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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers recalled Ryan Pepiot from Triple-A Oklahoma City to serve as the 29th player for Tuesday’s doubleheader at Dodger Stadium, with plans to piggyback with starting pitcher Michael Grove in the first game against the Diamondbacks.
“The hope is that Ryan and Michael will take down the first game,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday morning.
Grove is coming off his best major league start, allowing only two solo home runs in five innings last Wednesday against the D-backs in Phoenix. On the season, Grove has allowed 11 runs (seven earned) in 14⅓ innings, with a 4.40 ERA and 11 strikeouts against six walks.
Dodgers/D-backs lineups
| Pos | D-backs | Pos | Dodgers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | D-backs | Pos | Dodgers |
| RF | Varsho (L) | SS | Turner |
| LF | Carroll (L) | 1B | Freeman (L) |
| DH | McCarthy (L) | 3B | Turner |
| 1B | Walker | RF | Gallo (L) |
| 2B | Marte (S) | CF | Thompson |
| 3B | Rojas (L) | 2B | Taylor |
| CF | Thomas (L) | DH | Lux (L) |
| C | Hummell (S) | LF | Vargas |
| SS | Alcántara (S) | C | Barnes |
“I think there’s conviction, there’s trust, for any player once you get to this level to have some success and belief that what you do is good enough. I think he’s starting to feel that,” Roberts said of Grove. “It’s a leap of faith to trust your stuff and your abilities, to throw your fastball over the plate, to throw the curveball in the strike zone and know that it’s good enough. Those are the kind of things young players gotta see. Those things I saw in his last outing.”
Pepiot has a 3.78 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 33⅓ innings in his eight games with the Dodgers this year, but has also walked 26 batters with a 17.4-percent walk rate.
“With Ryan, he’s got to get to that next step. His last one in Triple-A was really good, but he’s got to do it consistently at this level.”
Pepiot last pitched Thursday for Oklahoma City, striking out eight in five scoreless innings.
Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and Will Smith are sitting to start Game 1 of the doubleheader, with Roberts trying to balance the starts in Tuesday’s two games. Miguel Vargas starts in left field, Joey Gallo in right field, and Trayce Thompson in center in the opener.
Gavin Lux is the designated hitter in Game 1, and will play left field in the night cap, Roberts said. Justin Turner is starting at third base in the opener and will be the DH in Game 2.
The Dodgers also activated Tyler Anderson off the paternity list on Tuesday, and optioned Andre Jackson.
Arizona called up old friend Edwin Uceta as the 29th player for the doubleheader, his sixth stint in the majors this season. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 5.82 ERA in 10 appearances for the D-backs this year, with 13 strikeouts and seven walks in 17 innings.
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