Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers haven’t lost a series since June 5-7 when they dropped two of three games to the Washington Nationals. They are on the verge of losing the Freeway Series after another wild game on Wednesday saw them lose walk-off style on a throwing error by Yasmani Grandal. Clayton Kershaw swaps with Alex Wood to start the series finale on Thursday night.
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7:07 p.m.
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Kershaw (L) |
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Ramirez (R) |
The Cardinals defeated the D-backs on Thursday, extending the Dodgers’ lead over them to two games. The Rockies have slipped back to five and a half games back and are deep in an eight-game losing streak.
Kershaw (11-2, 2.47 ERA, 3.41 FIP) goes for his 12th win of the year. He hasn’t lost since May 1. Last time out against the division rival Rockies, Kersh didn’t allow a single home run in six shutout innings. I nearly forgot about the four home-run game against the Mets, a game the Dodgers and Kershaw still won. Despite the home run problem, Kershaw has been excellent this season and is third in the Majors in ERA (2.47) and second in the NL to Max Scherzer in strikeouts (123) and WHIP (0.92).
Overall, Kershaw is 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA in nine career starts against the Angels, and he’s 2-2 with a 4.05 ERA with three home runs at Angel Stadium in four starts. He’s seventh in the NL in home runs allowed (17). John Lackey has allowed the most home runs in the league (24).
This season the Angels have not been hitting that many long balls and have hit the second fewest in the AL (86). The Houston Astros, 12 1/2 games ahead of the Angels in their division, have slugged 126 home runs. Kersh will have to be careful with Kole Calhoun, the only current Angel who has hit a home run against him in the past.
JC Ramirez (7-5, 4.38 ERA, 4.48 FIP) has only previously faced the Dodgers in two relief appearances. He’s allowed 14 home runs in 17 games (14 starts), and left-handed hitters have are hitting .293 against him this year. He’s coming off a solid start against the Boston Red Sox, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks in six innings.
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Corey Seager returns to the Dodgers’ lineup after missing five games with a right hamstring strain. Justin Turner is Dave Roberts‘ designated hitter. Trayce Thompson earned another start in left field after he hit his first home run of the year yesterday in the O.C.
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It was scary to see Hyun-Jin Ryu hit with a comebacker during Wednesday’s game, but he’s okay.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, hit in foot by comebacker last night, said still “some amount of pain” but X-rays negative and expect to make next start.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) June 29, 2017
All-Star voting ends tonight, if you care about that sort of thing. My choice for Dodgers representatives to the All-Star game would be: Kershaw, Wood, Seager, Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor, JT and Kenley Jansen, but I doubt all make it. All-Star rosters will be announced Sunday, July 2. Vote here.
Closing the gap! Voting ends today at 8:59 p.m. PT.#VoteCorey #VoteCorey #VoteCorey #VoteCorey #VoteCorey
🗳: https://t.co/5IpiY8IhBd pic.twitter.com/efKLsLS36j
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 29, 2017
It was also announced that prospects Alex Verdugo and Yadier Alvarez will represent the Dodgers in the 2017 Futures Game.
