Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
We’ll get to the Dodgers in a second, but first, that Padres lineup. Chase Headley is out again with back pain; Carlos Quentin is out with a sore knee. Jedd Gyorko is still on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis, though he was arguably the worst player in baseball before that. So what they’re left with is, well, that. Tommy Medica, with six career major league homers, is hitting cleanup. Catcher Rene Rivera, hitting .219/.281/.448 this year and .209/.251/.329 for his career, is fifth. Jake Goebbert, making his first major league start, is sixth. That Alexi Amarista and Jace Peterson are hitting behind all of them says a lot, I suppose, but really, what are you going to do? There’s a reason this year’s Padres are threatening decades-old records for offensive futility.
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Dodgers
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Padres
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7:10 pm PT
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San Diego, CA
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2B
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Gordon
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CF
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Venable
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SS
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Ramirez
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SS
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Cabrera
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RF
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Puig
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LF
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Smith
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1B
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Gonzalez
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1B
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Medica
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LF
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Kemp
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C
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Rivera
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CF
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Ethier
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LF
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Goebbert
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3B
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Turner
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3B
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Amarista
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C
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Butera
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2B
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Peterson
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P
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Beckett (R)
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P
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Ross (R)
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That’s what Josh Beckett is going to get to deal with tonight as he attempts to inexplicably keep his ERA below three, though I suppose we should note that Seth Smith has somehow been one of the best hitters in baseball this year.
As for the Dodgers, well, Yasiel Puig is back in the lineup, though I’m not sure I’m thrilled by that. He had to leave last night’s game early due to discomfort in his left hip, and he said today that he’s been dealing with the issue for two weeks. (Chalk another one up to Coors Field!) Per Ken Gurnick, Don Mattingly said that the “club is satisfied Puig can play with hip discomfort,” which, based on past history, suggests that Puig will be getting a Bo Jackson-esque hip replacement any day now.
But hey, good news! Juan Uribe has survived his rehab assignment so far. He’ll be evaluated tomorrow, and could be activated on Monday in Kansas City. The bell tolls for thee, Carlos Triunfel. Or Jamie Romak. Or Miguel Rojas. Good lord, this bench right now.
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