Today is a Dodgers-Giants battle featuring pitchers making their fourth start with their new club. The Dodgers face Brad Penny again today, looking for payback from last Sunday's shellacking in San Francisco. Penny has made three starts with the Giants, and has won all three. The Dodgers need to end that streak today on Fox.
More troubling than the Giants' pitching has been their offense. The Giants have scored 15 runs in their last two games against the Dodgers, after scoring only 3.21 runs per game in the first 16 meetings this season.
Jon Garland is 2-0 in three starts with the Dodgers so far. After striking out six batters in his debut, the strikeout totals have dwindled in each successive start, to four and three. This isn't surprising, since Garland has struck out 4.7 batters per nine innings in his career, and hasn't been above 4.8 since 2003. He still has managed to pitch well for the Dodgers, with an x.FIP of 3.77, but don't expect a ton of strikeouts with Garland on the mound.
Manny Ramirez, who homered and doubled last night, is hitting .309/.427/.632 over his last 20 games, with six home runs and 14 RBI.
Juan Pierre leads the majors with 12 pinch hits since the All-Star break. He is 12 for 18 with three walks during that time.
The Dodgers need one win this weekend to clinch the season series against San Francisco, against whom they have won nine of 16 games this year. The Dodgers have won at least 10 games against every other NL West opponent.
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Check out Xeifrank's simulation of today's game here.
Don't forget to RSVP for True Blue LA Day at Dodger Stadium, on the next-to-last day of the regular season, October 3 against the Rockies.
Get your guesses in for our today's "One, Two, Three Strikes, You're Out," here.
Game Time: 1:10pm
TV: Fox