Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Last night, the Dodgers (69-37) took the second game of the series against the Nationals (55-49) behind a Clayton Kershaw quality start and a 6 RBI performance from Will Smith. As the team looks for the sweep, Walker Buehler will take the mound against Stephen Strasburg in a fantastic pitching matchup.
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Dodgers
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Nationals
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10:35 a.m.
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Washington D.C.
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1B
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Pederson |
SS
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Turner | |
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2B
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Muncy |
RF
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Eaton | |
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3B
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Turner |
3B
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Rendon | |
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RF
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Bellinger |
LF
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Soto | |
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CF
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Pollock |
1B
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Adams | |
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SS
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Seager |
C
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Suzuki | |
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C
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Smith | CF | Parra | |
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LF
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Beaty |
2B
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Dozier | |
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P
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Buehler (R) |
P
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Strasburg (R) |
Will Smith starts again after his impressive performance yesterday. A.J. Pollock will start in center field, as Alex Verdugo will likely be available off the bench. Joc Pederson will continue to start at first base even if it doesn’t look pretty, while Matt Beaty starts in left field against the right-handed Strasburg.
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Of 112 starting pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched, here’s how Strasburg and Buehler rank.
His 3.9 bWAR is eighth in baseball, while his 3.9 fWAR is sixth. His numbers obviously back that up, and it’s clear that he’s been one of the best pitchers in the league. In his last start against the Rockies, Strasburg allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out eight over six innings. He’s been in a bit of a groove as of late, with a 1.99 ERA and 1.61 FIP over his last five starts. He’ll be a tough matchup even for this strong Dodgers offense.
At the same time, Buehler has been just as impressive.
His 3.2 fWAR is 12th in baseball, having less innings pitched than every other starter ahead of him. He’s making his 20th start of the season today, compared to the 21-23 of those guys ahead of him. After a couple mediocre starts, Buehler bounced back against the Marlins, striking out 11 while allowing just five hits and no walks over seven innings.
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It seems that the Dodgers and Astros will both be making a push for Marcus Stroman, considering he’d cost less than Noah Syndergaard. It’s also always a good sign to be targeting a player that the Astros like, and vice versa. Both teams identify and maximize talent better than almost every other organization.
Also, It’s Walker Buehler‘s Birthday so, advantage Dodgers.
First pitch is at 10:35 AM P.T. on SNLA or TBS.
