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Edwin Ríos has hit his way into more playing time, and he’s getting it, starting at cleanup for the second straight game on Monday, in the Dodgers’ series opener against the Nationals in Washington D.C.
Ríos started only five times in the first month of the season, playing in only 10 of the Dodgers’ first 27 games. But Monday marks his sixth start in the last two weeks, and he’s making the most of it. Ríos has homered in his last two starts, and in four of his last seven games, including one pinch-hit blast.
Dodgers-Nationals lineups
| Pos | Dodgers | Pos | Nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Dodgers | Pos | Nationals |
| RF | Betts | CF | Thomas |
| 1B | Freeman (L) | C | Ruiz (S) |
| SS | Turner | RF | Soto (L) |
| DH | Ríos (L) | DH | Cruz |
| C | Smith | 1B | Bell (S) |
| 3B | Muncy (L) | LF | Y.Hernandez (L) |
| CF | Bellinger (L) | 3B | Franco |
| LF | Taylor | 2B | C.Hernández (S) |
| 2B | Lux (L) | SS | Escobar |
On the season, in which Ríos has batted 48 times, he’s hitting .267/.313/.622 with five home runs.
The increased playing time for Ríos began after the Dodgers faced seven straight left-handed starting pitchers, and once the schedule got compressed. Monday is game number 18 in the Dodgers’ span of 31 games in 30 days.
The Nationals are sending all right-handed pitchers to the mound to start games in this series. Ríos in his career against right-handed pitching is a .229/.330/.531 hitter, with 15 home runs in 203 plate appearances and a 128 wRC+.
Rookie right-hander Joan Adon starts the opener for Washington, having lost seven of his eight starts. Adon has a 6.38 ERA and 6.45 xERA, and leads the majors in both walks (23) and wild pitches (six), completing five innings only twice this season.
Game info
- Teams: Dodgers (27-13) at Nationals (14-28)
- Pitchers: Tyler Anderson vs. Joan Adon
- Location: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
- Time: 4:05 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
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