True Blue LA - August 17: Dodgers 7, Phillies 2Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2016-08-17T19:29:52-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/122880032016-08-17T19:29:52-07:002016-08-17T19:29:52-07:00Gonzalez finds his power stroke
<figure>
<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IarIj0m2l81xzie0t9Q6qGF7R68=/0x0:3448x2299/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50431503/usa-today-9478416.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Second Dodgers infielder with two home runs, five RBI in a game in this series</p> <p id="8JvFTQ">Adrian Gonzalez joined the home run parade, hitting two on Wednesday night to lead the Dodgers to a 7-2 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="tsMU8S">The Dodgers now lead the National League West by 1½ games, their largest lead in the division since April 26.</p>
<p id="bdhuaH">Just like Tuesday night, the Phillies scored first and led 1-0, but that was short lived, thanks to Gonzalez smacking a three-run shot in the fourth inning against starter Jake Thompson.</p>
<p id="QG0DQZ">Gonzalez added another two-run shot in the seventh to break the game open, his first multi-homer game since July 17, 2015 in Washington.</p>
<p id="gM3E7P">He has a 10-game hitting streak, batting .444 with five doubles and three home runs during the streak, and dating back to those two half-days of rest in Pittsburgh on June 26-27, Gonzalez is hitting .360/.433/.560 with 29 runs and 29 RBI in his last 41 games.</p>
<p id="9Wu7yb">The Dodgers improved to 16-1 when hitting at least one three-run home run this season (the only loss came <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN201606160.shtml">on June 16 against Milwaukee</a>).</p>
<p id="3BNfq8">Justin Turner added a fly-ball home run of his own to left field in the fifth inning against Thompson, giving the club seven home runs in the first two games of this series in Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="GJykfw">The home run for Turner was his 22nd, giving him sole possession of the team lead, and improved the Dodgers’ record to 15-0 when hitting three or more home runs in a game this season.</p>
<h4 id="ZyO3eX">Deja vu</h4>
<p id="sWaRXE">Scott Kazmir found himself with a lead again, just like last Wednesday against the Phillies, only this time was up 5-1 in the fifth. He escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fifth inning, but started the sixth inning allowing a home run, then two singles without recording an out.</p>
<p id="koOVu5">That brought in Grant Dayton in relief of Kazmir, facing Freddy Galvis with two runners on base. Last week, Dayton allowed a home run that turned the game around in a Phillies’ win. But this time Galvis settled for a single to load the bases, still a precarious situation with nobody out and a three-run lead.</p>
<p id="UlNE6e">Dayton then induced a fly ball to right field, and Maikel Franco was held at third base as Josh Reddick threw the ball back into second base. Another fly ball, this one to center field, saw Franco remain at third base. Dayton then got out of the jam with another fly ball to center field, this time the third out of the inning, with no runs cashed in at all.</p>
<h4 id="Eg80z4">Up next</h4>
<p id="nwAGOe">Ross Stripling gets the start for the Dodgers in Thursday’s series finale, another 4:05 p.m. PT start. Jerad Eickhoff starts the finale for Philadelphia.</p>
<h4 id="Cu1CBS">Wednesday particulars</h4>
<p id="ChU8KK"><strong>Home runs</strong>: Adrian Gonzalez 2 (12), Justin Turner (22); Tommy Joseph (16)</p>
<p id="3iqX9e"><strong>WP - Scott Kazmir (10-6)</strong>: 5+ IP, 8 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout</p>
<p id="zLn40v"><strong>LP - Jake Thompson (1-2)</strong>: 5 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/17/12527952/adrian-gonzalez-home-runs-justin-turner-dodgers-selfies-phillies-recapEric Stephen2016-08-17T13:30:39-07:002016-08-17T13:30:39-07:00Kendrick heating up
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fhVa-sy48fSarV8mk62YyF__xBA=/0x0:3476x2317/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50427245/590517764.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Howie Kendrick has 21 extra-base hits in his last 37 games. | Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The left fielder has 15 hits in his last 27 at-bats</p> <p id="SoepMZ">Chase Utley stole the show in Tuesday’s series opener against the Phillies, but Howie Kendrick had another strong game for the Dodgers.</p>
<p id="unScvq">Kendrick has a career .329 wOBA with a 108 wRC+, and last year he put up a .325 wOBA and 109 wRC+. After Tuesday night, he’s at .330 and 108.</p>
<p id="qVZ5Jr">In other words, another Howie Kendrick season. Even if the path was anything but normal.</p>
<p id="Sd8HfA">After an excruciatingly slow start — Kendrick was 8-for-56 (.143) through May 1 with no extra-base hits and no RBI on the season — he gradually started to get better, building back up for the next two months.</p>
<div id="1CqsRY"><div class="sidebar">
<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" align="center" border="0">
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<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="125" align="center" bgcolor="#1e90ff"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" width="125" align="center" bgcolor="#ca1f2c"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Phillies</b></font></td>
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<td>2B</td>
<td>Utley (L)</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Hernandez (S)</td>
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<td>SS</td>
<td>Seager (L)</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Herrera (L)</td>
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<td>3B</td>
<td>Turner</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Altherr</td>
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<td>RF</td>
<td>Reddick (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Joseph</td>
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<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Franco</td>
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<td>C</td>
<td>Grandal (S)</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Ruiz</td>
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<td>CF</td>
<td>Pederson (L)</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Galvis (S)</td>
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<td>LF</td>
<td>Kendrick</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Bourjos</td>
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<td>P</td>
<td>Kazmir (L)</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Thompson</td>
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<span><b>Location</b>: Citizens Bank Park<br><b>Time</b>: 4:05 p.m. PT<br> <b>TV</b>: SportsNet LA<br><b>Radio</b>: AM 570</span>
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<p id="p8L30d">Since July 1 he has been even better, hitting .352/.414/.577 with 15 doubles, five home runs and a triple in 37 games.</p>
<p id="bmefpL">The main difference has been simply hitting the ball harder. Through June, Kendrick had <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/statsplits.aspx?playerid=4229&position=2B&season=2016#battedball">monthly ground ball rates in the 60s with line drive rates hovering around 19-20 percent</a>. In July his ground ball rate lowered to 53.4 percent with a 24.7-percent line drive rate, and in August the grounders are down to 43.9 percent, with a 24.4-percent line drive rate.</p>
<p id="5MdoMe">He has a six-game hitting streak, with five multi-hit games during that span, including his four hits last night.</p>
<p id="DfkXKE">Kendrick is hitting .297/.354/.462 on the road this season, compared to .269/.328/.382 at home.</p>
<p id="ybc91I">Oh yeah, and Kendrick is hitting eighth in the Dodgers lineup, one that looks much deeper these days, and averaging 5.52 runs per game since the All-Star break, more than every other MLB team except the Rockies.</p>
<p id="yRXEQY">Tonight’s the Dodgers are using the same batting order as Tuesday night, and the fifth time this order has been used. That <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAD/2016-batting-orders.shtml">ties it with two other batting orders as the most common used by the Dodgers in 2016</a>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/17/12513180/howie-kendrick-line-drivesEric Stephen2016-08-17T12:42:37-07:002016-08-17T12:42:37-07:00Putting the Dodgers’ strikeouts in perspective
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<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I-sQGvuJgELtdTxmekQ4J_4eUAY=/0x0:3334x2223/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50426547/usa-today-9392344.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Scott Kazmir is one of several Dodgers with more than a strikeout per inning in 2016. | Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dodgers pitchers are whiffing batters at a relative rate better than all but one LA team in the last 50 years</p> <p id="9kCnjc">The first-place Dodgers matched their season high with 15 runs in Tuesday’s win over the Phillies, so the offense understandably was the big story. But in the victory the Dodgers also struck out 13 batters.</p>
<p id="GfcDAz">It was the 18th time this season Dodgers pitchers struck out at least 13 batters in a game, the <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/W2Oi2">most such games in baseball in 2016</a>.</p>
<p id="CKAtMr">The club leads the majors in strikeouts (1,108) and also rank first in strikeout rate (25.3 percent).</p>
<p id="YeH3SS">The Dodgers are on pace for 1,508 strikeouts this season, which would shatter the franchise record of 1,396 whiffs, set in 2015. The Dodgers have set a franchise strikeout record in each of the last three seasons.</p>
<p id="EWNMHi">But these are high-strikeout times. The National League strikeout rate in 2016 is 21.4 percent, the highest ever, an increase from 20.9 percent in 2015.</p>
<p id="513Xzx">So if everyone is striking out, what does this all mean?</p>
<p id="JYquS1">Sandy Koufax’s career strikeout rate was 25.2 percent. The Dodgers’ strikeout rate <em>as a team</em> in 2016 is 25.3 percent, so there is clearly some need for context.</p>
<p id="dbvIsf">For that context, I looked up <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=1&season=2016&month=0&season1=1916&ind=1&team=22,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=1,d&page=1_30">Dodgers annual team strikeout rates</a> on FanGraphs, and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/bat.shtml">annual National League strikeout rates</a> from Baseball-Reference, all the way back to 1916, trying to see how the Dodgers fared relative to the league.</p>
<p id="qq2biY">For instance, this year’s club has a 25.3-percent strikeout rate and the NL is at 21.4 percent, so the 2016 Dodgers have a strikeout rate that is 118.3 percent of the NL, sort of a K-rate-plus if you will.</p>
<p id="WxJywr">Among the last 101 Dodgers teams, the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z5nGMsnFgpp_7XbWoLTpif9D7Yc_zjL2r8ik1qP73xU/edit?usp=sharing">best such score came in 1924</a>, when Dazzy Vance and his 262 strikeouts accounted for 41 percent of the team’s total of 638. That club’s strikeout rate was just 10.9 percent, but the NL rate was 7.3 percent, so they were 150.1 percent of the league.</p>
<p id="sHNZ4I">That 1924 team was far and away the best relative team, with the second-place squad (1927) at 133.3 percent.</p>
<p id="48qqWE">The 2016 Dodgers come in at 20th in the last 101 years of the franchise, with nearly all the teams ahead of them in relative terms from Brooklyn. There are some other LA teams in the top 20, and understandably the Sandy Koufax years are accounted for, with 1961 (132.7 percent, 3rd), 1966 (120.3, 17th) and 1962 (119.1, 18th) checking in.</p>
<p id="1MeINj">The only Dodgers team in the last 50 years with a better relative strikeout rate than this year’s team was 2003, the most most extreme team in franchise history. At the plate, that club was one of the worst teams in history (79 OPS+) but on the mound the club was one of the best ever, posting a 128 ERA+.</p>
<p id="fWPuog">The 2003 Dodgers had a 21.5-percent strikeout rate when the NL rate was <em>just</em> 17 percent, making them 126.3 percent of the league.</p>
<p id="GDYD0n">In other words, the 2016 Dodgers have been quite impressive in racking up strikeouts, doing so at a relative rate better than all but one Dodgers team in the last 50 years.</p>
<p id="NHanzS">The accomplishment becomes even more amazing when you realize that Clayton Kershaw, the major league strikeout leader at the time of his last start, hasn’t thrown a pitch in the last 41 games.</p>
<p id="FIu0Sj">Also, I’m not sure if you heard, but the Dodgers were doomed when Zack Greinke signed with Arizona as a free agent, taking his 200 strikeouts from 2015 out of the rotation, among other things.</p>
<p id="mzNtlW">So far this year, 11 of Dodgers’ top 15 in innings pitched have more strikeouts than innings pitched, including Kenta Maeda and his nine strikeouts on Tuesday night, and Scott Kazmir, who starts the middle game of the series on Wednesday night.</p>
<p id="cnZySF">Kazmir has 132 strikeouts in his 127⅔ innings and a 24.2-percent strikeout rate.</p>
<p id="rnnAkR">He struck out six Phillies one week ago in Los Angeles, when he held Philadelphia scoreless through six innings before allowing two runs in the seventh inning in a tough-luck loss.</p>
<h4 id="Msxkp2">Game info</h4>
<p id="s4QlLm">Time: 4:05 p.m. PT</p>
<p id="No0CYA">TV: SportsNet LA</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/17/12514788/dodgers-pitchers-strikeouts-franchise-historyEric Stephen2016-08-15T17:06:22-07:002016-08-15T17:06:22-07:00Dodgers-Phillies probable starters
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<img alt="Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GvVwK969uCSlb0COEjrN3RT3YKI=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50402907/588293936.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="xJjhls">The Dodgers continue to get by despite decreasing production from their starting rotation, but send their two healthiest starting pitchers to the mound in the first two games of their three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="4ViL1O">Since Clayton Kershaw last pitched on June 26, the Dodgers are 24-16, trailing only Washington (25-15) among National League teams since then. But that is despite a starting rotation that has put up a 4.93 ERA in those 40 games, all while averaging 4.88 innings per start.</p>
<p id="wfr2pf">Dodgers starters in that span have failed to record an out in the sixth inning 24 times in 40 games, and have pitched a total of 195⅓ innings, barely more than the bullpen (173 innings, 4.33 per game) during the same time.</p>
<p id="PzvKxh">In August the cracks have started to show, with the starters owning a collective 6.54 ERA while averaging 4.36 innings per start. The Dodgers are 6-6 this month.</p>
<p id="7yDBqa">But in the first two games at Citizens Bank Park, the Dodgers send their two pitchers with more than 16 starts this season, a duo that combined to allow three runs in 11 innings against the Phillies last week at Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p id="X924Nr">Here is the schedule and probable starters for this three-game series in Philadelphia.</p>
<h4 id="Dn6Ea9">Tuesday, 4:05 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)</h4>
<p id="0cgaHl">The Dodgers have won Kenta Maeda’s last four starts, with the right-hander putting up 17 strikeouts and two walks to go with his 3.57 ERA in 22⅔ innings during that span. He got the win against Philadelphia in his last start, last Tuesday, allowing three runs in five innings.</p>
<p id="e8uS83">Maeda got the win thanks in large part to the Dodgers scoring nine runs in 4⅔ innings, including three home runs, against Vince Velasquez, who starts the opener for the Phillies. Velasquez allowed only three home runs total in his previous nine starts, with a 2.96 ERA during that span.</p>
<h4 id="UVvPOY">Wednesday, 4:05 p.m. (SportsNet LA)</h4>
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<p id="9Z1vYQ">Scott Kazmir has lasted at least six innings in every other start in his last 10 starts, though if that trend continues that means fewer than six innings on Wednesday. Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings against the Phillies last week before his two batters faced in the seventh inning both scored.</p>
<p id="gzqVFp">Jake Thompson was part of the haul from Texas last July for Cole Hamels, and the 22-year-old right-hander put up a 2.50 ERA in 21 starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season before getting his first major league call. Thompson in two starts with the Phillies has allowed nine runs in 9⅓ innings, with five walks and seven strikeouts.</p>
<h4 id="vJNE9N">Thursday, 4:05 p.m. (SportsNet LA)</h4>
<p id="UbwCTi">Bud Norris is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list to start the series finale, but a lot of Dodgers pitchers have been scheduled to do a lot of things this season. Norris pitched into the sixth inning last Saturday <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/14/12471786/bud-norris-rehab-start-rancho-cucamonga-dodgers">in his lone minor league rehab start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga</a>. </p>
<p id="bPh70R">Jerad Eickhoff also came to the Phillies in the Hamels trade, and the 25-year-old leads the team with 143⅔ innings this season. With 120 strikeouts, Eickhoff is also one off the club strikeout lead; Philadelphia has four starters bunched together 121, 120, 120 and 119 strikeouts in 2016. When Eickhoff lasts at least six innings in a start this season, the Phillies are 9-6, and when he doesn’t they are 2-7.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/15/12488328/dodgers-phillies-schedule-starting-pitchersEric Stephen2016-08-15T17:05:03-07:002016-08-15T17:05:03-07:00Dodgers-Phillies series snapshot
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<img alt="Kansas City Royals v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KNxC_FYeFotUPh2wKhNHGXUSvNQ=/0x0:5357x3571/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50402881/544640930.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="x9kLdG">After taking two of three games last week against the Phillies at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers try for more of the same this week at Citizens Bank Park. Here is a brief look at the two teams heading into their three-game set in Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="cgSI3t">Teams: Dodgers (65-52) vs. Phillies (56-63)</p>
<p id="DhXlSj">Split records: Dodgers 27-28 on road; Phillies 28-29 at home</p>
<div id="NlJLtt"><div class="sidebar">
<table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th colspan="4">Dodgers vs. Phillies 2016 </th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left"><u><b>Day</b></u></td>
<td align="left"><u><b>Date</b></u></td>
<td align="left"><u><b>Location</b></u></td>
<td align="left"><u><b>Time (PT)</b></u></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Mon</td>
<td align="left">Aug 8</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/8/12406276/dodgers-phillies-results-august-8">9-4, LA</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Tue</td>
<td align="left">Aug 9</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/9/12418674/dodgers-phillies-results-august-9">9-3, LA</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Wed</td>
<td align="left">Aug 10</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/10/12423490/dodgers-phillies-results-august-10">6-2, Phi</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Tue</td>
<td align="left">Aug 16</td>
<td align="left">Philadelphia</td>
<td align="left">4:05 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Wed</td>
<td align="left">Aug 17</td>
<td align="left">Philadelphia</td>
<td align="left">4:05 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Thu</td>
<td align="left">Aug 18</td>
<td align="left">Philadelphia</td>
<td align="left">4:05 p.m.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div></div>
<p id="BFxV4m">Run differential: Dodgers +58 (4th in NL); Phillies -98 (12th in NL)</p>
<p id="n8M8ws">Runs scored: Dodgers 4.41 runs/gm (9th); Phillies 3.82 (13th)</p>
<p id="Jjmw5C">OPS+: Dodgers 97 (6th); Phillies 83 (14th)</p>
<p id="CdGYah">wRC+: Dodgers 97 (6th); Phillies 80 (14th)</p>
<p id="qR0qcP">Runs allowed: Dodgers 3.91 runs/game (4th); Phillies 4.64 (9th)</p>
<p id="xrAPX6">ERA+: Dodgers 107 (4th); Phillies 93 (12th)</p>
<p id="tPmJJs">Last 10 games: Dodgers 6-4; Phillies 6-4</p>
<p id="lJhlNl">2016 head-to-head: Dodgers 2-1</p>
<p id="hkgpTz">2015 head-to-head: Dodgers 5-2 (2-1 in Philly)</p>
<p id="UUb1dH">Phillies SB Nation site: <a href="http://www.thegoodphight.com/">The Good Phight</a></p>
<h4 id="6PKLt8">Series schedule</h4>
<p id="TDZwNy"><em><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/15/12488328/dodgers-phillies-schedule-starting-pitchers">Pitching matchups</a></em></p>
<p id="H7hgy7"><strong>Tuesday, 4:05 p.m. PT</strong>: Kenta Maeda vs. Vince Velasquez (SportsNet LA)<br><strong>Wednesday, 4:05 p.m.</strong>: Scott Kazmir vs. Jake Thompson (SportsNet LA) <br><strong>Thursday, 4:05 p.m.</strong>: Bud Norris vs. Jerad Eickhoff (SportsNet LA)</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/8/15/12493852/dodgers-phillies-statisticsEric Stephen