Dodgers @ Reds Aug. 22, 2016: Trap Game

Thus ends an odd series in Cincinnati, with a 9:30 a.m. game on a Monday. Sure, why not. The Dodgers send Scott Kazmir out against Homer Bailey — yes, he still exists. Bailey actually used to be quite good before he needed Tommy John surgery after signing a $100 million contract extension in February 2014. Now? Who knows?

Dodgers
Reds
9:35 a.m. PT
Cincinnati
2B
Utley
CF
Hamilton
SS
Seager
SS
Peraza
1B
 Gonzalez
1B
Votto
C
Grandal
LF
Duvall
CF
Pederson
2B
Phillips
LF
Kendrick
RF
Schebler
RF
Toles 3B Suarez
3B
Segedin
C
Barnhart
P
Kazmir (L)
P
Bailey (R)

The term “trap game” is used a lot with the NFL, but this is a classic version of that in baseball. The Dodgers are traveling home after today’s game to start a 3-game midweek series against the Giants. It’d be easy for the team to overlook the Reds, but the Dodgers cannot do that — especially since they thoroughly dominated the Dodgers in two of the first three games of the series.

The Dodgers are sending out most of the “A” squad, with Josh Reddick and Justin Turner not in the lineup. Reddick has a jammed finger, while Turner is just getting a day off before a huge 3-game series against the Giants. Reddick will probably get another day off tomorrow, as the Dodgers face Madison Bumgarner. Might be good for him to clear his head a bit (oh, and for his jammed finger to heal).

Also, Joc Pederson has just one hit in his last four games — or, you know, since I wrote that article about him last week. Sigh.

What’s great is that Corey Seager, Turner, Adrian Gonzalez and Yasmani Grandal are all hitting — and hitting well. There might not be a better 2-5 in baseball at the moment, as all four hitters are carrying the offense. But with Turner resting, Grandal and Pederson move up into the Nos. 4 and 5 spots.

Here’s the latest on the news front…

Musical starting pitchers continue. This time, it’s the Ross Stripling edition if the Brett Anderson edition is truly (still) broken.

We’ll see…

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About Dustin Nosler

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Dustin Nosler began writing about the Dodgers in July 2009 at his blog, Feelin' Kinda Blue. He co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jared Massey called Dugout Blues. He was a contributor/editor at The Hardball Times and True Blue LA. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with his bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in digital media. While at CSUS, he worked for the student-run newspaper The State Hornet for three years, culminating with a 1-year term as editor-in-chief. He resides in Stockton, Calif.