Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
As Mike said in his recap, last night was fun. Today could be fun for a different reason: It’s Clayton Kershaw day!
|
Dodgers
|
Giants
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6:05 p.m.
|
San Francisco
|
|||
|
2B
|
Gordon
|
CF
|
Pagan
|
|
|
CF
|
Puig
|
2B
|
Panik
|
|
|
1B
|
Gonzalez
|
1B
|
Posey
|
|
|
RF
|
Kemp
|
RF
|
Pence
|
|
|
SS
|
Ramirez
|
3B
|
Sandoval
|
|
|
LF
|
Crawford
|
C
|
Susac
|
|
|
3B
|
Uribe
|
SS
|
Arias
|
|
|
C
|
Ellis
|
LF
|
Blanco
|
|
|
P
|
Kershaw (L)
|
P
|
Petit (R)
|
The Dodgers and Giants have split the first two games of this series — in decided fashion — and Kershaw is on the bump for the rubber game. Yusmeiro Petit goes for the Giants.
Here is what ‘Frisco is looking at today.
Clayton Kershaw owns the lowest career ERA vs single opponent (1.40 – Giants) with a minimum of 20 starts since 1912. pic.twitter.com/w0MURPuOXo
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 14, 2014
Along with that 1.40 ERA, Kershaw has a career mark of 12-5 with a 0.82 WHIP and an 8.9 K/9 against the Giants. In San Francisco, he has been even better: 7-2, 0.69 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 7.8 K/9. All signs point to a big day for Kershaw. The offense can’t be expected to score 17 runs again, but Kershaw can be expected to keep the Giants’ offense at bay.
The Dodgers’ lineup looks like the one they’ll use in the playoffs (against right-handed pitchers, at least). It’s constructed about as well as it can be. If Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez heat up (both were good last night), then the offense could do some special things in the postseason.
Petit, who set an MLB record for most consecutive hitters retired, is coming off his best start of the season last time out (CG, 4 H, 1 R, 9 K) against the Diamondbacks. He has thrown 6 2/3 innings against the Dodgers in his career and hasn’t allowed a run. It’s a small sample size, but it’d be wise for the Dodger hitters not to overlook the right-hander.
One note about next week: Carlos Frias is expected to start for Hyun-Jin Ryu, who came out of Friday night’s game after one inning with shoulder irritation. Frias won’t throw out of the bullpen in the meantime. That start comes in Colorado. Here’s hoping the bullpen is plenty rested, because we all know how things can get out of hand there. Also, here’s hoping Ryu can come back for the playoffs, but I think we’re looking at Dan Haren, No. 3 playoff starter.
[table id=5 /]