Dodgers Turn To Monasterios To Face His Old Team (Sort Of)

The Dodgers begin the final day of August with a 14-14 record for the month, so tonight's game will determine whether August is a winning month (the degree to which this matters, I will leave that for someone else to decide).

Carlos Monasterios gets a chance to start against his former organization, as the Dodgers nabbed him, via trade with the Mets, from the Phillies in last December's 2009 Rule 5 draft. Tonight is his 11th start of the season, and while he has shown improved numbers since returning from the disabled list (2.81 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 4.16 xFIP in July, 3.21/4.60/.3.92 in August, plus a 3.14 strikeout-to-walk ratio), his last two starts have been short affairs, each lasting 4 1/3 innings. Monasterios was cruising through four innings in Milwaukee last week, but a walk and two hit batsmen ended his day early.

Since Vicente Padilla appears close to returning -- he threw three scoreless innings for San Bernardino last night -- tonight could be the last start by Monasterios a while.

The Dodgers faced Kyle Kendrick in the opener in Philadelphia earlier in the month, the only game the Dodgers won in that series. Kendrick wasn't around for long, allowing six runs and 10 baserunners while only recording 10 outs. Among the 104 starters in MLB with at least 125 innings, Kendrick's 4.34 strikeouts per nine innings is the third-lowest rate.

The Dodgers are 19-25 since the All-Star break, but while they have struggled on the road, to the tune of a 7-16 record, they are 12-9 at Dodger Stadium.

Notes

• Hiroki Kuroda was claimed by the Padres last week, but the Dodgers couldn't work out a deal with San Diego and pulled the pitcher back off waivers, per Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune
• John Lindsey, the 33-year old mashing to the tune of .363/.410/.668 for Triple A Albuquerque this season, is still waiting for his chance in the big leagues, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA
• The Phillies have scored just 28 runs in their last 12 games, an average of 2.33 per game.
• I forgot to link to this here yesterday (I did on SB Nation Los Angeles!), but Mike Petriello's farewell to Manny Ramirez on Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness was a very good, and long, read.
• Tom Krasovic of AOL Fanhouse has a fair, even-handed account of Manny's final days in Los Angeles

Get your guesses in for Xeifrank's game simulation here.

Game Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV:  KCAL

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