Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers aim to tie the series against the Nationals on Tuesday night in the continuation of their rematch of last season’s NLDS. The Nats defeated the Dodgers 4-2 in the series opener despite a promising seven-inning performance by Hyun-Jin Ryu. They have lost four of their last six games.
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Nationals
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Dodgers
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7:10 PM
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Los Angeles
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SS
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Turner
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2B
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Utley | |
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LF
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Goodwin
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SS
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Seager | |
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RF
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Harper
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C
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Grandal | |
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1B
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Zimmerman |
1B
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Gonzalez | |
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2B
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Murphy |
LF
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Bellinger | |
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3B
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Rendon |
CF
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Taylor | |
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C
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Wieters | 3B | Forsythe | |
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CF
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Taylor |
RF
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Puig | |
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P
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Scherzer (R) |
P
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McCarthy (R) |
Brandon McCarthy (5-2, 3.38 ERA, 3.05 FIP) only lasted four innings in his last start against the Cardinals due to a blister on his right index finger, an issue he has apparently been dealing with the entire season. He also has knee tendinitis and missed time after dislocating his non-throwing shoulder in the weight room earlier this season. BMac reportedly felt good in a bullpen session on Sunday and is ready for his start in the second game of three against Washington Tuesday evening.
McCarthy has only pitched twice against Washington in his career, allowing three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in 15 innings. His start tonight against the Nats will be the litmus test for the Dodgers and their plan going forward when it comes to the starting rotation. Should McCarthy’s blister affect his outing again, the Dodgers could potentially bring back Julio Urias, who was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City last month.
Max Scherzer (6-3, 2.56 ERA, 3.00) isn’t a left-hander, but he is Max Scherzer. Scherzer leads the NL in a multitude of pitching categories. He’s tops in the NL with 100 strikeouts, his 0.89 WHIP barely edges out Clayton Kershaw (0.90), he has held opposing batters to a .186 average and his 11.64 K/9 is second-best in the league behind Jacob deGrom (12.18 K/9). He’s good.
Overall against the Dodgers, Scherzer is 2-4 with a 3.29 ERA in 10 career games. At Dodger Stadium, he is 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA in five starts.
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Adrian Gonzalez, Cody Bellinger and Yasmani Grandal are all back in the lineup. Franklin Gutierrez, who went hitless in the series opener, is hitting .400 with two doubles and a home run in 10 at-bats against Sherzer but is not in the starting lineup.
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In injury news, Alex Wood will return this weekend.
Alex Wood will start either Saturday or Sunday, Dave Roberts said. The other game figures to be a piggyback situation between Ryu and Maeda.
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) June 6, 2017
And something I Don’t Wanna Know…
Dave Roberts says he is looking forward to seeing Maroon 5 on Thursday. “I’m a big fan of Adam Levine,” he said.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) June 6, 2017
The Dodgers somehow bested Scherzer twice in NLDS Games 1 and 5 last year, but the 2017 Dodgers offense needs to step up in order to overtake him this time around.
