Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
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Giants
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Dodgers
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7:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles, Ca.
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CF
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Blanco
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2B
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Gordon
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2B
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Panik
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CF
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Puig
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C
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Posey
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1B
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Gonzalez
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3B
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Sandoval
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RF
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Kemp
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RF
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Pence
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SS
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Ramirez
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1B
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Belt
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LF
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Crawford
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LF
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Dominguez
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3B
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Uribe
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SS
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Crawford
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C
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Ellis
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P
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Peavy (R)
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P
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Haren (R)
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This is it. This is really it. After a sometimes-fun-but-mostly-not trip through Colorado and Chicago, the Dodgers and Giants meet again in Los Angeles for the three games that will decide the division. The Giants are four games back in the loss column with seven to play (the Dodgers, off on Thursday, have only six), and they really need to sweep this series in order to have a chance. Technically, they could win two of three and survive, but with the magic number at 3, they’d then need to sweep the Padres and have the Dodgers get swept by the Rockies. I think it’s safe to say that those two things can’t both happen. I’d like to say it’s safe to say that the Giants can’t win all three here considering that Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke both pitch, but we’ve seen stranger things happen.
Anyway, for the moment, all that matters is tonight, and with Dan Haren on the mound, this is clearly the weakest the Dodgers will be in the series. (He’ll get that vesting option with six innings tonight; Don Mattingly won’t yank him after 5.2, but I’d laugh endlessly if he did.) Haren against the red-hot Buster Posey, easily the best hitter in baseball in the second half. (Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez are in the top six of that list, too. Offense is fun.)
The Dodger lineup is about the same as usual, and why not? It’s working. There’s no need to try to shoehorn Andre Ethier or Joc Pederson or Justin Turner in right now. We know the bullpen is an issue, we know that the rotation is only two deep at the moment, but we’ve been lucky enough to see an offense that’s been holding up its end and more. Whether that was because this last trip went through Coors Field and windy Wrigley remains to be seen, I suppose. They’ll have to be against Jake Peavy, who has been unexpectedly outstanding as a Giant.
Also, don’t forget: The final six games of the season, starting with this one, will be simulcast on KDOC for those of you who have been unable to get SNLA.
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