Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Happy Clayton Kershaw day. He goes against a solid Diamondback lineup that has a different look than the first two games of the series.
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Dodgers
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D-backs
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12:40 p.m. PT
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Phoenix, Ariz.
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LF
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Hernandez
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2B | Segura | |
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3B
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Turner
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3B | Drury | |
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SS
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Seager
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1B
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Goldschmidt | |
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CF
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Thompson
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LF
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Weeks | |
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1B
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Gonzalez
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C
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Castillo | |
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2B
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Kendrick |
RF
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Tomas | |
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RF
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Van Slyke | SS | Ahmed | |
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LF
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Van Slyke |
P
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Corbin (L) | |
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P
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Kershaw (L)
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CF
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Bourn
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Kershaw is coming of a strong 8-inning, 13-strikeout performance last time out against the Giants. Because of course he did. That’s what he does, and he’ll probably do something similar today.
Dave Roberts has employed the platoon lineup again today. Enrique Hernandez, who has been awful to the point of being almost unplayable for the last nearly 50 games, is in the lineup in place of Joc Pederson … even though Roberts insists he’s not in a platoon. Pederson has started against left-handed starters twice this season: Matt Moore and Jon Lester. I just don’t understand why he isn’t allowed to start. If Hernandez were crushing lefties (like he did last season), then I’d be a little more OK with it. But he isn’t.
Also, Adrian Gonzalez is struggling mightily and could use a day off. This would seem to be the perfect opportunity: Day game after a night game, Scott Van Slyke exists, he’s 4-for-16 with six strikeouts in 17 plate appearances against Patrick Corbin (if you’re into that sort of thing) … but no. Instead, he is dropped to fifth in the lineup for the first time since 2014.
But enough complaining about the lineup. Just get Kershaw a few runs and he’ll handle the rest.
Injury update on Kenta Maeda, courtesy of Andy McCullough:
Kenta Maeda looks much better this morning. Not limping at all.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) June 15, 2016
That’s great news. It’s definitely a lot better than the alternative.
And Ross Stripling:
Ross Stripling expects to leave Arizona around June 25. He figures he'll go to OKC. Said his innings limit is around 125-130.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) June 15, 2016
And finally: The international signing deadline is tonight at 9 p.m. Pacific time. Belief is the Dodgers will sign some more players before then, but it isn’t known if they’ll land Vladimir Gutierrez, Lazaro Armenteros or any of the other players who fall under the restrictions. I wrote about this in more detail yesterday.
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