Dodgers @ Padres September 2, 2017: Double your baseball

The Dodgers (92-41) and Padres (59-75) will play a day-night doubleheader at Petco Park on Saturday to make up the May 7th rainout. It’s only the second doubleheader to ever be played at Petco Park. Clayton Kershaw was back and locked in on Friday night, doing his part to right the ship and snap the Dodgers’ five-game losing streak with six scoreless innings of work. Chase Utley drove in the only run of the game with a RBI single in the sixth, the win lowering the Dodgers’ magic number to 13. The Dodgers’ offense still looked sluggish, and they left 10 men on base (1-for-10 with runners in scoring position). A good offensive showing during a full day of baseball on Saturday would bode well for Dave Roberts‘ crew.

Dodgers
Padres
12:40 PM PT
San Diego
2B
Forsythe
CF
Margot
C
Barnes
2B
Asuaje
SS
Hernandez
LF
Pirela
1B
Bellinger
SS
Solarte
RF
Puig
1B
Myers
3B
Segedin
3B
Spangenberg
LF
Dickson RF Blash
CF
Verdugo
C
Hedges
P
Stewart (R)
P
Richard (L)

Brock Stewart (0-0, 3.38 ERA, 4.84) was called up to make a spot start in the early game of the doubleheader. Stewart has struggled as a starter this season (6.52 ERA/2.069 WHIP), but he’s been effective out of the pen (1.26 ERA/.0767 WHIP). The right-hander’s last start on August 22 in Pittsburgh was a disaster. Brock Brock only lasted two innings and allowed five runs on four hits including a home run and four walks on 65 pitches. Stewart also made one relief appearance against the Padres in San Diego on July 1, striking out two in two scoreless innings.

The Dodgers have already faced Clayton Richard (6-13, 4.96 ERA, 4.36 FIP) four times this season going 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. Overall in his career, Richard is 7-6 with a 4.15 ERA against the Dodgers in 23 games (21 starts). Quite a few Dodgers have fared very well against Richard over their career, including Adrian Gonzalez, who is hitting .550 with 11 hits in 20 at-bats against the lefty. Justin Turner, Yasiel Puig and Austin Barnes have all hit home runs off Richard as well.

——

Take a look at the Game 1 lineup. O’Koyea Dickson makes his first MLB start in left field, batting seventh. Alex Verdugo gets another start in center field, batting eighth. Rob Segedin is manning the hot corner, giving JT a rest before the nightcap. Barnes is behind the plate to catch Stewart, setting up Yasmani Grandal to catch Yu Darvish later in Game 2.

About Stacie Wheeler

Stacie Wheeler, born and raised in So Cal, has been writing about the Dodgers since 2010. She wrote daily as the co-editor of Lasorda's Lair for five long years, and she has also written for Dodgers Nation, Dodger Blue 1958 and The Hardball Times. She currently contributes to True Blue LA. Stacie graduated from the University Of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Cinema-Television. You can also watch her videos on her YouTube channel, DishingUpTheDodgers.