Brewers @ Dodgers July 30, 2018: Finally Home

Photo: Stacie Wheeler

Following the All-Star break, the 19-game stretch from hell was looming large for the Dodgers. The 10-game road trip portion of that stretch is now over and the Dodgers have survived. Now they return home for four against the Brewers and three against the Astros (the end of the 19-game stretch noted above is two on the road against the surging A’s). The series against the Brewers begins with a match-up between Kenta Maeda and Freddy Peralta.

Brewers
Dodgers
1:10 PM
Los Angeles
RF
Yelich
LF
Pederson
3B
Moustakas
3B
Machado
CF
Cain
1B
Muncy
2B
Shaw
C
Grandal
LF
Braun
1B
Bellinger
1B
Thames
SS
Taylor
C
Piña 2B Utley
SS
Arcia
RF
Puig
P
Peralta (R)
P
Maeda (R)

Maeda was touched up for four runs against the Phillies in his last time out, but generally pitched well despite the ugly line. Had the Dodgers featured a deeper stable of relievers, he would have escaped with better results. Maeda’s outing in Citizens Bank Park was otherwise up to the lofty standards he has set for himself in his recent five-start run. So many changeups.

Peralta has struck out nearly one-third of the batters he has faced this year, and is somehow making an unusual arsenal work. Peralta throws 77% four-seam fastballs that average in the low 90s, and 20% curves that average in the upper 70s. He’s mainly a two-pitch pitcher, a spin/deception guy with lots of strikeouts. The package sounds vaguely like a young Rich Hill with a lot more fastball reliance. Peralta’s main problem in his first eight starts has been the walks, but the stuff looks pretty nasty if he can spot it.

The Brewers have a slightly different look than they did when the Dodgers faced them a week and a half ago, as they have since traded for Mike Moustakas, who is batting second. To make room at third base, Travis Shaw has moved to second, where he is still very inexperienced.

——

Earlier today, Dustin wondered what the Dodgers were going to do with Stripling as his workload continued to climb. Now we have that answer:

“Toe inflammation” sounds exactly like a fake DL stint that comes from managing a pitcher’s workload, though in a way it would be nicer if it wasn’t. It would be nice if Stripling’s big command drop was actually due to an injury that could be healed with rest. The Dodgers have stated that they believe this is short-term at any rate.

About Daniel Brim

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Daniel Brim grew up in the Los Angeles area but doesn't live there anymore. He still watches the Dodgers and writes about them sometimes.