May 09

Game 30, 2015

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

Clayton Kershaw makes his fourth try to win career number 100 this evening, weather permitting. He’s won six straight against the Rockies and has a 1.62 ERA over those games. He’s 14-5 with a 3.11 ERA in his career against the Rockies and is 7-3 at Coors Field, posting a 4.58 ERA. His opponent will be Jorge De La Rosa, who has 45 lifetime wins at Coors, more than any other pitcher in the history of the stadium. De La Rosa started the year on the DL, however, and he’s 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA after coming off it.

In outfielder news, Yasiel Puig tweaked his hamstring in a rehab game with Rancho Cucamonga Friday night.

Lineup when available.

The weather is not looking good, unless you’re a skier/snowboarder.

Continued rain today will increase the possibility of flash flooding throughout the urban corridor and plains. Residents should be on alert for flooding in their vicinity after heavy rains pass over. The far eastern plains could see severe weather with increased heating. Chances for large hail and tornadoes increase by this afternoon. For the mountains, the snow level will be around 9000ft lowering to 7000ft by this evening. Areas above 9000ft could see 2 to 6 inches by this afternoon with another 4 to 10 inches overnight. Mountain roads will be slushy and snow packed by this evening.

Okay, lineup for today’s game:

The weather is forecast to be in the low 40s with a small chance of rain.

No explanation given for Ethier’s absence in right field, nor for Uribe’s absence at third base. It could just be that the Rockies’ pitcher De La Rosa is a lefty.

May 01

Game 22, 2015

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

It’s a battle of righthanders as the D-Backs send out old friend Rubby De La Rosa to face off against Carlos Frias of the Dodgers. De La Rosa was sent to the Red Sox by the Dodgers as part of the trade which brought them Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford two years ago. Arizona acquired him in the off-season, and he’s gone 2-1 with a 4.68 ERA this year in 25 innings over 4 starts. Frias is making his first start of the year for the Dodgers after two relief appearances.

Update: Mark Saxon of ESPN has a discussion of the Dodgers’ bullpen and its management. Three different pitchers have been used in save situations at the MLB level, and it’s the same in the minors: “The Dodgers’ four minor-league affiliates have had a total of 14 pitchers record at least one save.”

Hmm. Interesting.

Lineup when available.

No Uribear and a Guerrero sighting.

Apr 29

Game 21, 2015

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 19

Game 12, 2015

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.

Apr 12

Game Six, 2015

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

Zack Greinke went six innings and gave up two hits and one run in his first time out this season, getting a no-decision for his trouble. He’ll try to get a win tomorrow, one the Dodgers could use. They didn’t expect Clayton Kershaw to be 0-1 with a 5.84 ERA after two starts. His opponent will be Josh Collmenter, who had a rough outing in his first start of the year, going only 4 2/3 innings against the Giants and giving up 10 hits and four runs while taking the loss.

The Dodgers’ infield lineup is going to be interesting for this game. Justin Turner’s finger was spiked but required no stitches; he’s day-to-day. Juan Uribe’s hamstring tightened on him and he’s also day-to-day. I imagine Alex Guerrero will start at third base.

Lineup:

Apr 05

Opening Day 2015

Padres at Dodgers, 1:10pm PT, Dodger Stadium

Here it is at last, the first day of the new season, with the changes the new management made over the winter soon to be on display.

Will Jimmy Rollins play better defense than Hanley Ramirez? Will Howie Kendrick hit better than Dee Gordon? Will Kershaw win a fourth Cy Young Award? Can he lead the National League in ERA for the fifth consecutive year? Will Hyun-Jin Ryu recover from his shoulder woes and win more than fourteen games? Can Kenley Jansen come back from his foot woes and regain his form as an elite closer? Will the Dodgers miss Matt Kemp’s bat more than they’ll be helped by Puig’s play in right field? Can Uribe play up to his standard of the past two years while remaining healthy enough to play 125 games or so? Can Justin Turner keep up his torrid hitting from last year while coming off the bench and playing all over the infield? Will Joc Pederson keep up the hitting he did in spring training? What’s going to happen with André Ethier?

Questions, we have questions. Today we start getting answers.

Lineup:

Sep 28

Game 162, 2014

Rockies at Dodgers 1:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, KDOC-56

Greinke’s on the hill for four or five innings as a tuneup. Uribe’s managing. Kershaw’s the pitching coach. Ryu may be the bullpen coach “if he can get him to understand when he calls down,” Mattingly said.

The Rockies send out rookie Christian Bergman, who’s 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in nine starts this season and coming off a win against the D-Backs in which he gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Ryu is throwing bullpen today and Kershaw will throw a couple of innings in a simulated game. The Dodgers are feeling pretty hopeful that Ryu will be able to start Game Three of the NLDS on October 6.

If you’re interested in what has happened or is still happening elsewhere, here’s MLB’s live blog of the events in Cincinnati between the Pirates and Reds, in Texas between the As and Rangers, in Seattle between the Angels and Mariners, in Chicago between the Royals and White Sox, and in Detroit between the Tigers and Twins. What’s the big deal? Well, there’s a chance that there might be three, three! Game 163 tiebreakers required to settle the playoff seedings and even some of the participants. The possibilities are laid out in mind-numbing detail in that post.

Lineup when available.

Aug 31

Game 137, 2014

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

Hyun-Jin Ryu brings his 13-6 record and his 3.28 ERA to the mound after two weeks on the DL with strained backside muscles. Before he got hurt Ryu had 39 strikeouts in his last 38 2/3 innings overall while walking just six. I don’t think anyone expects that level of excellence in his first appearance back.

Facing Ryu will be Eric Stults, who’s 6-14 with a 4.63 ERA but has a 3-1 record and a 2.43 ERA in five starts in August.

Juan Uribe will come off the DL today or tomorrow. Chris Perez will also come off on Monday. As to callups from the minors Mattingly is being coy, other than agreeing that Joc Pederson deserves to come up when rosters expand September 1.

Lineup when available.

Yep. The first pass had Matt and Yasiel both playing CF with a big hole in RF.

Aug 21

Game 129, 2014

Padres at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, FSSD

Clayton Kershaw tries to shake off the loss he took in his last outing. He’s still 14-3 with a 1.86 ERA. He’ll face Tyson Ross, who is 11-11 with a 2.70 ERA and has worked into the sixth inning or later 20 of his last 24 starts.

Ryu has played catch on flat ground the last two days and continues to work toward pitching off a mound. Uribe took batting practice before yesterday’s game.

Aug 17

Game 126, 2014

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

It’ll be Dan Haren for the Dodgers and Wily Peralta for the Brew Crew. Peralta is 14-7 with a 3.46 ERA. This will be his second try at win number fifteen. Haren is 10-9 with a 4.50 ERA, but has won his last two after a five-game losing streak.

In Uribe’s absence the Dodgers might try Hanley Ramirez there, leaving Rojas at shortstop. Of course they give Barney the start at short today. Ramirez took some grounders at third on Saturday.

Lineup: