Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Time has flown by and the Dodgers (101-57) will play their final home game of the regular season on Wednesday night when they go for the series sweep over the Padres (70-88). The NL West champs have been the best home team in baseball (56-24), and they’ll get to play at Dodger Stadium a majority of the time throughout the NL playoffs after clinching home-field advantage on Tuesday. The Dodgers now aim to capture the best record in the majors, and their magic number over both the Indians and Astros is two with four games remaining on the regular season schedule.
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Padres
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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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Margot |
CF
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Taylor | |
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2B
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Asuaje |
SS
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Seager | |
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1B
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Myers |
3B
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Turner | |
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RF
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Renfroe |
1B
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Bellinger | |
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3B
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Villanueva |
LF
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Hernandez | |
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SS
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Solarte |
2B
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Forsythe | |
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LF
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Blash | C | Barnes | |
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C
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Hedges |
RF
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Puig | |
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P
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Richard (L) |
P
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Hill (L) |
Rich Hill (11-8, 3.50 ERA, 3.85 FIP) makes his 25th start of the season on Wednesday, his last before the NLDS. Hill has had a memorable season to say the least, and we will never forget when he essentially pitched a no-hitter through nine innings on August 23 in Pittsburgh. He’s found success against San Diego this season, going 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA against them in three starts. Overall, he’s 3-3 with a 3.76 ERA vs. the Padres in seven career starts.
The veteran lefty may be looking for a bit of redemption in the playoffs this year after imploding in Game 2 of the Division Series last year against the Nationals, but more on this season’s postseason matchups to come.
The Friars send lefty Clayton Richard (8-14, 4.63 ERA, 4.21) to the mound. Richard has allowed the most hits in the majors by a pitcher this year (232), partially due to his propensity to induce groundballs. The Dodgers have already faced Richard five times this year, and Richard is 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA and 37 hits in 29 1/3 innings. Overall in his career, he is 7-6 with a 4.17 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) vs. L.A.
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Tonight’s starting lineup looks very much like a potential postseason lineup Dave Roberts would use against left-handed pitching. The Fab Four — Chris Taylor, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and Cody Bellinger — are back at the top. Enrique Hernandez is in left field, and Austin Barnes is behind the plate.
One decision Roberts won’t have to make is whether to add Adrian Gonzalez to the NLDS roster. Gonzo’s homer on Tuesday was sadly the last #butterandeggs this season. He’ll be shut down. Roberts will also be informing those players not making the cut in the next couple of days.
Adrian Gonzalez shut down for the season. Won’t return for playoffs.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 27, 2017
Sunday, Game #162, will be a bullpen game.
Darvish and Wood will not start in Colorado. Sunday will be a “bullpen game”. #Dodgers
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) September 27, 2017
