Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers (64-57) will try not to get swept by the Giants (61-60) on Wednesday when they wrap up the brief homestand. Things got heated on Tuesday between the rivals when Nick Hundley and Yasiel Puig got into an altercation spurring the benches to clear. Contrary to all the Twitter quips about using the brouhaha as an igniter for the stagnant offense in order to set up a winning streak, the Dodgers could only muster one run against San Francisco in their fifth straight loss.
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Giants
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Dodgers
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7:10 PM
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Los Angeles
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RF
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McCutchen |
2B
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Dozier | |
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1B
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Belt |
3B
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Turner | |
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3B
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Longoria |
SS
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Machado | |
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C
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Posey |
LF
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Kemp | |
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CF
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Hernandez |
CF
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Taylor | |
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SS
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Crawford |
1B
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Hernandez | |
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LF
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Pence | RF | Puig | |
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2B
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Hanson |
C
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Barnes | |
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P
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Holland (L)
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P
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Ryu (L)
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The southpaw-filled series continues. Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-0, 2.12 ERA, 3.16 FIP) returns from the DL to take on the Giants. It’s Ryu’s first appearance for the Dodgers since May 2. He spent most of the season on the DL with a serious left groin strain. Prior to his injury, Ryu was pitching well. He’s been hampered by injuries over the past few seasons. He missed the entirety of the 2015 season, and he’s pitched only 160 innings since 2016 after accumulating 344 innings in his first two seasons with the Dodgers.
Overall, Ryu is 4-6 with a 3.36 ERA in 13 career starts against the Giants. Hunter Pence is 12-for-29 (.414) with two doubles vs. Ryu.
Ryu made two rehab starts, one with Oklahoma City and one with Rancho Cucamonga. He allowed one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in nine innings between the two rehab starts.
The Dodgers have already faced Derek Holland (6-8, 3.97 ERA, 3.95 FIP) three times this season. He’s 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA against LA this year. Last time out, Holland allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings against the Pirates. The Giants scored 13 runs, and Holland got the win against the Bucs. He’s held left-handed batters to a .184 average this season and has yet to surrender a home run to a lefty.
Overall against the Dodgers, Holland is 0-3 with a 6.38 ERA in four career starts. Should Holland pick up his first career win against LA on Wednesday, it would also mark the Giants’ first sweep of the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium since 2016. Not ideal.
There’s been no official word on whether Puig will be suspended, and he’s in the lineup tonight batting seventh. Hundley, the #PermitPatty of the MLB, will be on the bench. Buster Posey will be behind the plate for SF.
Enrique Hernandez, another favorite of the Giants, is starting at first base for the Dodgers in the series finale. It’s Kiké’s fifth start at first this year. He’s only hitting .207 vs. LHP this year and .153 with just nine hits since the All-Star Break.
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Another day, another injury.
Dodgers reinstated LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu from the 60-day disabled list, placed RHP Ross Stripling on the 10-day disabled list with low back inflammation (retroactive to August 12) and transferred left-handed pitcher Tony Cingrani from the 10-day to the 60 DL.
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) August 15, 2018
One day after Brian Dozier said Zyrtec triggered his dizziness, Ross Stripling said soft beds at the Ritz-Carlton hampered his back. This team is like Consumer Reports.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) August 15, 2018
Ross Stripling is going on the DL with two compressed discs in his back. The MRI showed no structural damage, though. He is aiming to be activated next Friday.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) August 15, 2018
Kenley Jansen “felt great throwing to hitters today,” and there’s an update on a few other bullpen pieces.
Some relief updates, if you want them: Tony Cingrani won’t be activated until September at the earliest; Josh Fields is continuing his rehab assignment; Daniel Hudson will be activated Friday in Seattle.
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) August 15, 2018
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The Dodgers are playing like crap right now. There’s no way to sugar coat it. The bullpen is a dumpster fire, and the offense has totally clammed shut. They’ve fallen into third place in the NL West, and time is running out for them to get it together.
As far as I can tell, since coming to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have never lost five straight games with a different reliever (or any reliever period) getting the loss each time.
— Bob Timmermann (@bobtimmermann) August 15, 2018
If anyone could do it, it’s this Dodgers bullpen. Break the cycle.
