Tag Archives: Clayton Kershaw

May 06

Game 31, 2017

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Dodgers at Padres, 5:40 PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

Lefty Clayton Kershaw (4-2, 2.61 ERA) twirls for the Dodgers and lefty Clayton Richard (2-3, 4.29 ERA) goes for the Friars. Kershaw beat the Padres on April 3, giving up only a solo HR to Ryan Schimpf over seven innings. Richard shut the Dodgers out for eight innings on April 4.

Both pitchers have done well against the opposing team: Kershaw is 15-6 lifetime against San Diego with a 2.03 ERA in 30 starts; Richard is 7-4 with a 1.93 ERA against the Dodgers in 20 games.

On this day in Dodgers history:

  • 1937 Dodgers and Giants fans attending afternoon ball games at both the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field are thrilled to have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Hindenburg when the passenger airship appears over New York, nearing the end of its maiden voyage of the season from Germany. A few hours later, the majestic German zeppelin will explode on a landing strip in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 36 of its passengers.
  • 1947 In a small office high up behind home plate at Ebbets Field, National League president Ford Frick meets with seven Cardinal players individually, revealing he is aware of their secret plan to strike as a protest to Jackie Robinson playing for the Dodgers.
  • 1978 After going deep as a pinch hitter on May 2, Lee Lacy becomes the first major leaguer to pinch-hit home runs in consecutive at-bats. The Dodgers’ super sub will make it three in a row on May 17.
  • 2009 With a 10-3 victory over Washington, the Dodgers break the major league mark for consecutive victories at home to open a season with their 13th straight win in L.A. The previous record of 12 was established in 1911 by the Tigers.

More Dodgers history of a sort: Here’s Bill Shaikin’s column about Vin Scully’s induction into the Dodgers’ Ring of Honor.

Lineup when available.

May 01

Game 27, 2017

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Giants at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Look, a right-handed opponent! Yes, the Giants are sending out Johnny Cueto (3-1, 5.10 ERA) to do battle with the Dodgers and lefty Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.29 ERA). Here’s a useless stat for you: over his career Cueto is 23-13 in May with a 2.80 ERA. Here’s perhaps a more useful one: he’s allowed six home runs in five starts this season, including three in the last two. He gave up only 15 for the entire 2016 season.

Kershaw, on the other hand, seems to have come out of the gate in mid-season form. He’s looking for his fourth straight win, and his lifetime record against the Giants suggests he might just get it if his team can hit. He’s beaten them 19 times and he’s got a 1.60 ERA in 37 games versus them.

Turner extended his hitting streak to 16, the longest one in MLB in the new season.

Lineup when available.

Apr 25

Game 21, 2017

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Dodgers at Giants, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, NBCS-BA

Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 2.54 ERA) faces YALHP Ty Blach (0-0, 4.76 ERA). These two pitchers have met once before, on October 1 of last year, and Blach came out ahead. He gave up three hits but no runs and got two hits himself in his first (and only) major league win. Kershaw’s 18-8 lifetime against the Giants and 10-4 at AT&T Park.

The miserable Giants have won the season series against the Dodgers four of the past five years, and the Dodgers have been really pitiful at the Giants’ home park: they’re 2-8 there in each of the last two years.

In other news:

Lineup when available.

I am a little puzzled. I wonder if the thinking is the Dodgers are looking at Bellinger as a first-baseman down the road but meanwhile they have an outfield need.

To make room for him they optioned Eibner to AAA and designated RHP Joe Gunkel for assignment.

Apr 19

Game 16, 2017

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7-8. Bleargh.

Rockies at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOTRM

Ah well. Redemption is the word of the day.

YALHP (Yet Another Left-Handed Pitcher) goes for the Rockies. In today’s case it’s Tyler Anderson (1-2, 8.59 ERA), who allowed five runs over five innings on April 9 against the Dodgers at Coors Field. He’ll face LHP Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.53 ERA), who allowed four runs — including three homers — on eight hits on April 8 at Coors Field.

Lineup when available.

Apr 14

Game 11, 2017

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Epitaph for the Cubs series from the LA Times:

On 24 occasions during these 27 innings, a Dodger came to bat with a runner in scoring position. Only once did a Dodger supply a hit. The team stranded 26 runners and managed only four runs in all.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FS-A

Today it will be a treat: Clayton Kershaw v. Zack Greinke, two guys who were 1-2 in the Dodgers’ rotation in 2013-2015.

The duo went 104-34 during their three seasons together. Greinke finished second in National League Cy Young award voting in 2015, while Kershaw finished third. Kershaw won the award in 2013 and 2014.

Other info:

Kershaw has started 24 games in his career against Arizona and is 12-8 with a 2.75 ERA in those contests. Last season, he faced the D-backs once and struck out 11 in 7 1/3 innings.

Greinke has started seven games against the Dodgers and is 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA.

Lineup when available.

Apr 08

Game 6, 2017

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Dodgers at Rockies, 5:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ROOTRM

LHP Clayton Kershaw will attempt to get his second win of the season today as he faces RHP Jon Gray. Kershaw went seven innings and allowed only two hits and one run to get the win Opening Day. Gray struck out seven in the first four innings of his game against the Brewers but collapsed in the fifth when he gave up five runs and got no outs, but the Rockies bailed him out and he escaped the loss.

Lineup when available.

Apr 03

Opening Day, 2017

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The LA Times has a special Baseball 2017 section in its Sunday, April 2 edition.

Padres at Dodgers, 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, ESPN (out-of market only), FSSD

The Padres send Jhoulys Chacin out to do battle with the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw. Chacin will make his second Opening Day start; the first was for the Rockies in 2013. He was with the Angels last year and finished strong: he had a 0.75 ERA in his last four starts for them. He did well for Venezuela in this year’s World Baseball Classic as well. This will be Kershaw’s seventh straight Opening Day start for the Dodgers. That ties him with Drysdale and Sutton for the team record. This will be the fourth time he’ll face the Padres on Opening Day; he gave up three runs on nine hits in the previous 16 innings on those occasions.

The Padres have two potential Rookie of the Year candidates, “outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe, ranked No. 23 and No. 42, respectively, among MLBPipeline.com’s Top 100 prospects.”

Renfore and Margot excelled for Triple-A El Paso last year en route to a Pacific Coast League championship. Margot batted .304 and stole 30 bases, while Renfroe earned PCL MVP honors by hitting .306 with 30 home runs.

Lineups when available.

Here’s the Opening Day roster. The interesting part is probably the Disabled List, where six guys will start the year:

Pedro Baez, RHP (10-day, right wrist contusion, retroactive to March 30); Andre Ethier, OF (10-day, lumbar disk herniation, retroactive to March 30); Yimi Garcia, RHP (60-day, right elbow surgery); Scott Kazmir, LHP (10-day, left hip strain, retroactive to March 30); Josh Ravin, RHP (10-day, right groin strain, retroactive to March 30); Brock Stewart, RHP (10-day, right shoulder tendinitis, retroactive to March 30)

Here’s the lineup:

Mar 29

Freeway Series begins

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The Dodgers and Angels put on their annual Freeway Series three-game show to end spring training for both teams starting Friday night. Opening Day is Monday, April 3 against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.

Brandon McCarthy earned the #4 spot in the rotation. He’ll be preceded by Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill and followed by Hyun-jin Ryu. At least that’s the plan today.

Roberts added that Alex Wood, a finalist for the rotation, would share the long relief role with Ross Stripling. Rounding out the bullpen are closer Kenley Jansen, set-up man Sergio Romo, Grant Dayton, Luis Avilan and Chris Hatcher.

Barnes will likely be the backup catcher, although that’s not been formally announced. Kiké Hernandez hurt his wrist the other day and is questionable for the backup infielder spot until he shows it’s healed. If he can’t go, it’ll probably be Chris Taylor, and that might mean Van Slyke stays up too, since he can play center field and Taylor doesn’t. Additionally,

The Dodgers trimmed the roster before leaving Arizona on Wednesday, sending out seven players. Infielder Rob Segedin was optioned and reassigned were outfielders Tyler Holt and O’Koyea Dickson, pitcher Brandon Morrow, first basemen Cody Bellinger and Ike Davis, and infielder Charlie Culberson.

Feb 13

Spring Training begins this week!

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“It’s a doggy-dog world out there.” I have seen that written on the Internet more times than I care to mention, and it apparently applies to the Dodgers’ starting rotation competition this spring. There are seven proven pitchers trying to fit into the two spots for fourth and fifth starters. Kershaw, Hill and Maeda look to be locks for the first three slots, but after that you’ve got McCarthy, Wood, Kazmir, Ryu, Stripling, Stewart and Urias hunting for work.

“As we look around here today, we have a lot of starting pitching depth, but as we finish spring training, guys like Alex Wood, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, they’re going to have to pitch somewhere,” Roberts said. “So whether it is out of the rotation or potentially out of the pen, I don’t know that answer right now.”

Oh, and once they get the starting pitching set, they can start on their “eight outfielders for three positions” problem.

It all begins on Wednesday.

Jan 28

Almost time for the Ps and Cs to report

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MLB released its Top 100 Prospectslist and the Dodgers placed five guys on it. Only two are in the top fifty; 1B Bellinger at #13 and RHP Yadier Alvarez at #49. Bellinger is up 19 spots since the last list was released at mid-season last summer, while Alvarez is up 49.

Logan Forsythe is glad to be on a winning team. “I’m happy to just come over to a winning ballclub, organization and help some young guys if I can, jump in with the core guys and try to help these guys anyway I can,” Forsythe said.

The Dodgers have a ton of starting pitching.

Veterans Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood — each on the rebound from injuries last year — are on the outside of the starting rotation looking in, barring injury or a trade.

Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and Julio Urias are the top four, with the fifth spot up for grabs among Kazmir, McCarthy, Ryu, Wood and young starters Brock Stewart and Ross Stripling.