Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
In the series opener against the first place Philadelphia Phillies (59-32), Bobby Miller and the Dodgers (55-37) got embarrassed, getting blown out 10-1. Miller was optioned to Triple-A prior to today’s game, after allowing nine earned runs on ten hits and three walks over four innings. He’s made four starts since returning from injury, and had allowed 19 earned runs over 17.1 innings pitched, with twelve walks to nine strikeouts and five home runs allowed. The team scored just one run on a solo shot by Cavan Biggio, despite Zack Wheeler going just five innings, leaving the game with back discomfort. Like the title says, it can’t get worse… right?
The only positive is that it counts the same as any other loss. Gavin Stone will be on the mound, making the last start of his excellent first half. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Walker Buehler on the injured list, mixed in with Miller’s struggles, Stone is the guy holding the rotation together. The left-handed Cristopher Sánchez will be on the mound for the Phillies, in the midst of a breakout season of his own.
 |
 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:05 P.M. | Philadelphia | ||
| DH | Ohtani (L) | DH | Schwarber (L) |
| RF | T. Hernández | SS | Turner |
| 1B | Freeman (L) | 1B | Bohm |
| CF | Pages | 2B | Stott (L) |
| SS | Rojas | RF | Castellanos |
| LF | Vargas | CF | Marsh (L) |
| 2B | Taylor | 3B | Sosa |
| 3B | K. Hernández | LF | Merrifield |
| C | Barnes | C | Stubbs (L) |
| P | Stone (R) | P | Sánchez (L) |
This lineup is rough, as the bottom three hitters all have an OPS below .570. There’s not much else they can do at this moment without making significant changes to the roster, so it is what it is. They’ll limp to the All-Star Break and look to get healthy and add some pieces by the end of the month. They were outplayed yesterday, but they did have their opportunities to make the game closer than it was. They were 0-11 with runners in scoring position, and had runners reach second base in six of the nine innings. They were 1-9 with RISP in Sunday’s loss to the Brewers, and 0-7 in Saturday’s 5-3 win. I’ll be the brave one to speak up, one hit in 27 at-bats (.037) with runners in scoring position is bad! It’s a miracle they won a game despite that. They need to be better.
The Phillies are essentially at full strength, missing just J.T. Realmuto. They had the 25 year-old Rafael Marchan catching last night, and he went 3-3 yesterday anyways. Bryce Harper won’t be in the starting lineup, and Alec Bohm will slide over to first base to cover for Harper. Whit Merrifield will start in left field, and Edmundo Sosa will start at third base. The bottom of the order had seven hits in nine at-bats yesterday and scored seven of the twelve runs. The Phillies are running out their C lineup.
——
Here’s how tonight’s starters compare among 68 qualified starters.
Sánchez took the loss his last time out, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings against the Cubs. He was scoreless through three, but allowed a five run fourth inning and ended up leaving after allowing the first two batters to reach to start the fifth. He was coming off a complete game shutout, and had allowed just one run over his previous three starts. His ERA shot up from 2.41 to 2.96 after his previous outing, but he’s still among the best pitchers in baseball this year. He relies on a mid-90’s sinker he throws half the time, paired with a slider and changeup in the mid-80’s to round out his mix. Among qualified starters, his 59.4% ground-ball rate is second only to Framber Valdez, and his 3.8% home run to fly-ball ratio is the best in baseball. Generating grounders and not giving up homers when they do elevate the ball is a good recipe for success. He signed a four-year extension a few weeks back, with a guaranteed value of at least $22.5 million, with club options for two more years. For more on Sánchez and his new deal, this FanGraphs article by Dan Szymborski covers everything.
Stone allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks over three innings in his last outing against the Diamondbacks. It was his worst start of the year, similar to Sánchez, both coming off complete game shutouts. He allowed three of the first four batters to reach, and did the same thing in the second. He gave up a two-run homer to Gabriel Moreno in the third, and was pulled after needing 77 pitches to get through three innings. He’d gone at least five innings in eleven consecutive starts, so he’ll look to get back on track today. He’s been one of the best starters in the National League, and unfortunately the Dodgers need him to keep holding down the rotation.
——
This means that Miller will miss at least one start and be eligible to return on 7/25, although it seems he’ll be in Triple-A for a bit to reset. Ricky Vanasco is up to provide relief help.
——
Hopefully Buehler can get right. This rotation could use him, even just a semblance of his former self.
——
Not great.
——
First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. PDT on ESPN.
