Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Well, that was weird. Let’s see about finishing that first game off so we can get to the second game, shall we?
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Dodgers
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Nationals
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11:00 a.m. PT
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Washington D.C.
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CF
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Pederson
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3B
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Escobar
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2B
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Kendrick
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2B
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Espinosa
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3B
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Turner
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RF
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Harper
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1B
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Gonzalez
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LF
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Robinson
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C
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Grandal
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C
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Ramos
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RF
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Puig
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SS
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Desmond
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LF
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Ethier
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1B
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Moore
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| SS |
Rollins
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CF
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Taylor
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P
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Tsao (R)
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P
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Roark (R)
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Let’s reset where we are. When the game resumes, the Nationals will have a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, and Justin Turner will be leading off for the Dodgers. Tanner Roark is technically still the active pitcher for the Nationals after throwing seven pitches last night, but there’s still at least some chance he wouldn’t continue:
Tanner Roark is expected to pitch the first game today, but depends on how he feels after throwing pregame.
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) July 18, 2015
Chin-hui Tsao is the active pitcher for the Dodgers, and will start:
Tsao & Grandal are heading to bullpen to warmup. Tsao will start continuation game. #Dodgers
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) July 18, 2015
Yasmani Grandal was supposed to start all three games of the series, but due to today’s “doubleheader,” he’ll now be replaced by A.J. Ellis in the second game. Yes, that means Ellis is catching Clayton Kershaw. But he wasn’t supposed to, and remember this when we hear talk of “personal catchers” again.
In “you learn something new every day” news, the Dodgers (and Nationals, obviously) will be allowed to have a 26th man for the second game. Since this isn’t a full doubleheader I had assumed that wasn’t the case, but apparently not. Of course, we’re not going to know who until after the first game:
#Dodgers 26th man en route, Mattingly said. Identity will be revealed following suspended game.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 18, 2015
Since I don’t believe the “must stay down for 10 days following an option” rule is in effect for the 26th man, that essentially means we’re looking at Daniel Coulombe, Ian Thomas, Yimi Garcia, or Josh Ravin, barring something pretty unlikely like Preston Guilmet. Thomas and Ravin each pitched in last night’s 3-2 win over Round Rock, so Coulombe seems the likeliest option.
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