Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers (51-26) close out a lengthy home stand with the first two games of this year’s Freeway Series. The Angels (41-39), at a game above .500, somehow haven’t entirely collapsed since they lost Mike Trout in late May. They’re tied for second in the AL West, although they’re a sizable 13 games back of the Houston Astros, the only team in baseball with a better record than the Dodgers.
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Angels
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Dodgers
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7:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles
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CF
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Maybin |
2B
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Utley | |
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RF
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Calhoun |
LF
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Taylor | |
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1B
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Pujols |
3B
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Turner | |
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3B
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Escobar |
1B
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Bellinger | |
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SS
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Simmons |
C
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Grandal | |
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C
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Maldonado |
CF
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Pederson | |
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2B
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Espinosa | RF | Puig | |
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LF
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Young Jr. |
SS
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Hernández | |
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P
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Nolasco (R) |
P
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Hill (L) |
Rich Hill (4.72 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 7.25 DRA), on the mound for Los Angeles, is coming off of one of his better starts of the season, in which he allowed one run in five innings against the Mets. Hill has yet to pitch more than five innings in a start this year.
Hill, who has played for eight different major league teams, appeared in two games for the Angels in 2014. He failed to record an out, and has an infinite ERA as a Halo.
Old friend Ricky Nolasco (5.23 ERA, 5.95 FIP, 7.21 DRA) is making his 16th start of the year for the Angels. It’s been a rough season thus far for Nolasco. He leads baseball in home runs allowed this season, and he’ll have to face a team that has homered in 17 straight games. It will be Nolasco’s first time facing the Dodgers since his half-season stint with them in 2013.
The Dodgers took a long time to post their lineup today. It’s not clear exactly what the holdup was, although several beat writers have noted that Justin Turner, starting at third, didn’t take the field during pre-game warmups, so it could be related to that. Corey Seager is once again not in the starting lineup, but he’s still not going on the disabled list.
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The Dodgers made a few roster moves today:
Thompson, Stewart up. McCarthy (knee) to the 10-day. Stripling optioned.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) June 26, 2017
Trayce Thompson started the season in Triple-A , and was recalled by the Dodgers briefly in April before being optioned back to the minors. He’s hitting .211/.273/.377 in Oklahoma City this year. The corresponding move for him is Ross Stripling, who will head to OKC for the second time this year.
Brock Stewart is back just five days after being optioned to OKC, due to Brandon McCarthy being placed on the DL. McCarthy isn’t expected to miss more than one or two starts:
Brandon McCarthy will start again for the Dodgers in the next 10-12 days, Dave Roberts said.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) June 26, 2017
A look ahead at the pitching matchups for this series:
So #Dodgers pitching in Freeway Series:
Rich Hill tonight
Kenta Maeda Tuesday
In Anaheim
Hyun-Jin Ryu Wednesday
Clayton Kershaw Thurs— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 26, 2017
And, finally, your latest Scott Kazmir update:
Scott Kazmir is scheduled to make a rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Would be his first appearance of the season at any level.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) June 26, 2017
