Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
That looks awfully like a Sunday Special lineup, yet here we are on a Saturday. That must mean a left-handed pitcher is on the bump. Luckily for the Dodgers, it’s Jorge De La Rosa, who has struggled in the early going.
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Rockies
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Dodgers
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6:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles
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LF
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Blackmon
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CF
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Hernandez
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2B
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LaMahieu
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SS
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Rollins
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RF
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Gonzalez
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2B
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Kendrick
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3B
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Arenado
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1B
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Turner
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LF
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Dickerson
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LF
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Guerrero
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1B
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Rosario
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RF
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Van Slyke
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C
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McKenry
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3B
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Uribe
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SS
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Descalso
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C
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Ellis
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P
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De La Rosa (L)
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P
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Greinke (R)
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How has the Dodgers’ offense fared against left-handed pitchers thus far? Better than league-average, which shouldn’t be a surprise. They have a 110 wRC+ (tied for seventh-best in baseball) but have hit just six of their still-MLB-leading 54 home runs against southpaws. When guys like Joc Pederson (10 home runs) and Adrian Gonzalez (9 home runs) sit against lefties, I guess it isn’t that far-fetched.
I’m OK with Gonzalez getting a day off every so often (seriously, he probably shouldn’t continue to average 150-plus games per season), but Pederson should start seeing more time against them. I know he needs to have days off, too, but he has just 22 plate appearances against same-handed pitching this season. It’s hard to make any real judgments based on that, but he’s just 3-for-18 with four walks and seven strikeouts against them. He was up-and-down at times in the minors against them, but he needs to be given the chance to show he can handle them at the big league level and not cement himself as another Andre Ethier (which would, ultimately, be a really good career for him, but he has much more potential).
Depsite his 4-for-5 showing last night, Jimmy Rollins doesn’t get bumped to the leadoff spot with Pederson getting the night off. I like it. There’s no need to put anymore pressure on him, since he has struggled a lot so far in 2015. The versatile Enrique Hernandez gets the call (he of the surprising pop). All things considered, this is a solid lineup and should be able to get to De La Rosa.
Oh, and Zack Greinke is pitching. He has a sparkling ERA (1.52), but his FIP (3.09) and xFIP (3.62) leave a lot to be desired. He was decent against the Rockies last time out, but he generally flourishes at home home against Colorado, as he has a 1.65 ERA against them in Los Angeles. I’m betting he’ll be on tonight, especially with Troy Tulowitzki out of the lineup (but not traded).
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