Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
It sucks to invest as much time with a game like last night only to have it end in a loss. The stress and the blood pressure-raising pitches and managerial decisions are enough to take years off one’s life. Tonight’s game probably won’t be any different (and it isn’t even a playoff game!).
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Giants
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Dodgers
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7:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles
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CF
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Blanco
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2B
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Turner
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2B
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Panik
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CF
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Puig
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C
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Posey
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1B
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Gonzalez
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3B
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Sandoval
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RF
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Kemp
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RF
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Pence
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SS
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Ramirez
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1B
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Belt
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LF
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Van Slyke
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SS
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Crawford
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3B
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Uribe
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LF
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Perez
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C
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Ellis
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P
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Bumgarner (L)
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P
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Greinke (R)
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On paper, this looks like a classic 1-0, 2-1 or 3-2 game with Zack Greinke and Madison Bumgarner facing off against one another. So, watch it be an 11-10 game, because baseball.
The Dodgers roll out their mostly right-handed lineup against the Giants’ ace, but it might not matter. Bumgarner has been lights out against the Dodgers in his career (11-4, 2.36 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 8.7 K/9), and he’s even better at Dodger Stadium (7-2, 1.87 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 7.8 K/9). The Dodgers have a tough task ahead of them after only mustering two runs off Jake Peavy (and all the Giant pitchers) last night.
Dee Gordon is getting an expected and appropriate day off after his horrific defensive game last night. Justin Turner draws the start at second base. Naturally, Scott Van Slyke is in for Carl Crawford in left field.
Greinke is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his career against the Giants, and the Dodgers could sure use a great and long outing from Greinke, seeing as the bullpen has been used quite liberally the last few days (see the chart at the end). Let’s just hope Brian Wilson and Chris Perez don’t see action tonight.
Not much else to report. The Dodgers’ magic number is three and they’re up be 3 1/2 games. I really shouldn’t be this nervous and antsy for this game, but I am. The Giant factor definitely plays into it. After last night’s really good game (overall, as a baseball fan), tonight’s game has a lot to live up to.
The game is on KDOC again, for those of you who get the network. It’s also an ESPN broadcast, and in theory it’s not supposed to be blacked out in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, though that hasn’t always proven true when it’s been said in the past. If it is, I’ll be stuck with the mind-numbingly bad Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. Joy.
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