Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers fell back to .500 with a loss last night. Alex Wood was not good for the third straight start, and the offense scored fewer than five runs for the first time since May 31st. With a win today, they could still win their third straight series.
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Braves
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Dodgers
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1:10 PM
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Los Angeles
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2B
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Albies |
SS
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Taylor | |
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SS
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Swanson |
3B
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Muncy | |
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1B
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Freeman |
LF
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Kemp | |
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RF
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Markakis |
CF
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Hernández | |
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C
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Flowers |
RF
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Puig | |
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LF
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Culberson |
1B
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Bellinger | |
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CF
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Inciarte | 2B | Forsythe | |
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3B
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Camargo |
C
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Barnes | |
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P
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Newcomb (L)
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P
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Stripling (R)
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Ross Stripling has been the Dodgers’ ace for the last month or so, and they could really use an ace-like performance after using six different pitchers in relief last night. In 53 1/3 innings this season as both a starter and reliever, Stripling has allowed a total of nine earned runs and has struck out six times as many batters as he’s walked. He’s thrown 38 innings as a starter and 15 1/3 as a reliever. Eight of the nine runs he’s allowed have come as a starter, but he walked more batter as a reliever (six) than as a starter (five) despite the inning differential. He’s coming off his shortest start since the Mexico series, as he threw five innings of shutout ball in Pittsburgh and only allowed four hits and no walks, but needed 89 pitches to do so.
With a lefty on the mound for the Braves, Enrique Hernandez starts in center and Cody Bellinger is bumped down in the lineup. Austin Barnes also gets the start behind the plate.
Sean Newcomb makes his 13th start of the season today. He was the prized prospect in the trade that sent Andrelton Simmons to the Angels, and he’s been extremely good this season. In 68 2/3 innings, Newcomb has allowed only 19 runs and only three home runs, which gives him the lowest HR/9 among qualified starters. However, he has the third-highest BB% among qualified starters at 11.7, so a patient team like the Dodgers could give him fits. He’s mostly a fastball/changeup pitcher, throwing one of those two pitches more than 80 percent of the time.
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The starters for the Texas series aren’t set in stone yet, but there might be a return on Wednesday.
No announced starter for Tuesday. Maeda a potential for Wednesday.
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) June 10, 2018
Kenta Maeda threw a bullpen and says he feels ready to start Wednesday. The Dodgers kind of need him to do that.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) June 10, 2018
Kenta Maeda threw a bullpen today, and if he survives he could be the starter on Wednesday. He was very good before a hip injury took him out of his start on May 29th.
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The big omission from the lineup is Justin Turner, who was supposed to return today after missing the last three games with wrist soreness.
Justin Turner is again out of the Dodgers’ lineup. Dave Roberts had said he would play today. Now, Roberts says he expects Turner to play Tuesday and Wednesday.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) June 10, 2018
It’s probably a smart move to not force him back right before an off day and instead give him a couple extra days of recovery.
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Wood will remain in the rotation, which is something that I didn’t know was in question.
Roberts said Alex Wood will continue to start.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) June 10, 2018
No shit https://t.co/oTbtf8kxv3
— Daniel Brim (@DanielBrim) June 10, 2018
Thank you, Brim.
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Kershaw “on track” according to Roberts. No timetable. Throwing a pen could be next.
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) June 10, 2018
“No timetable” is the official motto of the 2018 Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw is still alive.
