Mariners @ Dodgers May 12, 2021: Urias looks for a series win

The Dodgers won a game? Gavin Lux finally delivered the big hit that’s eluded the Dodgers many times in 2021, giving the Dodgers a series win in the opener against the Mariners. Today, the Dodgers look to sweep the two-game set before an off day and a weekend series against Miami.

	7:10 PM		Los Angeles
SS	Crawford (L)	RF	Betts
RF	Haniger	SS	Seager (L)
CF	Lewis	3B	Turner
3B	Seager (L)	1B	Muncy (L)
2B	France	C	Smith
C	Murphy	CF	Taylor
LF	Moore	LF	Beaty (L)
1B	White	2B	Lux (L)
P	Dunn (R)	P	Urias (L)

Julio Urias gets the start tonight coming off his worst start of the season. Urias opened the Freeway Series in Anaheim and allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings, while striking out only four. The offense gave him a run in the top of the second inning and he allowed two homers in a four-run bottom of the inning, putting the Dodgers down for good. Urias had his best start of the season up in Seattle, as he allowed one walk and one single in seven innings and struck out a season-high 11 batters. Urias hasn’t issued a walk in his last two starts, but has allowed three of his six homers on the season in May.

Justin Dunn will make his sixth start of the season tonight. Dunn was drafted by the Dodgers in the 37th round of the 2013 Draft, but chose to go to college. The Mets took him 19th overall in the 2016 Draft, and traded him along with top prospect Jarred Kelenic to Seattle for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz (lolmets). In 25 2/3 innings, Dunn has a 3.51 ERA and a 5.13 FIP. He’s pitched into the sixth inning in each of his last two starts, but was pulled in the sixth both times.

Dunn’s had a bit of an issue with walks in the Majors. His 15.7 percent walk rate last season was the second-highest among pitchers with 40 or more innings pitched, and his 15.3 percent walk rate is the fifth-highest among pitchers with 20 or more innings pitched so far this season. His numbers this season might be skewed by his first start of the season where Dunn walked eight White Sox, and he’s walked nine batters total in the four starts since then. Dunn basically throws three pitches. His fastball averages 93.4 MPH and he’s thrown it it 52.4 percent of the time this season. He throws a slider and curveball as well, and has had one sinker and one changeup tracked on Baseball Savant.

Matt Beaty gets the start in left field for the Dodgers, who trot out mostly the same lineup as last night. If it ain’t broke.

——

The Dodgers are vaccinated.

Dave Roberts says #Dodgers have reached the 85 pct threshold of Tier 1 personnel vaccinated

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 12, 2021

They weren’t wearing masks in the dugout last night which made it seem like they had reached the 85 percent threshold, but it’s now confirmed. After seeing what’s going on in San Diego and New York, it’s a nice relief to know they’ve reached the threshold (here’s hoping none of the vaccinated people end up testing positive anyways).

——

The Dodgers set their rotation for the weekend series (kinda).

#Dodgers pitching probables for the weekend series against the Marlins:

Clayton Kershaw on Friday
Trevor Bauer on Saturday
Walker Buehler on Sunday

— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) May 12, 2021

Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer will start the first two games of the series. However, the third isn’t set in stone.

Dave Roberts said Sunday is not set in stone. Walker Buehler might be given an extra day of rest after his 7-inning start last night. If so, Sunday is the bullpen game

If bullpen game gets pushed to Mon. or Tue., David Price — who is throwing Friday — won’t be activated by then

— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) May 12, 2021

Walker Buehler might get an extra day of rest and start the first game against Arizona next week.

——

Top prospect Josiah Gray was on hug watch last night, but he is not being called up yet.

Roberts said Josiah Gray is dealing with a shoulder impingement at OKC. He felt some discomfort before his game and will likely be shut down a week to 10 days.

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) May 12, 2021

Gray was scratched from his scheduled Triple A start with a shoulder issue, and will be shut down for a little more than a week. Gray, unsurprisingly, was Dustin’s top-rated prospect and was the organization’s number one prospect nearly across the board (Keibert Ruiz edged him out in a couple rankings).

Edwin Rios won’t be back this season.

#Dodgers infielder Edwin Ríos will have surgery next week to repair a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder, ending his season.

— Kirsten Watson (@kirsten_watson) May 12, 2021

Rios will have surgery to fix a torn labrum, which could explain his struggles this season. I’m still a firm believer in Rios, so hopefully this can explain how helpless he looked at the plate in April.

We gon be alright 🎶

Thanks everybody for all the well wishes, & a big thank you to Dr. ElAttrache for getting me right!#road2recovery pic.twitter.com/oQapuAC59Y

— Dustin May (@d_maydabeast) May 12, 2021

Dustin May posted a picture after his Tommy John surgery, which will keep him sidelined until 2022.

——

Lux’s big homer last night was obviously gonna lead to a shirt.

You know we had to have a shirt to commemorate the biggest hit (and reaction) of Gavin Lux’s young career. https://t.co/kaCveKQz1L pic.twitter.com/67m1GLOumw

— Dustin Nosler (@DustinNosler) May 12, 2021

Who knows what Lux yelled back at the Dodger dugout, but let’s fucking go to that link and grab a shirt, am I right?

——

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PDT and will be shown on Sportsnet LA.