Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
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Dodgers
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Cubs
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5:05 p.m. PT
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Chicago
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2B
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Hernandez
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CF
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Fowler
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3B
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Turner
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RF
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Heyward
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SS
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Seager
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3B
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Bryant
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1B
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Kendrick
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1B
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Rizzo
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RF
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Thompson
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2B
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Zobrist
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CF
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Pederson
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SS
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Russell
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C
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Ellis
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3B |
Baez
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LF
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Crawford
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C
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Ross
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P
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Bolsinger (R)
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P
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Lester (L)
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So far, the Dodgers’ series against the Cubs has gone about as well as can be expected, given the level of competition that the Cubs provide. The Dodgers won a game started by Jake Arrieta! That’s not something anybody saw coming heading in. Some mental gymnastics may need to be performed to make the micro results make sense on the macro scale (just swap the results of the two games), but overall, not bad.
The Dodgers need one win in the next two games to split the series and clinch a winning road trip, and on its face tonight is a pretty big pitching mismatch in the Cubs’ favor. Mike Bolsinger, whose last turn in the rotation was skipped due to Julio Urias‘ promotion, gets the ball for the Dodgers. Jon Lester goes for the Cubs, and he’s having an odd year. Lester’s ERA is currently a very respectable 2.48 (61 ERA-), but it’s backed by declining peripherals: his strikeout rate is down and his walk rate is up. However, Lester’s peripherals are still more than good enough for a number two starter and not outside the realm of what he has done before. A 300 word game thread isn’t enough to diagnose why those peripherals have declined or if some of the departure between his ERA and FIP have a cause other than luck. Yasiel Puig will not be facing Lester due to a sore hamstring, so the Dodgers will have a short bench. As a result, Joc Pederson gets a rare start against a left-handed pitcher.
With Kenta Maeda needing a few days off for his sore hand, Julio Urias will make his second major league start in tomorrow’s series finale matinee. Maeda has been pushed to Friday, so apparently the hand issue is minor. The Dodgers are still holding their breath waiting for the news on Alex Wood‘s MRI. There’s a good argument that Wood is the Dodgers’ second-best starting pitcher right now, so even if his injury means we get to watch more Urias, it will still be a significant problem for the Dodgers to overcome.
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