Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers scored double-digit runs for the second time in five games yesterday, with beating up on Frankie Montas in a comfortable 10-3 win. Today, the Dodgers look for their fifth win of the season and look to clinch the three-game series in Oakland.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 6:40 P.M. | Oakland | ||
| CF | Betts | LF | Canha |
| SS | Seager (L) | DH | Lowrie (S) |
| DH | Turner | CF | Laureano |
| 1B | Muncy (L) | 3B | Chapman |
| LF | Pollock | C | Murphy |
| 3B | Rios (L) | RF | Piscotty |
| 2B | Lux (L) | 1B | Moreland (L) |
| C | Barnes | SS | Andrus |
| RF | McKinstry (L) | 2B | Kemp (L) |
| P | Kershaw (L) | P | Bassitt (R) |
Clayton Kershaw gets his second start of the season tonight as both teams turn their rotation over. Kershaw started Opening Day in Colorado and struggled, allowing 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Nine of the 10 hits Kershaw surrendered were singles, but six balls off Kershaw had an exit velocity over 100 MPH (including four of those singles). Kershaw only recorded six swinging strikes out of his 77 pitches in his season debut. Today marks Kershaw’s fifth start against Oakland in his career (and his fourth in Oakland), and he’s still searching for his first decision. Kershaw’s taken four no-decisions against Oakland despite a 1.35 ERA in 26 2/3 innings.
Chris Bassitt gets the start for Oakland as he did on Opening Day. Bassitt took the loss on Opening Day after he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings against Houston. He only allowed one run in the first five innings and was lifted after allowing two baserunners in the sixth, both of whom scored on a Yordan Alvarez double (lost the trade). Bassitt was the ace in Oakland last year and finished in eighth place in Cy Young voting. He posted a 2.26 ERA/3.95 FIP in 63 innings, with 13 of the 16 earned runs he surrendered coming in a four-game stretch in August. Bassitt has a six-pitch mix on Baseball Savant, and threw a sinker or cutter over 50 percent of the time in 2020. Bassitt will be making his first appearance in seven Major League seasons against the Dodgers today.
The Dodgers had two injury scares last night, as Cody Bellinger got spiked and Chris Taylor took a Montas pitch off the elbow. Neither are in the lineup today (more on that later). Mookie Betts gets his first start in center as a Dodger, with Zach McKinstry starting in right and AJ Pollock starting in left. Justin Turner will serve as DH with Edwin Rios starting at third. Austin Barnes catches Kershaw, which likely means Will Smith starts the noon finale tomorrow. For Oakland, Ramon Laureano is back and starting in center.
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Taylor is available today, but don’t expect to see Bellinger out there.
In injury news around the league, Fernando Tatis Jr. today faces the biggest challenge of his career.
Amputation now expected.
On a serious note, here’s hoping Tatis Jr. doesn’t miss too much time (subluxations suck, trust me).
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The Washington Nationals won in their first game of the season earlier today. They’ll have a double-header tomorrow before heading to LA for the Dodgers’ home opener. They’ll be a bit short-handed.
On a related note, it’s a major bummer that the Dodgers have opted not to discuss vaccination.
I feel like it’s safe to say the official stance of Dodgers Digest Dot Com is go get your vaccines when possible, dummies (this is at least my official stance).
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First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM PST and will be shown on Sportsnet LA.
