Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers continued their funk last night, as they were blown out by the Diamondbacks again for a second consecutive series loss against a divisional foe. Landon Knack had the worst start of his young career and needed 85 pitches to get through 4 1/3 innings. Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia combined to allow a run and three hits over 2 2/3 innings in relief, but Nick Ramirez made his return to the Majors and allowed four runs in two innings to end a 9-3 loss. The loss moved the Dodgers to 53-35 on the season and makes this series a bit more urgent.
They open a three-game set with the Brewers, who have been surprisingly good after trading Corbin Burnes in the offseason and lots of rumors of Willy Adames and Devin Williams trades. They’re 52-36, only a game behind the Dodgers for the two seed in the NL and a first round bye. Obviously, a three game set in July shouldn’t fully alter the race. Still, it would be nice for the Dodgers to turn things around begin a six-game stretch against the other division leaders in the NL. The Brewers have won eight of their last 11 and just split a four-game series in Colorado. The Dodgers took five of six against the Brewers in 2023, including a three-game sweep in LA where the Dodgers outscored them 14-3. The good thing for the Dodgers is that the Brewers do not employ Christian Walker, who hit two more home runs last night.
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| 7:10 P.M. | Los Angeles | ||
| 2B | Turang (L) | DH | Ohtani (L) |
| C | Contreras | C | Smith |
| DH | Yelich (L) | 1B | Freeman (L) |
| 1B | Adames | RF | T. Hernández |
| CF | Mitchell (L) | CF | Pages |
| 1B | Hoskins | SS | Rojas |
| RF | Frelick (L) | LF | Vargas |
| LF | Chourio | 2B | Lux (L) |
| 3B | Monasterio | 3B | Taylor |
| P | Civale (R) | P | Glasnow (R) |
Tyler Glasnow looks to bounce back tonight after his worst start of the season in San Francisco. Glasnow allowed five runs and seven hits in only three innings. He only struck out one Giant, which is his fewest strikeouts in a start since June 2017. Four of the seven hits he allowed were doubles six of them came with expected batting averages over .410. It raised his ERA nearly 40 points to a 3.23 now, and it was his first start this season that he failed to complete five innings in. The Dodgers did give him some run support and he took the no decision in a 14-7 extra inning win for LA. This is the seventh time Glasnow has faced the Brewers in his career, but his first time since 2018. In 14 2/3 innings as a Pirate starter and reliever in 2017 and 2018, Glasnow allowed 10 runs and 15 hits. All those runs came in 2017, as he held the Brewers scoreless for 4 1/3 innings in three relief appearances in 2018.
The Brewers also start a former Tampa Bay Ray today as Aaron Civale makes his Brewer debut. The Rays acquired Civale from the Guardians at the deadline last season and gave up a pretty good prospect for him (Kyle Manzardo, who has struggled in the Majors but was the number 59 prospect on Pipeline and the number 37 prospect on Baseball Prospectus headed into the season). Civale posted a 5.36 ERA in 10 starts for the Rays last season and didn’t fare much better in 2024, with a 5.07 in 17 starts. On Wednesday, they traded Civale to Milwaukee for Gregory Barrios, who is now the number 19 prospect for the Rays on Pipeline. The Rays were only 5-12 in Civale’s 17 starts this season and he completed six innings in three of his first four starts, but hasn’t done so again since. Today marks Civale’s first career appearance against the Dodgers.
Civale throws five different pitches over 10 percent of the time. He leads with a cutter that averages 88.1 MPH (31.2 percent) and also throws a sinker (21.1 percent), curve (17.6 percent), sweeper (17.5 percent) and a four-seamer 10.3 percent of the time. He’s also thrown a splitter 2.4 percent of the time.
Jason Heyward is out of the lineup, more on that later. Teoscar Hernandez slides over to right and Miguel Vargas gets the start in left.
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A few roster moves today. Heyward was placed on the IL after leaving last night’s game with a knee issue. James Outman returns to the Majors but is not in the lineup today, as Andy Pages remains in center for tonight.
Dave Roberts said that Jason Heyward has a left knee contusion. No ligament damage. “We dodged a bullet.”
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) July 5, 2024
James Outman is back.
Outman failed to replicate the success of last season, when he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, to begin this season. He OPS’d .516 and struck out 32.3 percent of the time in 36 games before being demoted to AAA. The AAA environment is very hitter friendly, but Outman posted a .924 OPS and lowered his strikeout rate to 26.3 percent in 179 plate appearances.
James Outman will play some CF against righties, Dave Roberts said. Andy Pages will still play every day, just will play both CF and RF, and Miguel Vargas will log some more playing time in LF in spots, Dave Roberts said. https://t.co/xIbRmwoFNu
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 5, 2024
Outman figures to get some playing time in center against righties, and when he does Pages will slide over to right. Vargas might actually start to see some meaningful playing time in left, and has started taking grounders at third again to potentially open up a path to him getting some time on the infield.
The Dodgers also made a move in the bullpen, as Gus Varland returns.
Fresh arm for the Dodgers bullpen, Friday edition: Nick Ramirez goes down, Gus Varland is up.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 5, 2024
Varland rejoins the Dodgers to potentially face the team that stole him from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft last year. Varland was returned to the Dodgers and has been up and down between the Majors and AAA. He appeared in seven Major League games this season and allowed two earned runs, but has allowed 11 baserunners in only six innings of work. His time in AAA hasn’t gone very well, as he has a 7.48 ERA in 27 2/3 innings.
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Expect some more roster moves this weekend, as Justin Wrobleski will reportedly be called up to make his Major League debut on Sunday.
The Dodgers are expected to call up fast-rising pitching prospect Justin Wrobleski as a spot starter for Sunday’s game, sources tell The Athletic. Spot is listed as TBA as they’ll give Bobby Miller an extra day of rest. https://t.co/S9OvZAgH2P
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 5, 2024
Wrobleski was Bruce’s 12th-ranked prospect headed into the season. The 23-year-old lefty began the season in AA and posted a 3.06 ERA in 67 2/3 innings before earning a promotion to AAA a few weeks ago. He only made two AAA starts and allowed five runs in 10 1/3 innings, but struck out a season-high 11 in his first start and 17 total in his two outings. The move will give Bobby Miller an extra day of rest as he figures to start the series in Philly on Tuesday.
Wrobleski isn’t on the 40-man, so they’ll need a move to add him to that. He would be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason and would almost definitely have been stolen, so adding him now doesn’t really hurt.
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First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.
