Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers exploded offensively in their opening act of the second half in Friday night’s 13-7 walloping of the D-backs. If it was any indication of what is to come, the stage is set for an exciting and hopefully successful conclusion to the 2016 season.
If the Dodgers pick up their fifth straight victory on Saturday, they will secure the series win and put them above .500 on the road. It helps that the D-backs are awful and have lost 13 of their last 15 games. Chip Hale‘s team is mired in last place and 19 games back of the first-place Giants, a team in shambles. It almost makes you feel bad for Paul Goldschmidt. Almost.
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Dodgers
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D-backs
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5:10 p.m. PT
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Arizona
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2B
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Utley |
2B
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Segura | |
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SS
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Seager |
CF
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Bourn | |
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3B
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Turner
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1B
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Goldschmidt | |
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1B
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Gonzalez
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3B
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Lamb | |
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C
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Grandal |
C
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Castillo | |
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LF
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Kendrick |
RF
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Tomas | |
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RF
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Puig | LF | Drury | |
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CF
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Toles |
SS
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Ahmed | |
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P
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McCarthy (R)
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P
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Bradley (R)
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Even though the Dodgers don’t have the problems that Arizona does, they continue to lose players to injury at an alarming rate. They may be targeting an outfielder even more so now that Trayce Thompson was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 10. Thompson aggravated an undisclosed back injury on a swing during Sunday’s game. He is the 20th Dodger to hit the DL this season.
Pederson will return soon, but the news isn’t looking good for Mr. Arizona himself, Andre Ethier, whose leg fracture isn’t completely healed yet. The Dodgers have recalled utility player Zach Walters from Triple-A Oklahoma City to help out in the interim. Walters, 26, was originally drafted in 2010 by the D-backs. The switch-hitter was purchased by the Dodgers from Cleveland on April 10. He has not played in a Major League game since August 2015 but hit .298/.346/.491/.836 with ten home runs, 15 doubles and four triples with OKC in 77 games this season.
Amusingly, Walters has played every single position sans catcher in Triple-A this year. He even pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits with three walks.
If you are looking for a trivia question, this tidbit about Walters may come in handy one day.
Dodgers who were born in Wyoming, 1884-present:
1. Mike Devereaux, 1987-88/1998
2. Zach Walters, 2016— PuntoForPresident (@PresidentPunto) July 16, 2016
Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 2.70) will face Arizona, his former team, for the first time. It will be the third start for the right-hander since returning to the hill after Tommy John surgery. His triumphant comeback on July 3 against the Rockies was followed by a shaky second start vs. the Padres when he allowed three runs on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Each of his first two starts have lasted five innings (72 and 77 pitches).
McCarthy’s current 12.6 K/BB will certainly retreat, but a healthy addition to the rotation has been welcomed. Pitching in familiar territory, he is 3-11 with a 4.49 ERA in 22 career games at Chase Field. After the Home Run Derby 2.0 on Friday, Brandon will need to keep the D-backs in the park. He has allowed 15 home runs in Arizona. Michael Bourn and Jean Segura are the only current D-backs to have faced McCarthy, but they are both hitless against him.
Archie Bradley (3-5, 4.64) lost to the Dodgers on June 14 when he served up a homer to Justin Turner and two home runs to Joc Pederson. Pederson, who is on the disabled list with a bruised AC joint, won’t be activated until Tuesday in Washington. Bradley hasn’t won since June 14, losing his last two starts against the Padres and Giants.
Overall Bradley is 1-1 with a 3.86 in two career starts against L.A. Chase Utley, who is back in the lineup after sitting against Patrick Corbin in the series opener, has two hits and three RBI against Bradley in five plate appearances. Adrian Gonzalez has struggled against the righty, and he has struck out four times against him in six plate appearances.
In Clayton Kershaw news:
Kershaw threw a 60 pitch simulated game at max effort. He’ll see how he comes out of it to determine next step.
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) July 16, 2016
Dominating the D-backs is delightful. Do it again, Dodgers.
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