Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
So far, this series has gone about as well as the Dodgers (57-29) could have hoped for. They’ve taken the first two games from the Diamondbacks (52-33), extending their divisional lead to 4.5 games and guaranteeing they’ll enter the All-Star break in first place. It’s been a tense series, though, with both games being decided by just one run.
|
D’backs
|
Dodgers
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7:10 p.m.
|
Los Angeles
|
|||
|
CF
|
Pollock |
2B
|
Forsythe | |
|
RF
|
Peralta |
SS
|
Seager | |
|
1B
|
Goldschmidt |
3B
|
Turner | |
|
SS
|
Owings |
LF
|
Taylor | |
|
C
|
Iannetta |
C
|
Barnes | |
|
2B
|
Drury |
1B
|
Hernández | |
|
3B
|
Lamb | RF | Puig | |
|
LF
|
Fuentes |
CF
|
Thompson | |
|
P
|
Ray (L) |
P
|
Hill (L) |
Rich Hill (4.00 ERA, 4.23 FIP, 5.53 DRA) will look to continue his recent run of excellence. Over his last three starts, Hill has allowed just four runs in 19 IP, and he’s struck out 26 batters while walking six. After not having an outing of longer than five innings this year, he got through seven innings in both of his previous two starts.
This will be Hill’s second start of the year versus Arizona. His previous outing against the Snakes was his shortest of the year, as he lasted just three innings before exiting due to blister trouble. The Hill the D’backs saw that day is likely not the one they’ll see tonight. Jeff Sullivan had a piece at FanGraphs today that provides a helpful look at what Hill’s been doing differently of late.
Robbie Ray (3.06 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 3.27 DRA) is having a very good season — good enough to merit his first-ever All-Star Game selection. He’s faced the Dodgers twice this year, and the D’backs won both of those games, although he did allow five earned runs in 5.1 IP in his previous Dodger Stadium appearance.
Ray’s 31% K rate is second-best in the National League, behind just Max Scherzer (and barely ahead of Clayton Kershaw, who’s at 30.9%). However, Ray’s struggled a bit with walks, as he’s third in BB% among qualified NL starters.
Cody Bellinger, four for his last 28, gets the day off, while Enrique Hernández starts at first base (likely in his yoga pants). Joc Pederson once again sits versus a lefty, while Trayce Thompson gets the start in center.
——
For the first time in his career, Justin Turner is an All Star, winning the final vote slot with an unprecedented total:
.@redturn2, ALL-STAR!!!! pic.twitter.com/2IWNL4dRIQ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 6, 2017
Turner tallied an all-time record 20.8 million votes. Previous high was Freddie Freeman's mark of 19.7 million in 2013.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) July 6, 2017
At 32 years old, Justin Turner — once a utility infielder who hovered around replacement level, who was non-tendered by the Mets in 2014 — is a much-deserved All Star.
https://twitter.com/redturn2/status/883116956353576960
That’s pretty cool.
Is Kenley Jansen satisfied with Dodger fans now?
Kenley Jansen: "Its awesome. The one thing I say is #Dodgers fans are the best. They didn't take it the wrong way. … He deserves it"
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 6, 2017
I guess he is.
In other news, Grant Dayton is headed to the 10-day DL with a stiff neck.
Today, the #Dodgers recalled Scott Van Slyke from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed Grant Dayton on the 10-day DL with neck stiffness.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 6, 2017
So Scott Van Slyke is the natural choice to take his roster spot.
