Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers survived a four-game series in Colorado over the weekend and left with a series split. After an off day yesterday, they open up their final six-game homestand before the All-Star break with two against the Diamondbacks and four with the Padres.
The Dodgers were in Arizona a week ago and lost two of the three games, allowing eight runs in each of the two losses. It was a rough road trip for the Dodgers, as they went 3-4 and allowed fewer than five runs in only two of the seven games. It is July (somehow) and the Dodgers have nine losses at Dodger Stadium this season. Nine! Not to unnecessarily shit on the Giants, but the Giants lost nine home games in May. Six Major League pitchers have nine or more losses this season. Seems good.
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Diamondbacks
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Dodgers
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7:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles
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CF
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Dyson |
1B
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Pederson | |
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2B
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Marte |
CF
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Verdugo | |
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LF
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Peralta |
LF
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Beaty | |
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3B
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Escobar |
RF
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Bellinger | |
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RF
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Jones |
2B
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Muncy | |
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1B
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Lamb |
SS
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Hernández | |
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SS
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Ahmed | 3B | Ríos | |
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C
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Avila |
C
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Barnes | |
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P
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Clarke (R) |
P
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Stripling (R) |
Ross Stripling gets his second straight start replacing the injured Rich Hill in the rotation. The plan in his last start was for four innings and 60 pitches, but he needed 60 to complete only three innings. He allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) in three innings in Arizona, and struck out four with one walk. The unearned run came on a Stripling error on a pickoff, that moved Eduardo Escobar to second and allowed him to score on a David Peralta double.
Taylor Clarke gets the start for Arizona after a decent showing in the finale against the Dodgers last time out. He held the Dodgers to two runs and three hits in five innings, but struck out only three and needed 93 pitches to complete those five innings. He threw three or more pitches to 19 of the 21 batters he faced, with the lone exceptions being a two-pitch sac fly by Chris Taylor and a first-pitch fly out by Tony Gonsolin. Clarke’s two appearances against the Dodgers this season have been pretty similar, as he allowed two earned runs in five innings in both starts. His start at Dodger Stadium included an extra unearned run. His ERA is down to 6.10 on the season, ballooned a bit by a three inning, six run start against San Francisco two starts ago.
Edwin Rios gets his second consecutive start at third base instead of Justin Turner. Turner did pinch hit in Sunday’s game in Colorado and was hit by a pitch, so Rios gets the start today. Turner is dealing with soreness, but X-rays were negative and he is available to play tonight per team reporters. Taylor also gets the day off, with Enrique Hernandez getting the start at short.
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The rehab crew (probably not the best nickname) is progressing.
Corey Seager and A.J. Pollock took at bats, played some defense and ran the bases today. David Freese also ran bases and won’t go on a rehab assignment before being activated this weekend. Seager and Pollock are still lined up to return after the break.
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The news of Tyler Skaggs‘ passing yesterday was pretty overwhelming, and it’s been touching seeing a bunch of the tributes around the league for him.
It’s a shame we won’t get to see him pitch in LA in a couple weeks. I’d expect and hope the Dodgers honor him in some way tonight.
