Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
After winning both games of the double-header yesterday against the Giants, the Dodgers maintained their streak as the only team yet to lose a series. They’ll visit the Rangers (11-19) for the first time since…August 28, 2018 — exactly two years ago. They’ve won five in a row against the Rangers, dating back to June 17, 2015. Naturally, this will be their first time playing the Rangers in their new stadium, Globe Life Field. At 24-9, they maintain a five game lead in the NL West, and feature the best run differential in the league at +86.
Additionally, and more importantly, it’s Jackie Robinson day. Normally it’s April 15th, but because the season was obviously delayed, as was the celebration. It comes during an incredibly important time in history, as athletes throughout the nation have been speaking out and addressing injustice in society. As we go through this cultural upheaval, baseball and the nation honor the man who paved the way.
This is fantastic and you should undoubtedly watch it. One former legend in Jackie Robinson and one future legend in Mookie Betts.
 |
 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:05 p.m. | Arlington | ||
| RF | Betts | DH | Choo (L) |
| DH | Seager (L) | LF | Solak |
| 3B | Turner | C | Trevino |
| CF | Bellinger (L) | RF | Gallo (L) |
| LF | Pollock | 3B | Frazier |
| SS | Taylor | 1B | Dietrich (L) |
| 1B | Muncy (L) | 2B | Odor (L) |
| C | Smith | SS | Kiner-Falefa |
| 2B | Hernandez | CF | Taveras (S) |
| P | May (R) | P | Minor (L) |
The Rangers offense has been horrible and there’s no better way to put that. They’re slashing .208/.286/.337 good for a 62 wRC+. Compare that to the Dodgers offense at .251/.333/.473, and a 120 wRC+. This would be very “Dodgers” to get swept by this Rangers team. The Dodgers roll out their regular top of the lineup, with Corey Seager as the designated hitter. Chris Taylor, Will Smith and Enrique Hernandez will all start as the team tries to combat their issues against left-handed pitching. For as good as the overall offense is, the team is 22nd in both OPS (.663) and wRC+ (87), so Minor is not an ideal matchup for them, but for a team with World Series aspirations, they’ll have to hit left-handed pitching at some point.
——
Dustin May heads to the hill for the Dodgers, looking to continue his impressive start to the season. His 2.79 ERA ranks 19th among all starters with 25+ innings pitched. His last outing was against the Rockies, where he allowed just one run on two hits over five innings. He’s yet to allow more than two runs in a single start, and he looks to continue that against an abysmal Texas offense.
The left-handed Mike Minor will take the hill for the Rangers tonight, looking to bounce back from a rough start to his season. He currently has a 6.75 ERA and 5.30 FIP, allowing 22 runs in just 29.1 innings. He’s coming off a start against the Mariners where he went six innings allowing four runs including three homers. He’s still in search of a solid start this year, and honestly with the way the Dodgers are hitting left-handed pitchers, he has a solid opportunity here. Minor is a quality pitcher, coming off three straight seasons of 2.2+ fWAR, including an impressive 4.1 fWAR season last year.
——
In other news,
This is incredible by Jon — read it whenever you can.
As Daniel states, this is another piece that needs to be read.
This is pretty astonishing, the Dodgers currently have 63 home runs on the season, while the Rangers who’ve played just three games less than the Dodgers only have 24.
——
First pitch is at 5:05 PT on SNLA.
