Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Last night’s game was a whole lot of fun until it wasn’t. Cody Bellinger hit a grand dong against Madison Bumgarner, which was undoubtably fun. It was part of a five-run inning, which looked to be a safe lead until Bumgarner hit a dong of his own. The Dodgers took a four-run lead into the ninth and tried their darnedest to blow it, but escaped with their fourth win in six games this season. Tonight, they have a chance to win both of the season-opening series’ before heading out to Satan Field for their first road test of the season.
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Giants
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Dodgers
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7:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles
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RF
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Duggar |
2B
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Hernández | |
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2B
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Panik |
3B
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Turner | |
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3B
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Longoria |
1B
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Freese | |
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1B
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Belt |
SS
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Seager | |
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SS
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Crawford |
CF
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Pollock | |
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CF
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Pillar |
RF
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Bellinger | |
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LF
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Parra | LF | Taylor | |
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C
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Kratz |
C
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Barnes | |
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P
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Holland (L) |
P
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Stripling (R) |
Ross Stripling gets his second start of the season for the Dodgers. He only threw 76 pitches last Friday against Arizona, but held them to three hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings while striking out five. Stripling saw the Giants four times in 2018, with only one of those times coming as a starter. In that start, Stripling pitched into the seventh inning, allowing four hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Stripling also posted relief appearances of 1, 1 2/3 and 2 1/3 innings against the Giants and allowed a total of four hits and no runs in that time. Stripling might not last as a starter when injured pitchers return, but he’s a more-than-capable fill-in at this point. In 59 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium since March 2018, Stripling owns a 2.28 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.
The Dodgers will face off against a third consecutive left-handed starter as Derek Holland makes his second start of the season. Holland got knocked around a bit in his debut, as the Padres scored three runs in four innings last Friday. He allowed a runner to reach second base in all four of his innings and allowed seven total baserunners. The Dodgers saw Holland six times in 2018, four times as a starter and twice as a reliever. Holland shut the Dodgers out for 4 2/3 innings on August 15, but the Dodgers knocked him around pretty well in his other three starts. They scored nine runs and had 12 hits off Holland in 13 1/3 innings over the other three games. Holland’s worst start against the Dodgers came on April 27, when he allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings. Ironically. that was the only time the Giants won a game against the Dodgers during which Holland pitched.
Max Muncy heads back to the bench after a rough showing last night. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and his bobble at first and hurried flip to first nearly cost the Dodgers a four-run lead. David Freese is back in the lineup and starts at first. For the Giants, Kevin Pillar makes his first start since being acquired. Steven Duggar, who made a couple nice plays in center last night, slides over to right. Buster Posey gets the day off and with Bumgarner not starting, the Giants are missing two of their more dangerous bats.
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We will all make that Pikachu shocked face when he only makes one rehab start, right?
Pretty much fully agree with Chad here. Colorado altitude is terrible. I hiked there once and was sick for like a week. Dodgers should just score like 15 runs a game so they don’t need to use Kenley Jansen.
With Walker Buehler and Julio Urias likely not being allowed to come close to 100 pitches, it might be a bullpen-heavy series. Is Craig Kimbrel still available? Lemme know in the comments. But seriously, 15 runs per game please.
