Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
If the Dodgers (78-64) weren’t at rock bottom after being swept by the Pirates (64-79) in the midst of a divisional race, they certainly are after last night’s defeat, which was far and away the most deflating loss of the year. Chad’s recap detailed the disastrous finish to what was a special outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto who came within an out of history.
“After losing four in a row and six of their last seven, the Dodgers ace was on the mound looking to put a stop to things. Thankfully, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was up to the task, twirling 8.2 no-hit innings before giving up a solo homer to Jackson Holliday to end that bid. The offense did manage to scrape across some runs to give him a lead, but the lack of insurance would cost them, as the pen absolutely melted down. Needing just one out, they gave up three runs instead to get walked off by the Orioles 4-3.”
Borderline unfathomable, and entirely indicative of how they’ve been playing for over two months now. They’re 22-32 since July 4, the fourth worst record in baseball over that stretch, ahead of just the Twins, Rockies, and Nationals. The loss dropped their lead in the NL West to just one game over the Padres (77-65), but they’re still six games clear of the final team looking to reach the postseason in the Giants (72-70). Clayton Kershaw is on the mound this morning as the Dodgers look to avoid back-to-back sweeps to end their road trip, while Tomoyuki Sugano looks to secure the sweep for the O’s (66-76).
 |
 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:35 A.M. | Baltimore | ||
| DH | Ohtani (L) | RF | J. Jackson |
| SS | Betts | DH | Mountcastle |
| 1B | Freeman (L) | SS | Henderson (L) |
| LF | Conforto (L) | 3B | Rivera |
| RF | Call | C | A. Jackson |
| 3B | Rojas | LF | Carlson (S) |
| 2B | Kim (L) | 1B | Mayo |
| CF | K. Hernández | CF | Mateo |
| C | Rortvedt (L) | 2B | Vázquez |
| P | Kershaw (L) | P | Sugano (R) |
The Dodgers switch things up significantly in their getaway game, which would feel much more encouraging if they weren’t on the verge of being swept in back-to-back series. At the same time, it’s not as if the two starters on the bench today have been contributing much as of late anyway. Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages both have the day off after each going 0-for-4 last night, with the latter having three strikeouts. Kiké Hernández will get the start in center field, with Alex Call in right field and Michael Conforto in left field, who is somehow batting cleanup.
——
Here’s how Kershaw and Sugano have fared this season.
After wins in each of his five August starts, Kershaw finally had a bit of a dud, with a no-decision in the series opener in Pittsburgh. He started poorly, giving up four runs in the first inning, but regained his composure and managed to get through five innings without any further damage. He’s gone at least five innings in each of his previous six starts, with a 2.67 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP over that stretch. The starting pitching has been the strength of the Dodgers for over a month now, and they’ll need another good one from Kershaw today.
The 35-year-old rookie Sugano has had a decent first season, logging plenty of innings for an Orioles team that desperately needed them. He started the year very well, with a 2.72 ERA through his first eight starts, but has come back down to earth ever since, with a 5.25 ERA over his next 18 starts. He has the fourth lowest strikeout rate among all starters with at least 140 innings pitched, a tough way to consistently be effective. His last time out he allowed seven runs on ten hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 3.1 innings against the Giants in a rough outing. He’s now allowed eleven runs over his last two starts and 9.1 innings, after coming off of a stretch where he allowed just two earned runs over three starts. The Dodgers should be able to put runs up against Sugano, but who knows at this point.
——
The Dodgers desperately need Max Muncy and Tommy Edman to return. Muncy seems to be the key to this offense as a whole, while Tommy would provide an upgrade to the current outfield situation.
======
First pitch is at 10:35 PT on SNLA.
