Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers go for the series win in San Francisco Saturday afternoon with Scott Kazmir on the mound, televised on FOX. Ninth inning heroics from Justin Turner and dominant pitching from Clayton Kershaw gave the Dodgers the edge in game one at AT&T Park. A second consecutive win up north would shave the Giants’ N.L. West lead to two games.
|
Dodgers
|
Giants
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4:15 p.m. PT
|
San Francisco
|
|||
|
2B
|
Utley
|
CF
|
Span
|
|
|
SS
|
Seager
|
2B
|
Panik
|
|
|
3B
|
Turner
|
1B
|
Belt
|
|
|
1B
|
Gonzalez
|
C
|
Posey
|
|
|
RF
|
Thompson
|
3B
|
Duffy
|
|
|
CF
|
Pederson
|
SS
|
Crawford
|
|
|
C
|
Grandal
|
LF |
Williamson
|
|
|
LF
|
Kendrick
|
RF
|
Blanco
|
|
|
P
|
Kazmir (L)
|
P
|
Samardzija (R)
|
The Dodgers need the good Kazmir to show up. Last time out he had to exit the game early after 5 innings due to cramping in his left quad. He allowed 3 runs on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk on 85 pitches. It was good enough for the win after the Dodgers’ offense stepped up in the 12-6 victory.
Kazmir (5-3, 4.46) has been pitching well over his last three starts and is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA during that span. He has struck out 24 batters in the last 17 innings. The last time he pitched at AT&T Park on April 10, he was clobbered. He allowed 6 runs on 7 hits including 3 home runs in 4 innings. He pitched against the Giants at Dodger Stadium in his next start, April 16, and allowed another 4 runs and 7 hits through 4 innings. Overall he is 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA in four career starts against the Giants.
He’ll have to be wary of Brandon Belt who has 5 hits including three home runs against him in 10 at-bats. Belt hits third in Bruce Bochy’s lineup.
The Giants will send right-hander Jeff Samardzija (7-4, 3.33) to the mound. The veteran is coming off of two lousy starts against the Cardinals and the Braves. He allowed 10 runs on 15 hits in 10 innings in the two consecutive losses. He did have a strong month of May going 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 8 walks in 43 1/3 innings of work.
Samardzija is 1-3 with a 4.79 ERA in 5 games (3 starts) vs. Los Angeles. Leadoff hitter and professional hit-by-pitch manufacturer Chase Utley is hitting .389 against Shark with 7 hits including 3 doubles, a triple and a home run in 18 at-bats.
The only change for Dave Roberts‘ lineup for the second game of the series is that Howie Kendrick is starting in left field and batting eighth. Enrique Hernandez, who was such a dynamic utility player for the Dodgers in 2015, struck out three times in the series opener on Friday night and is hitting .207/.279/.360 on the year.
There’s some rehab action going on in Rancho Cucamonga this weekend.
Dodgers rehabbing w/@RCQuakes:
Today: Brandon McCarthy (2 IP)
Sunday: Hyun-jin Ryu (last pitched 5/25)
Monday: Yasiel Puig (starts rehab)— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) June 11, 2016
The 2016 draft concluded Saturday. The Dodgers have agreed to terms with third-round pick Dustin May out of Northwest High School in Texas. He will receive $1 million, quite a bit above the pool allotment for the No. 101 pick ($591,000). Perhaps he garners more money for that fabulous flowing red hair.
First bonus I’ve heard: Dustin May, @Dodgers agree to terms on $1 mil. Texas HS RHP, 6-ft-6, 90-93, great spin rates, great hair. @MLBDraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) June 11, 2016
The Dodgers also continue to trim their roster. Jose Tabata was released on Saturday. He was hitting .244/.340/.333 in 30 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers acquired Tabata from Pittsburgh last July in exchange for Michael Morse and cash. Tabata is owed a little over $3 million due to the $250,000 buyout of his 2017 club option and his remaining 2016 salary.
A Shark, a Scott and a bunch of seagulls make for an interesting Saturday afternoon of baseball in San Francisco.
[table id=5/]