming up and is replaced by Red Munger. The reliever goes the distance, beating the Dodgers, 6-2, getting credit for a complete game, but not for a game started.
- 1978 Don Sutton, in front of 47,188 fans at Dodger Stadium, throws a six-hitter to beat Atlanta, 5-0. Los Angeles, with tonight’s attendance, becomes the major league first team in history to draw three million fans at home.
- 1995 Ozzie Smith takes part in the 1,554th twin killing of his career to set a new big league record for double plays. The Cardinals’ shortstop’s wizardry isn’t enough to prevent the Redbirds’ 7-6 loss to the Dodgers at Busch Stadium.
Lineup:
Today's Dodger lineup at Nationals:
Taylor CF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Puig RF
Utley 2B
Grandal C
Ethier LF
Wood P pic.twitter.com/gh468ROAm5— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 15, 2017
7:00AM game time tomorrow out here. 10 AM on the West Coast, 1 PM in the East.
Getting ready to shove off.
Great night at the park. Nat fans deflated pretty quickly, though they did muster a bit of applause whenever their team got a BB.
Giants – Diamondbacks Gameday. Tied at one going to the bottom of the 2nd in SF.
Don’t expect much from the Gnats. They’re shooting for that No. 1 draft pick.
Good win. Six games up for best record in NL.
Woo-HOO ! ! ! ! ! !
We win!
Not only a great win, but we have the whole night ahead of us!
I shall use it to sleep.
This has probably has already been mentioned – but the last time the Dodgers have scored 7 or more runs was Aug 22.
Dre been getting some good wood.
They both did well.
Sometimes I want to call him “Pedo” (joke for Spanish-speakers only).
Just saw a replay of the Werth “play” on Ethier’s double.
I appreciate how over the last 3 games the Dodgers have forced SF and Wash to have bad defense.
After playing the last 5 odd years in left, not used to right I am guessing.
Pedro likes to make things interesting . . . unfortunately.
But nothing on the board!
PedroK!
C’mon, Pedro — get the K or double play!
Mo: “Baez appears to be lost in space.”
Báez has talent, but he appears to have lost it completely.
Werth is not the sort of batter for him to face, if he wants to get right.
Taylor, on the other hand…
Ball 4 was clearly strike 3.
To be fair, his zone is pretty tight.
Mo: “Pedro Baez will be on a short leash.”
Good!
Cringing with news of Baez.
But this is the type of game to test his mettle (and hopefully not ours).
Petey, the new Hatch?
Not doing anything to help his case.
Good spot for him. If he succeeds- fine. If he doesn’t – short hook and smaller chance of him being on the post-season roster.
Just so long as that leash IS short.
At work late. Just saw the score.
WOOT!!!
Less trouble than having to travel to China, huh?
Ha! So true. I may have to work late through all of October!
Hopefully that will have to be a consideration!
Something tells me the Dodgers will not face Edwin Jackson in the playoffs.
Between innings, you can watch the best soccer footage ever… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6yQf_hWL68
Thanks?
From True Blue LA:
The Dodgers are going retro — they’re going to entrain to Philadelphia after the Sunday Night Game.
I took the train to Philly once, but from NYC.
The train trip across Southern Canada is marvelous.
To Philly?
There used to be a lot of poker played on those baseball train trips. Carl Erskine wrote one of his favorite harmonica tunes, Stan Musial Blues, on one of them because Musial just hammered him — .336/.430/.664/1.095 and 8 HRs in 116 ABs. Brooklyn fans used to say, “Here comes that man,” when Musial came up. Erskine plays a mean harmonica; his rendition of The National Anthem is special and haunting.,
Is that were “The Man” part of Stan’s name originated?
That would be true.
Great story — especially the honor in which he is held by Pujols.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkV8Caer_6Q
Oisk…
ESPN saying home plate umpires get reviewed on every game on how accurately they called balls and strikes. If baseball can use pitch tracking to grade umpires, it would seem that electronic pitch tracking could or should be used in games.
The umpires’ union would like to speak with you.
I was thinking about when I made that comment because the union lets umpires be graded by pitch track so they have already taken a step in that direction.
Wood should have practiced his sacrifice bunting.
C’mon, Alex — shut ’em down!
Thank you soo much!
Not only adding another run, this meant scoring in another inning . . . the GOOD kind of deja vu all over again!
Jackson out but before leaving, ESPN said he has pitched for 12 teams, didn’t miss too many starts, and has earned over $80M in salary.
I should have practiced baseball more.
I should have been four inches taller, faster, and stronger.
Second time with the Nats.
Washington not looking great on defense.
I’ll be happy to watch a laugher tonight.
6 runs on 5 hits (and hopefully counting) — sure beats that 8-hit, 1-run performance on Kersh’s return!
Looking forward to catching up on what happened.
Saw Puig after Belli and figured he would ensure Cody would get good pitches.
That’s a good point, Protecting Bellinger in the lineup will be very important in the post-season. I don’t think it is something that either Forsythe or Grandal can do.
Have to let the pitchers know. Cody got 3 IBB the other night with Puig batting behind him.
Just because it doesn’t work all the time doesn’t mean you don’t try it.
Lot to do with the handedness of the pitcher, though Puig is all over righthanders and Cody has the most dingers off of southpaws in the NL! Head scratcher for opposing managers.
After three weeks of us scratching our heads, let the opposition do that again!
Did you see the Werth “catch”?
No eyes — hopefully that will be part of the video clips.
Here you go.
— proving once again that your screen name is definitely truth in advertising! Thanks, Link.
“That’s my job, mate!”
Kiké’s grandfather passed away so he’s on bereavement leave, in case you want him to pinch-hit.
That is sad. Where did he live?
Puerto Rico, I am guessing.
*Puelto Lico…
Wow, nice start
Saw this post first, then heard 6-0 . . . NICE, indeed!
Of our last 11 hits, starting with Wednesday night’s game vs. San Francisco, 10 are for extra bases.
Dare I dare hope we are back?
I think teams were not eager to play the Dodgers during the losing streak because they thought a game like this was overdue.
Long overdue.
I wish I had had that confidence.
Corey!!!!!!!!!
Jackson still a Dodger.
Seager!
What the heck was that!?
I was hoping you could tell us. ESPN apparently is sitting high up in the stands.
So are the radio guys. Monday’s talking about looking down to see meals on airplane tray tables.
What in the world? Ethier with a crazy ground rule double! Werth missed the ball completely!
Werth with the ultimate deke…
Hahaha.
I don’t think he knew where the ball was and neither did the announcers on ESPN.
Not to mention Steiner…
Neither Orel nor Steiner lipread what Werth said. We miss Vin!
Murph seemed to be giving him a hard time about it.
Yasmani being Yasmani, at least in September.
Well this is a little bit of alright! JT!!! Puig!!! Utley with the double!
Dodgers now have 200 homers this season. The club record is 211, set in 2004.
Edwin Jackson, in his major league debut on Sept. 9, 2003 with the Dodgers, beat Randy Jackson: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ARI/ARI200309090.shtml
I remember it… well, not in detail. He’s had a good but odd career – perhaps the ultimate journeyman.
I was at the game sitting behind home plate in awesome seats.
Good analysis by Mitchell. Thanks Link.
“We went 65-27 in games Pederson started. Let’s see if we can get him back on track instead of Granderson. Or I’d play Ethier, who is hitting .267, and see if he can stand up to playing every day. The Dodgers are 6-17 when Granderson plays and 2-8 when Ethier plays.”
This is analysis? Joc played himself out the lineup and helped push for the acquisition of Grandy. Team records with this or that player in the lineup are really not the measure to use ( it ain’t basketball).
I was looking for a word and settled on analysis as that is what Mitchell was trying to do, I think. His point is that there are a number of players that have played themselves out of the lineup.
So, my first opportunity to see the Dodgers in nearly a week, and I’m getting Steinered.
Werth was Steinered!
Big Blue Dodger fan contingent here tonight. Big Red gets them on their feet!
Starting tonight, the next eight pitchers scheduled to start against the Dodgers are right-handers. So we will see how frequently Barnes starts. Regarding tonight’s lineup, I am glad that Ethier is in there over Granderson.
Doc says he gets more starts against righties here on out. Tomorrow for sure I would imagine.