Padres @ Dodgers August 25, 2018: Kennedy vs Kershaw

Photo: Stacie Wheeler

After the Dick Mountain show last night, the Dodgers find themselves in a slightly better position today. Their 11-1 victory was good, but both the Rockies and Diamondbacks lost, allowing the Dodgers to gain ground on both teams ahead of them in the West. I’m writing this last minute because no one claimed thread today, but the Rockies and Diamondbacks are each playing in tie games right now. Go Mariners/Cardinals.

Padres
Dodgers
6:10 PM
Los Angeles
SS
Galvis
1B
Muncy
3B
Myers
3B
Turner
1B
Hosmer
SS
Machado
LF
Renfroe
CF
Bellinger
RF
Reyes
2B
Dozier
C
Hedges
C
Grandal
2B
Pirela LF Taylor
CF
Margot
RF
Puig
P
Kennedy (R)
P
Kershaw (L)

Clayton Kershaw starts for the Dodgers. He’s good. Brett Kennedy starts for the Padres. He’s slightly less good. He made his debut on August 8th, and in three starts has allowed 26 hits and 13 runs. He’s coming off his best start, a five-inning, two run start against Arizona.

Max Muncy leads off for the Dodgers today. Joc Pederson is day-to-day after fouling a ball off his knee in a recent game. He’s available to pinch hit, but won’t start against a righty.

——

Ross Stripling will be back next week.

After successfully throwing to hitters today, Stripling will likely be activated on Tuesday and move into the bullpen.

Julio Urias will likely pitch in the Majors this year.

Urias will pitch tomorrow for Rancho, but is expected to be called up in September and also will pitch out of the bullpen. With Scott Alexander and Caleb Ferguson struggling with consistency and Tony Cingrani on the DL, the Dodgers could really use a dependable LOOGY out of the pen. It’s probably unfair to expect Urias to be that guy coming right back from shoulder surgery, but it’ll be nice to see him back out there. He turned 22 a couple weeks ago, so there’s still plenty of potential in that left arm.

Josh Fields won’t return before next weekend. He hasn’t pitched for the Dodgers since June 26 after dealing with shoulder inflammation. The bullpen is going to be very crowded in September.

——

Alex Wood will not start tomorrow as originally scheduled.

Wood will start Wednesday instead, with Hyun-Jin Ryu taking the ball tomorrow. It hasn’t been explicitly stated, but this would line up Rich Hill, Kershaw, Ryu and Walker Buehler to start in the pivotal four-game series in Arizona starting next Thursday.

About Alex Campos

I've been writing about the Dodgers since I graduated from Long Beach State, where I covered the Dirtbags in my senior year. I'm either very good or very bad at puns.