Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After splitting four games with the Mets, the Dodgers welcome the always-pesky Cardinals in for a 3-game weekend series.
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Cardinals
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Dodgers
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7:10 p.m. PT
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Los Angeles
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3B
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Carpenter
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2B
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Kendrick
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RF
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Piscotty
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SS
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Seager
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LF
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Holliday
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3B
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Turner
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1B
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Adams
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1B
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Gonzalez
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C
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Molina
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RF
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Puig
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CF
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Grichuk
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CF
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Pederson
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2B
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Wong
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LF |
Thompson
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SS
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Diaz
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C
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Ellis
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P
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Wacha (R)
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P
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Stripling (R)
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The first matchup features two pitchers who were teammates in college just five years ago. Not just teammates, but also roommates.
Cardinals’ right-hander Michael Wacha was the 19th pick of the 2012 draft. Ross Stripling was the 176th pick of that same draft.
Before I continue, I must include this:
Meet #Stcards Michael Wacha, who the #Dodgers passed on in the draft two years ago, and, oh, how they now regret. http://t.co/WM2VZFeAky
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 12, 2013
One of the worst #hottakes in recent memory. No surprise it comes from a hack like Nightengale. No, the Dodgers do not regret not drafting Wacha. Instead of Wacha, they popped Corey Seager one pick earlier. While Wacha started his career off well and performed great in his first two postseason series — 21 IP, 8 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 22 K. Since those first two series, he has been less than good: 14 1/3 IP, 16 H, 15 R/ER, 12 BB, 16 K. Still, that doesn’t really matter in the context of Seager’s value to the Dodgers. Because Wacha got off to a hot start doesn’t mean the Dodgers — then or now — regret passing on him.
In a round-about way, I’m saying there is no way the Dodgers would trade Seager for Wacha (oversimplified way of looking at it, I know). No front office outside of St. Louis would make that deal. But hey, whatever gets clicks, right?
Anyway, Wacha vs. Stripling. Should be a fun matchup. Stripling has fared well against two solid teams (Giants and Blue Jays), and the Cardinals are the best offensive team he has faced to date. This will be his biggest test.
Some notes…
Just a day off for Utley.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) May 13, 2016
That’s good. Thought it was a bit odd not to see Chase Utley in the lineup against a righty. I’d rather someone else lead off than Howie Kendrick, but it probably isn’t that big a deal … right?
Kenley Jansen is doing some Kershaw-like things this year. On the field early running, and lately taking grounders at shortstop.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) May 13, 2016
That’s great. It should help Kenley Jansen be even better the rest of this season and with the team he signs with this winter.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said Grandal will play "about five days in a row after this."
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 13, 2016
This might be the best news of all. Yasmani Grandal needs to be playing more frequently.
And finally, a complete laugh-fest, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.
What is wrong with you pic.twitter.com/EX2rPNXrWK
— Daniel Brim (@DanielBrim) May 13, 2016
I don’t want to directly link to such a horrific column. If you really want to read it, well, Google is your friend (or just type that silly URL into your browser).
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