Dodgers @ Marlins August 15, 2019 – Buehler and the dong hitters

The Dodgers are going for a 3-game sweep of the Marlins this afternoon behind Walker Buehler. He faces off against the Marlins’ best pitcher (player?) in Caleb Smith.

	Dodgers			Marlins
	12:05 p.m.			Miami, Fla.
CF	Pollock		SS	Berti
3B	Turner		2B	Diaz
C	Smith		RF	Anderson
1B	Bellinger		1B	Cooper
2B	Muncy		3B	Castro
RF	Negron		LF	Granderson
SS	Seager		C	Alfaro
LF	Garlick		CF	Brinson
P	Buehler (R)		P	Smith (L)

Buehler will look to replicate (or best) what Clayton Kershaw did last night against the Marlins’ lineup. It was his best outing of the season by GameScore, and it isn’t a coincidence that it came in a game in which he got a season-high 17 swinging strikes.

Buehler is coming off six scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks that resulted in a no-decision. But I’m looking at his previous start against the Padres. That was his complete game, 15-strikeout performance. The Marlins strikeout at the 7th-highest rate in baseball overall at 24.4 percent, and it’s almost a point higher against righties (25.1 pecrent). So, Buehler could be in store for a big day against a Marlin lineup that has struggled to produce this season (75 wRC+ against RHP, 76 overall — worst in MLB).

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I heard a stat on the broadcast last night that the Dodgers’ record for home runs in a 3-game series is 12, set back in 2002 when Shawn Green went nuts in Milwaukee. The Dodgers have 10 homers through the first two games while outscoring the Marlins 25-2. Just because this was highlighted, the Dodgers will probably score eight runs on all singles.

The lineup is a little different today after facing two consecutive right-handed starters. Kristopher Negron and Kyle Garlick are in for Joc Pederson and Matt Beaty. The defensive alignment is a bit strange with Cody Bellinger at first base, Max Muncy at second base and Negron in right field. Bellinger in right, Muncy at first and Negron at second seems to make more sense, but this is an extremely minor nitpick.

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Let’s look at Kershaw’s whiffs last night, courtesy of Pitching Ninja.

Clayton Kershaw's 17 Swings & Misses from yesterday.

[Prado Swing & Miss is a Sword of the Week contender…I know Clayton really wants a T shirt.] pic.twitter.com/WY70JGI8nf

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 15, 2019

That’s nice.

And that’s all I’ve got for ya. Sit back and watch some (hopeful) dominance by Buehler and maybe some big dongs.