Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers wasted another great Walker Buehler start last night, as the offense was shut down by German Marquez and the defense made three errors. The loss ended a four-game winning streak and allowed the Rockies to move into first place for the first time this season.
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Rockies
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Dodgers
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7:10 PM
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Los Angeles
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CF
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Blackmon |
1B
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Muncy | |
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LF
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Parra |
3B
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Turner | |
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3B
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Arenado |
C
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Grandal | |
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SS
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Story |
LF
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Kemp | |
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RF
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Gonzalez |
CF
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Bellinger | |
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1B
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Desmond |
SS
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Taylor | |
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C
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Iannetta | RF | Puig | |
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2B
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Castro |
2B
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Forsythe | |
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P
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Bettis (R)
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P
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Stewart (R)
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After appearing in three games as a reliever, Brock Stewart finally makes his first start of the season. Stewart has allowed five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings so far in the majors, but succeeded in five Triple-A starts. He owns a 2.08 ERA (five runs in 21 2/3 innings) and has struck out more than a batter per inning in the minors this season. Despite this, the Dodgers opted to use him in relief the two previous times he’s been called up and go with a bullpen game. Today is different, probably due to the fact that bullpen game starter Ross Stripling is now like their number three starter.
Yasiel Puig returns to the lineup after a night off yesterday. Max Muncy leads off for the second time this season.
Chad Bettis starts for the Rockies for the tenth time this season. Bettis owns a 3.27 ERA/4.36 FIP, and like many Rockie pitchers, he performs much better away from Coors Field. In three starts at home, Bettis owns a 6.89 ERA and opponents own a .882 OPS against him. In six road starts, Bettis has posted a 1.89 ERA and is limiting batters to a .610 OPS. Bettis seems like a completely unideal pitcher for Coors’, as his 15.8 K% is the ninth-worst among qualified starters. He leans on a low-90s fastball with some sink to it.
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#RichHillPissHandWatch enters day two.
Rich Hill threw a 31-pitch bullpen session today with a Band-Aid on his left middle finger. He hopes to face hitters soon. “It’s healing pretty well now,” he said of the blister.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) May 22, 2018
It’ll be interesting to see if MLB allows him to pitch with a band-aid or other pad on his blistered finger.
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The Dodgers needed to make a roster move to get Stewart on the 25-man, so switch-pitcher Pat Venditte was optioned once again. Two of Venditte’s three outings this season were scoreless, but he allowed two runs and only recorded one out in the other outing.
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Tonight’s game will also be broadcast on ESPN with no blackouts, in addition to the usual Sportsnet LA telecast.
