Jun 15

Game 71, 2014

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

Josh Beckett (4-3, 2.35 ERA) takes the hill for the Dodgers against Bronson Arroyo (6-4, 4.22 ERA) of the D-Backs. Arroyo has been sneered at by some media folk for his hair and his guitar, but he’s a tough bird: apparently his arm has been hurting, but he’s never missed a start in his fifteen years in the bigs and doesn’t plan to now.

Jun 14

Pregame reading

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A runner and writer named Rachel Toor has written a remembrance of a summer she spent in Missoula, Montana where she met Bob Welch in a fork of the Columbia River. Over that summer he and she dated a little and he taught her to pitch.

It’s a nice piece of writing about a guy we oldsters remember pretty well.

Jun 14

Game 70, 2014

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Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN, SNLA Spanish

Dan Haren takes his record of 6-4 with a 3.49 ERA to the hill for the Dodgers. He’ll be facing Josh Collmenter, who is 4-3 with a 3.65 ERA.

If they had Uribear back this would almost be the season’s starting lineup. Juan is running curves (?) on the field and may be ready for a rehab assignment soon.

In other injury news, Chad Billingsley tore his flexor tendon on his way toward rehab outings in Albuquerque and will talk to reporters about his options today.

Jun 13

Game 69, 2014

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

Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers, who have been bad-to-mediocre at home with a 13-19 record. Kershaw appears to be back to his usual brilliant self, however; he’s 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA; The rookie Chase Anderson will start for the D-Backs. He’s 5-0 with a 3.14 ERA.

Lineup when available.

Jun 11

Game 67, 2014

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Dodgers at Reds, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

The Dodgers send out Hyun-Jin Ryu, who’s been spectacular on the road this season. He’s 5-0 with a 0.95 ERA away from Dodger Stadium. Overall, he’s 7-2 with a 3.08 ERA. The Reds counter with Johnny Cueto, a righty with a 5-5 W-L record and a 1.97 ERA. If you see that ERA and say “shouldn’t he be better than .500 in wins and losses?” you’d be right. Eleven of his thirteen starts this year have been quality ones. Either his bullpen has let him down or he’s gotten no decision in half of those starts.

Jun 10

Game 66, 2014

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Dodgers at Reds, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Josh Beckett (3-3, 2.57 ERA) goes for the Dodgers against Mike Leake (3-5, 3.29 ERA) of the Reds. In five career appearances (four starts) against the Dodgers, he is 2-2 with a 4.80 ERA. Another thing: in the last eight games the two teams have played, each team has won four. Six have been one-run affairs.

Bob Welch, who won 211 games in the major leagues for the Dodgers and As, died yesterday. He was only 57. Here’s Jon Weisman’s appreciation of the former pitcher.

Gordon and Puig are both in the lineup, so hopefully their respective hips are fully recovered.

Jun 09

Game 65, 2014

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Dodgers at Reds, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA and ESPN (no blackout, supposedly)

Dan Haren has fallen on hard times recently, but he’s still got a 5-4 record and a 3.50 ERA. His opponent is LHP Tony Cingrani, who’s got a record of 2-6 with a 4.09 ERA. Cingrani had a good five innings last Wednesday against the Giants but gave up three runs after two outs in the sixth and lost the game.

I think we can assume that some of the Reds really look forward to facing Dan Haren:

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, right fielder Ryan Ludwick and shortstop Zack Cozart each have a pair of home runs in their careers against Haren. Phillips is 6-for-18 (.333) with five RBIs against the right-hander, Ludwick is 5-for-9 (.556) with four RBIs, and Cozart is 3-for-5 with four RBIs.

Puig and Gordon are still day-to-day. Apparently Gordon is more iffy than Puig, since Puig is in the lineup today.

Jun 08

Game 64, 2014

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

Kershaw v. Jorge De La Rosa. Clayton has a career 5-3 record at Coors Field, but that’s with a 5.24 ERA. De La Rosa is a lefty, and the Dodgers have had trouble with guys who throw from that side all year (207/.338/.282 slash line).

No Gordon (hip), no Puig (hip), no Ethier (see: lefthanded starter), no Turner (unknown). This is a makeshift lineup indeed!

Jun 07

Game 63, 2014

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

Zack Greinke (8-2) against Jhoulys Chacin (0-4). While the AL already has a ten-game winner (Buehrle of Toronto), there’s no NL pitcher who’s yet gotten to nine wins. Greinke can become the first today. Chacin missed a month with a shoulder strain. He’s started six times since he came back and the Rockies have lost all six. Oddly, the right-handed pitcher is better against left-handed hitters than he is against right-handed ones, so Mattingly may adjust his lineup accordingly.

Lineup when available.