Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
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Giants
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Dodgers
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7:10 PM PST
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Los Angeles
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3B
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Nunez
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LF
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Kendrick | |
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LF
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Pagan
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CF
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Hernandez | |
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C
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Posey
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SS
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Seager | |
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RF
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Pence
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3B
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Turner | |
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CF
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Hernandez |
1B
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Gonzalez | |
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SS
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Crawford |
RF
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Puig | |
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1B
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Belt | C | Grandal | |
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P
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Bumgarner (L) |
2B
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Utley | |
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2B
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Tomlinson
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P
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Kershaw (L)
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The Dodgers-Giants rivalry is always relevant, but in recent times it’s been magnified due to both teams fielding quality sides and the games between them usually having playoff implications on the line. 2016 is no different, as both the chase for the NL West title and the Wild Card spots are currently up for grabs as the two teams meet tonight.
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What better way to start this mess than with the two aces facing off against one another? Clayton Kershaw will matchup with Madison Bumgarner tonight, their third duel of the season, with the Dodgers winning the previous two engagements.
Kershaw (1.81 ERA/1.72 FIP/2.02 DRA) has obviously elite numbers on the season, but this will be just his third start since coming back from a lengthy DL stint. In his previous two outings, Kershaw basically used the starts as rehab stints except in the majors, and while he’s likely still anything but 100%, today does seem like the outing the Dodgers are most likely to let him loose for a normal 100 pitches or so.
Doc – "I want to say we're out of the woods with Clayton. He says he feels good, he's confident. I don't think it's a pitch-count thing.
— Ron Cervenka (@Think_BlueLA) September 19, 2016
Since coming back, Kershaw’s had mixed results in terms of stuff. His fastball velocity and the break of his curve has been fine, and so has his general control, but his command has unsurprisingly been a bit rusty. Of particular note is that he’s been throwing an awful lot of spinning sliders that don’t bite anywhere near as much as usual and he’s been missing with them in the middle of the strike zone. That’s basically what has gotten him in trouble in his last two starts, and it’s something to watch tonight.
Bumgarner (2.66 ERA/3.21 FIP/3.21 DRA) is right in the middle of the mess for the NL Cy Young Award, basically all due to Kershaw’s injury. However, the Dodgers have inexplicably hit him well this year despite usually being absolute poo against lefties, and Bumgarner has given up 13 runs in 16 innings over three starts this year. Quite frankly, unless the Dodgers have picked up some kind of read on him tipping pitches or something, it seems unlikely that trend will continue, so we’re likely in for a low-scoring affair.
It’s actually surprising that Bumgarner is having the year he’s having considering his fastball velocity has fallen over a full tick (92.1 mph to 90.8 mph). Other than that, though, he’s been about the same guy as always. He primarily uses a slider and curve as his two off-speed pitches, rarely mixing in a changeup, and relying on deception and arm angle to get his stuff to play up even further.
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Today’s lineup for the Dodgers is also interesting, as it’s probably a preview for the playoffs against lefties. Gone are the free outs at the end of the lineup, as Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal, Yasiel Puig, and Chase Utley all earn nods tonight. Enrique Hernandez is also playing because of his history against Bumgarner, but if he continues to struggle, Joc Pederson might even see playing time out of desperation more than anything else.
Trayce Thompson, missing you.
Probably the only questionable call in this lineup is Utley, who does struggle massively against lefties now, much less against a guy of Bumgarner’s caliber. However, given the other options, it’s an understandable choice.
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Yasmani Grandal appears to be feeling better.
Doc said he talked w/ Grandal yesterday: "He said he could have played yesterday but per Dr.'s discretion, we gave him an extra day off."
— Ron Cervenka (@Think_BlueLA) September 19, 2016
Micah Johnson was called up from AAA.
Micah Johnson to be called up tonight, Roberts says.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) September 19, 2016
Alex Wood, who has been waiting to be activated a while, will have to continue waiting.
Alex Wood not expected to be activated until Tuesday. Dodgers haven't finalized necessary 40-man roster move, Dave Roberts says.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) September 19, 2016
That move could be putting Scott Kazmir on the 60-day DL.
Scott Kazmir dealing with blister. Would need to build up before return. Last sim game was 60 pitches
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) September 19, 2016
Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu are throwing simulated games.
Brandon McCarthy (75 pitches) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (25) will throw simulated games tomorrow.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 19, 2016
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Getting this one would take a lot of the pressure off and also the sting of losing yesterday’s game.
Let’s go.
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