Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers (63-33) clobbered the Phillies (48-46) in the series opener 16-2 at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Next up, Walker Buehler makes his first start of the second half in game two of four in Philadelphia.
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Dodgers
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Phillies
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4:05 p.m.
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Philadelphia
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1B
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Pederson |
2B
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Hernandez | |
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LF
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Verdugo |
SS
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Kingery | |
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3B
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Turner |
RF
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Harper | |
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RF
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Bellinger |
1B
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Hoskins | |
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2B
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Muncy |
LF
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Bruce | |
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CF
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Pollock |
C
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Realmuto | |
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SS
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Seager | 3B | Miller | |
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C
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Barnes |
CF
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Haseley | |
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P
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Buehler (R) |
P
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Velasquez (R) |
Buehler (8-1, 3.46 ERA, 2.85 FIP) makes his first appearance since the All-Star game and first start since July 3. He looks to continue his dominant season. Coming into Tuesday’s game, his 9.78 K/9 is best among qualified Dodger starters this year and 13th highest in the NL.
Buehler’s only pitched 5.2 innings (two games including one start) against the Phillies in his career. Both games were at Citizens Bank Park where he’s 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA and 1.235 WHIP. Last July, Buehler allowed five runs on five hits including home runs to Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery. He only lasted 4.2 innings in the 4-3 loss.
Vince Velasquez (2-5, 4.63 ERA, 5.36 FIP) is back in the Philadelphia starting rotation after losing his spot earlier in the season. Last time out he allowed two runs on six hits in 5 innings for a win vs. the Mets. He’s still looking for his first home win on the season at The Bank.
Left-handed hitters are OPSing .810 vs. Velasquez over his career. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 7.91 ERA and 1.759 (!) WHIP in seven career games (three starts) against the Dodgers. The Dodgers’ offense has feasted on his pitching in the past, although he has struck out 26 L.A. batters in 19.1 innings. Two of the three hits David Freese has against Velasquez in seven at-bats have been homers. Justin Turner has also taken him deep.
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I hope the Dodgers’ offense has saved something for the rest of the series. If they still are feeling fatigued from the nearly six-hour marathon on Sunday in Boston, I’m sure Cody Bellinger can share his Red Bull and Advil.
The Dodgers landed in Philadelphia at 4:11 a.m. today, then pounded the Phillies 15 hours later. They played through fatigue. “I mean,” Cody Bellinger said, “I drank two Red Bulls and took a lot of Advil, so I was feeling all right.”
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) July 16, 2019
I hope he washed that down with a cheesesteak.
Bellinger hit two home runs in the series opener, and he’s poised to make franchise history this season.
With his 2 home runs tonight, the @Dodgers @Cody_Bellinger is just 2 HR shy of tying Duke Snider for the most homers by a Dodger through the team's first 100 games in a season. pic.twitter.com/R937xBflem
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 16, 2019
Bellinger is now tied with Mike Trout for the third most home runs in MLB (97) since being called up in 2017. We’re watching something truly special.
