Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers survived an eventful three game set in Milwaukee. They got in early Monday morning and looked like a pretty sleep deprived team and dropped the opener 9-3. They bounced back nicely in game two despite Noah Syndergaard‘s finger ripping open and requiring seven relievers to throw. They needed a big start from Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday and he delivered, with seven innings of one-run ball to lock down another series win.
The Dodgers have won each of their last four series and are 10-2 since leaving Pittsburgh. Today they open up a homestand with a three game set against the Padres. The two teams haven’t played in five whole days, as they met for the first time in 2023 last week in San Diego. Neither team played very well in the series, and the Dodgers took two of three. The Padres moved on to Minnesota and mirrored the Dodger series, as they won the first game of the series before dropping the next two (one of which in extras). They’re 19-19 and four games back of the Dodgers in the West.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 7:10 PM | Los Angeles | ||
| RF | Tatis Jr. | RF | Betts |
| 2B | Cronenworth (L) | 1B | Freeman (L) |
| 3B | Machado | C | Smith |
| LF | Soto (L) | DH | Martinez |
| DH | Bogaerts | LF | Taylor |
| 1B | Carpenter (L) | 3B | Muncy (L) |
| SS | Kim | 2B | Vargas |
| CF | Grisham (L) | SS | Rojas |
| C | Sullivan (L) | CF | Thompson |
| P | Snell (L) | P | May (R) |
Game one of this series features a rematch of last Saturday’s 2-1 Dodger win. Dustin May turned in six shutout innings and allowed three singles and a walk while striking out six, which matches his season-high. Per Baseball Savant, May threw a sinker 52.5 percent of the time in that start, the most he’s thrown it in a game since April 2021. Not gonna go too in depth on May, as Cody did that yesterday in a post that deserves all your clicks so go do that and then come back here.
Blake Snell gets another look at the Dodgers after a tough-luck loss on Saturday. Snell continued his success against the Dodgers with six strong innings, but a two-run homer by Chris Taylor was all that May and the bullpen needed. It continued the string of allowing two or more runs in each of his seven starts this season, and continued the Dodger struggles against left-handed pitchers. The Dodgers did find some success against lefties in Milwaukee, as they scored three runs in 3 2/3 innings against Eric Lauer and seven runs in five innings against Wade Miley. It’s kinda hard to add much more to everything Cody’s written in the last week so go back and check what he wrote for the Game Thread last Saturday, and add very good starts for both pitchers.
J.D. Martinez returns to the lineup, as he’s in the cleanup spot and serving as the DH. Trayce Thompson gets the start in center against a lefty and Taylor starts in left.
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A couple roster moves, including Martinez.
Michael Busch is the roster casualty for Martinez. He appeared in nine games in his first Major League stint, with four hits (all singles) in 23 plate appearances. He’s already back in Oklahoma and in the lineup for OKC today.
Caleb Ferguson also returns from the Paternity List, with Wander Suero getting optioned as well. Suero allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings in his stint with the big league club and despite allowing only one hit.
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Despite the fact that we all saw way too much of the inside of his finger, Syndergaard has not been ruled out of making his next scheduled start.
He’ll throw a bullpen tomorrow and if his skin stays in tact, he could start the series opener against the Twins on Monday. Gavin Stone is lined up to start that day in OKC, so if Syndergaard can’t go, Stone will be recalled.
Some updates on some relievers, who don’t appear close to a return.
Jimmy Nelson, who is not the first Jimmy Nelson that comes up if you google Jimmy Nelson, was shut down from throwing. Nelson pitched an inning for OKC on April 25th, but hasn’t pitched since. Daniel Hudson is throwing but still doesn’t have a timetable to return.
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First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.
