Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
My god, this is an absolute disaster of a matchup, isn’t it? The Dodgers are sending Brock Stewart — who started the year in A-ball — to the mound against the best team in baseball, and are facing a top-of-the-rotation lefty starter — which they’ve struggled against all year — in Jon Lester.
It’s a game and series loss waiting to happen, but that’s why they play the game.
—–
|
Cubs
|
Dodgers
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1:10 PM PST
|
Los Angeles
|
|||
|
CF
|
Fowler |
LF
|
Kendrick | |
|
LF
|
Bryant |
SS
|
Seager | |
|
1B
|
Rizzo |
3B
|
Turner | |
|
2B
|
Zobrist |
1B
|
Gonzalez | |
|
SS
|
Russell |
CF
|
Hernandez | |
|
RF
|
Heyward |
RF
|
Segedin | |
|
3B
|
Baez | C | Grandal | |
|
C
|
Ross |
2B
|
Culberson | |
|
P
|
Lester (L)
|
P
|
Stewart (R)
|
Brock Stewart started his 2016 campaign in high-A, and it’s ending with Dodgers fans yelling at him that he’s not already a mid-rotation starter. Still, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t been terrible, as he’s currently toting an 11.25 ERA, 8.69 FIP, and 4.99 DRA. That runs in stark contrast to his minor-league campaign, where he has a 1.68 ERA and a 126/18 K/BB ratio in 118 innings of work, which is exactly why he ever got the call to begin with.
Stewart works with a three-pitch mix of a fastball at 92-94 mph that tops out at 96, along with a slider and changeup. All three will have to be working today to get through the Cubs, and since he’s likely been better than he’s shown thus far, this game would be a nice time to start showing it.
—–
Jon Lester faces a Dodgers lineup that is 27th in the league hitting against left-handed pitching, and though the destruction of Madison Bumgarner just a handful of days ago provides hope, logic would hammer that hope into submission as an outlier amongst general terribleness.
Lester hasn’t actually been quite as good as the stats say, as he has a 2.81 ERA, but a 3.71 FIP and 3.59 DRA. Whether that matters much facing the Dodgers lineup is yet to be seen. In terms of stuff, Lester works 91-93 mph with a fastball, and throws both a cutter and a curve, while working in an occasional change.
Um … pray.
—–
Speaking of the Dodgers lineup, seeing Charlie Culberson become the starting second baseman against lefties is confusing. The lineup is already struggling, and I’d much rather take a prayer with Joc Pederson or basically anybody else in the lineup, while Howie Kendrick starts at second. Hopefully me saying this means he goes 4-for-4 with two homers.
In terms of the guys who will arrive in September, expect Austin Barnes, Casey Fien, and Louis Coleman…
#Dodgers Sept 1 roster additions: Barnes (third catcher), Fien and Coleman (activated off DL for 'pen). Could be more.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) August 28, 2016
…but not Jose De Leon.
Dave Roberts said only if there is a need will Jose DeLeon be called up in September. #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) August 28, 2016
Julio Urias isn’t going anywhere either, which makes sense since he’s currently one of the best starters.
Julio Urias will remain in #Dodger Rotation for now. His season innings total is 108.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) August 28, 2016
Come on baseball, be weird.
[table id=5 /]