Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Are you still on a high from last night’s thriller? Because it’s hard to imagine anything topping that … at least, (likely) not until the final month of the season. But now, there’s more baseball to be played, and the Dodgers have a shot at their first sweep of the season.
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Phillies
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Dodgers
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1:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles
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2B
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Hernández |
CF
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Toles | |
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SS
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Galvis |
LF
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Bellinger | |
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LF
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Nava |
3B
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Turner | |
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3B
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Franco |
1B
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González | |
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CF
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Altherr |
RF
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Puig | |
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RF
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Saunders |
C
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Grandal | |
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1B
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Joseph | 2B | Taylor | |
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C
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Rupp |
SS
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Hernández | |
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P
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Pivetta (R)
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P
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Ryu (L)
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Hyun-Jin Ryu (4.64 ERA, 5.77 FIP, 1.359 WHIP) has had a rough go of things to start the season. He took a tough loss his last time out, allowing just one run to the Giants in six innings pitched. The Dodgers were unable to back up his efforts, and ended up losing 2-1, but the most important thing is that Ryu looked the best he has all season. Dustin wrote the following day about what made Ryu more effective in that start, focusing especially on the increased usage of the changeup against lefties.
The Phillies are sending out a rookie to try to stop the suddenly streaking Dodgers. Nick Pivetta, a 24-year-old right hander, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals in 2013, and was traded to the Phillies in 2015 for Jonathan Papelbon. He has made three starts this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with very good results: 19 IP, 0.95 ERA, 24 K, 2 BB, 12 H. From FanGraphs:
Pivetta has an above-average fastball and at least one decent breaking pitch, but lacks a useful changeup and precise command. The most likely outcome? A career as an up-and-down starter. Pivetta’s performance early this season, however, suggests that he’s experienced some improvement. He’s recorded strikeout and walk rates of 33.3% and 2.8%, respectively, giving him the top strikeout- and walk-rate differential (30.6 points) among qualifiers at Triple-A. It also seems like both the velocity and command might have taken steps for him. The good people of Baseball Prospectus observed Pivetta bumping 97 mph at points during a start against Pawtucket.
We’ll see what kind of welcome the Dodgers give the rookie.
Corey Seager, who was 2-for-4 on his bobblehead night yesterday, gets the day off, and Enrique Hernández starts at shortstop instead. Cody Bellinger, who hit his first and second career home runs last night, is batting second, his fifth different batting order position in six games started.
—–
As reported yesterday, Logan Forsythe and Joc Pederson will likely rehab with Rancho later this week:
Logan Forsythe and Joc Pederson will begin a rehab assignment with Rancho Cucamonga Wednesday or Thursday, Dave Roberts said. Active Friday.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) April 30, 2017
The possibility of them being activated on Friday is new, though. Don’t expect #CodyLove to stick around when that happens:
Roberts said Bellinger's two-homer game doesn't change the fact that his stay is expected to be short once Pederson returns.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) April 30, 2017
Oh, and, uh, this on Scott Kazmir, because you were all dying to know:
Roberts: Scott Kazmir is "still in the mechanical stage … if something clicks, it could be sooner rather than later."
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) April 30, 2017
