True Blue LA - September 11: Giants 8, Dodgers 6Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2017-09-12T02:11:33-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/160503532017-09-12T02:11:33-07:002017-09-12T02:11:33-07:00Overnight baseball sees Dodgers drop 11th straight
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v San Francisco Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/41psqwaYVaUJu7BVtKkcu0It_hI=/0x0:4565x3043/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56632373/845872746.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="CjzHq6">The outcome may have been the same, but at least the opener at AT&T Park provided something a little different on Monday night, and well into Tuesday morning. In a game that was delayed at the start by 3½ hours by rain, the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> lost to the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> 8-6 in San Francisco.</p>
<p id="Gw6KG3">The game didn’t end until after 2 a.m., and weird baseball gave us 15 different pitchers and 39 total players used. But the result was the same — another loss for the Dodgers, their 11th consecutive defeat.</p>
<p id="ooTzuo">It’s the longest losing streak since the team moved to Los Angeles, and the longest in club history since 1944, when Brooklyn set the franchise mark of 16 straight losses.</p>
<p id="BH3Mk4">After a 42-minute rain delay, <span>Curtis Granderson</span> struck out to start the game, but the rains came immediately afterward, stopping the game after just five pitches. This delay was much longer, and though it looked at various times Monday’s game would just be postponed.</p>
<p id="joO7TJ">Instead, the game resumed around 10:50 p.m. PT, after a two-hour, 52-minute delay, and the Dodgers started off by playing the kind of baseball they did over the previous two weeks.</p>
<p id="JQC24A"><span>Denard Span</span>, who entering Monday made 1,121 of his 1,160 career starts batting leadoff, was inserted as the third hitter for the Giants lineup, just the second time in his career batting third (he also did so on June 6, 2011 with the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a>).</p>
<p id="wD39EN">Span hit a two-run home run in the first inning, naturally. The Dodgers have allowed at least one run in the first inning in 10 of their last 17 games.</p>
<p id="aFF118"><span>Kenta Maeda</span> also allowed a solo home run in the second inning to <span>Jarrett Parker</span>, then a triple in the third inning to <span>Hunter Pence</span>, who scored to give the Giants a 4-0 lead.</p>
<p id="gFHyEM">After the delay, Giants manager Bruce Bochy pulled starter <span>Chris Stratton</span>, who threw five pitches to his one batter faced. He replaced the right-hander with southpaw <span>Ty Blach</span>, which made for some interesting decisions.</p>
<p id="KKPXCr"><span>Chase Utley</span>, who started at second base, was pinch hit for in the second inning in favor of <span>Logan Forsythe</span>, who two innings later drove home the Dodgers’ first run. That fourth inning saw the Dodgers pull even with four runs, and also saw Maeda pulled after three innings in favor of <span>Chris Taylor</span>, who singled home a run, and Granderson pinch-hit for with <span>Kiké Hernandez</span>.</p>
<p id="wLP7pF">Taylor this season is 6-for-9 with three home runs and four walks with the bases loaded, driving in 20 runs in 13 plate appearances.</p>
<p id="s1RWSg">With both starting pitchers out of the game before midnight, this game became matchup baseball by the fourth inning. The game saw a handful of lead changes and ties in the middle innings.</p>
<p id="NGTOKU"><span>Yasiel Puig</span> gave the Dodgers their first lead with this solo shot in the fifth, his 25th of the season:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A no-doubter from <a href="https://twitter.com/YasielPuig">@YasielPuig</a>. <a href="https://t.co/bHESivUaNh">pic.twitter.com/bHESivUaNh</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/907514967947186176">September 12, 2017</a>
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<p id="adLhh1">This game even featured Joc Pederson’s brother Champ, who was the bat boy in Monday night(and Tuesday morning)’s contest.</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampHugs?src=hash">#ChampHugs</a> <a href="https://t.co/GFAHT4uJXE">pic.twitter.com/GFAHT4uJXE</a></p>— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/907520573294727168">September 12, 2017</a>
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<p id="CJQzTb">The game was at one point 4-4 in the fourth inning, then 5-5 in the fifth, and also 6-6 in the sixth. The latter produced this moment:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">66 in the 6th when it's 6-6 <a href="https://t.co/woyirIuG9K">pic.twitter.com/woyirIuG9K</a></p>— Hector Diaz (@iamHectorDiaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamHectorDiaz/status/907513469980729344">September 12, 2017</a>
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<p id="yZcAZR">Dodgers pitchers allowed runs in six of the first seven innings, which is no recipe for success. San Francisco reclaimed the lead after Puig’s home run with three singles off maligned reliever <span>Pedro Baez</span> in the bottom of the sixth inning.</p>
<p id="51kokf">The pitching staff for the Dodgers has a 5.99 ERA in their last 17 games, of which they have dropped 16.</p>
<h3 id="VlWmRw">Delay debate</h3>
<p id="NuSwm0">If you want to know why this game was essentially started at 10:50 p.m., Giants owner Larry Baer was interviewed on the Giants broadcasts of the game to shed some light:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The other options were doubleheaders Tuesday and Wednesday. "I don't think anybody was happy to start at 10:30," Baer said. But here we are.</p>— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) <a href="https://twitter.com/jphoornstra/status/907487071937245184">September 12, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Giants' TV reporter said Baer told her rain's in the forecast tomorrow and Wednesday, making a doubleheader tough to pull off.</p>— Daniel M. Jimenez (@DMJreports) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMJreports/status/907487829877432321">September 12, 2017</a>
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<h3 id="6A994i">Up next</h3>
<p id="Nsgflh"><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> gets the start in the middle game of the series on Tuesday night, another 7:15 p.m. PT start. <span>Yu Darvish</span> starts the finale on Wednesday, in case you <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/10/16282912/dodgers-giants-starting-pitchers-tv-schedule">missed the news earlier Monday</a>. The Giants counter on Tuesday with <span>Johnny Cueto</span>.</p>
<h3 id="GHpmeh">Monday particulars</h3>
<p id="fOaXuy"><strong>Home runs</strong>: Yasiel Puig (25); Denard Span (12), Jarrett Parker (4)</p>
<p id="RXQaTP"><strong>WP - </strong><span><strong>Derek Law</strong></span><strong> (4-1)</strong>: 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 walks, 1 strikeout</p>
<p id="1jLo74"><strong>LP - Pedro Baez (3-5)</strong>: 1 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout</p>
<p id="SJEHYR"><strong>Sv - </strong><span><strong>Sam Dyson</strong></span><strong> (13)</strong>: 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/12/16291790/dodgers-losing-streak-record-overnight-baseball-giants-recapEric Stephen2017-09-11T15:38:52-07:002017-09-11T15:38:52-07:00Gonzalez back in lineup
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<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JXrUuzNlgNKzoD_nAQCJ0wz5dMY=/0x0:2953x1969/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56627331/usa_today_9334736.1505169531.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kenny Karst-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>1B last played Tuesday, missing 5 games</p> <p id="5ijw6c"><span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> is back in the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> lineup for their series opener against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> in San Francisco, after missing the weekend with a flare-up of back problems that have plagued him all season.</p>
<p id="DI4PVY">Gonzalez, who missed 67 games on two disabled list stints with a herniated disc in his back, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/7/16271482/adrian-gonzalez-epidural-shot-back-injury-dodgers">had an epidural shot last week</a> and was held out over the weekend in Los Angeles. He last played on Tuesday.</p>
<p id="ni4UTc">With Gonzalez at first base on Monday night, <span>Cody Bellinger</span> makes his second career start in center field.</p>
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<p id="Sd3Xy5"><span>Chris Taylor</span> gets the day off, and <span>Curtis Granderson</span> is playing left field. In an effort to absolutely flood my Twitter mentions, Granderson is leading off, in the midst of of 5-for-57 skid and just 8-for-70 (.114; .262 on-base percentage) as a Dodger.</p>
<h3 id="ro8sit">Checking in with with San Francisco</h3>
<p id="XEHzsq"><span>Buster Posey</span> is still doing Buster Posey things, hitting .320/.406/.465. He only has two home runs in 48 games since the All-Star break, but is hitting .313/.407/.410 during that span.</p>
<p id="CHsuMU"><span>Pablo Sandoval</span> is back with the Giants, but he is no longer anywhere near the dynamic hitter he was in his glory years with San Francisco. He hit rock bottom last week with an 0-for-39, snapped with a three-run home run on Friday. He has one hit in his last 47 at-bats, and is hitting just .180/.233/.270 in 32 games since rejoining his old team.</p>
<p id="OHBYnQ">The Dodgers have six players with at least 19 home runs for the first time in franchise history. The Giants’ home run leader, <span>Brandon Belt</span>, has 18 home runs, and he has been out with a concussion since the first week of August. San Francisco’s next-highest homer total is 13, by <span>Brandon Crawford</span>.</p>
<p id="U1frvU">In 13 games this season, the Dodgers and Giants have played seven one-run contests and had two other games decided in extra innings.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/11/16286258/adrian-gonzalez-starting-lineup-first-base-back-dodgersEric Stephen2017-09-11T12:00:02-07:002017-09-11T12:00:02-07:00Reeling Dodgers open 10-game road trip in San Francisco
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<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p0TikCm6PASYvGtk-BJPt-90SYk=/0x0:3836x2557/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56612191/usa_today_10061452.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="rgwGs8">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>’ lone victory in their last 16 games came wearing the road grays, so perhaps a 10-game road trip is just what the doctor ordered to snap out of their two-week funk. First up is a ballpark that has given them nothing but trouble for three years.</p>
<p id="YgCQC7">San Francisco has been a house of horrors for the Dodgers since the start of the 2015 season, with no series wins and a 7-20 (.259) game record at AT&T Park against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> during that span. The Dodgers’ last series win on the road against the rival Giants was Sept. 12-14, 2014.</p>
<p id="FJpXC8"><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> — starting <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/10/16282912/dodgers-giants-starting-pitchers-tv-schedule">Tuesday in the second game of the series</a> — has started five of those last seven road wins in San Francisco.</p>
<p id="ygsuMv">This has been a lost season for the Giants, mired in last place in the National League West, needing seven wins in their last 17 games to avoid the franchise’s first 100-loss season since 1985.</p>
<p id="1IIXDM">But the bulk of the Dodgers’ meetings with the Giants came earlier in the season, before LA established either one of its Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde identities. The Dodgers lost two of their first three series to the Giants, and split the other one. This was before the 43-7 and 52-9 stretches, and certainly before the current 1-15 skid.</p>
<p id="XjzgJD">The only time these two clubs have met since mid-May was a three-game series from July 28-30. That was a sweep by the Dodgers, with a two-run win and two one-run victories, back when the Dodgers could seemingly do no wrong.</p>
<p id="d3oUG7">Now, Los Angeles is in desperate need of a win, just trying to stop the slide. Then again, the Dodgers seemingly got to the bottom yet they remain at the top — best record in baseball — so things are truly Helter Skelter right now.</p>
<p id="5lUL8W">The Dodgers enter Monday having lost their last five series, which immediately followed a 22-series unbeaten streak (19-0-3). </p>
<p id="MT6UNg">The Giants have also lost their last five series, going 4-12 in their last 16 games. That’s three more wins than the Dodgers have in <em>their</em> last 16.</p>
<p id="Xm7ImK"><span>Kenta Maeda</span> hasn’t faced the Giants in 2017, but was 3-1 with a 4.58 ERA against them in four starts in 2016.</p>
<p id="oxEfBa"><span>Chris Stratton</span> makes his seventh career start in the opener for the Giants. He faced the Dodgers once, in 2016, in relief, allowing a run on two hits in one inning of work. <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> hit a solo home run in the 10th inning against him, but San Francisco rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame for a walk-off win.</p>
<h3 id="L2Qeiu">Game info</h3>
<p id="UAn8N4">Time: 7:15 p.m. PT</p>
<p id="jNr2r6">TV: SportsNet LA</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/11/16286162/dodgers-losing-streak-road-trip-giants-previewEric Stephen2017-09-11T11:59:02-07:002017-09-11T11:59:02-07:00Dodgers vs. Giants series snapshot: September 11-13
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<img alt="NLCS - St Louis Cardinals v San Francisco Giants - Game One" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TMT66-6jg_12vYY58A_H9j8fx2o=/0x0:5004x3336/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56619631/154355791.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="kxIKjJ">After one of the worst homestands in franchise history, the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> hit the road trying to turn things around. That starts with three games in San Francisco against the rival <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> beginning Monday night. Here is an overview look at both teams.</p>
<p id="naqb32">Teams: Dodgers (92-51) vs. Giants (56-89) </p>
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<p id="UnqoJM">Split records: Dodgers 40-28 on road, Giants 32-38 at home</p>
<p id="rdEjzE">Run differential: Dodgers +168 (1st in NL), Giants -145 (15th in NL)</p>
<p id="sJapKI">Runs scored: Dodgers 4.76 per game (6th), Giants 3.96 (14th)</p>
<p id="ps7oUh">OPS+: Dodgers 102 (2nd), Giants 82 (15th)</p>
<p id="TiHBXi">wRC+: Dodgers 104 (1st), Giants 82 (15th)</p>
<p id="af8OfR">Runs allowed: Dodgers 3.59 (1st), Giants 4.96 (11th)</p>
<p id="BKqXf1">ERA+: Dodgers 124 (2nd), Giants 92 (10th)</p>
<p id="emNSnK">Last 10 games: Dodgers 0-10, Giants 3-7</p>
<p id="RTHrnk">2017 head-to-head record: 7-6 LA (4-3 SF in SF)</p>
<p id="xXqiza">2016 head-to-head: 11-8 Giants (8-2 SF in SF)</p>
<p id="kil4tY">Giants SB Nation site: <a href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">McCovey Chronicles</a></p>
<h3 id="xdThOZ">Pitching matchups</h3>
<p id="VcKBRF"><a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/10/16282912/dodgers-giants-starting-pitchers-tv-schedule"><em>Detailed info</em></a></p>
<p id="gqF8BE">Monday: <span>Kenta Maeda</span> vs. <span>Chris Stratton</span><br>Tuesday: <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> vs. <span>Johnny Cueto</span><br>Wednesday: vs. <span>Matt Moore</span> (L)</p>
<h3 id="OLQKwF">Series schedule</h3>
<p id="UYVBCa">Monday. 7:15 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)<br>Tuesday, 7:15 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KTLA)<br>Wednesday, 7:15 p.m. (SportsNet LA, ESPN)</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/11/16284010/dodgers-giants-series-statisticsEric Stephen2017-09-10T18:00:02-07:002017-09-10T18:00:02-07:00Dodgers skip Ryu for Giants series & Kershaw moves up a day
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<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z4WzdkB3lBr0KpqSiC0CPt5iFWk=/0x0:4721x3147/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56609531/usa_today_10031682.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Hyun-jin Ryu skipped this time through the rotation.</p> <p id="xI9bou">LOS ANGELES — The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> originally planned to use a six-man rotation through their three-game series against the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> in San Francisco, but over the weekend shifted course. Instead, Hyun-jin Ryu will be skipped this time through the rotation, and <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> was moved up from Wednesday to Tuesday.</p>
<p id="o1tR9Q">Ryu rebounded from surgeries to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and an arthroscopic clean-up an debridement in his left elbow the last two years, procedures that limited him to just one start in 2016-2017 combined.</p>
<p id="jrEy9H">The 30-year-old left-hander has a 3.59 ERA in 22 games this season, including 21 starts, with 109 strikeouts and 42 walks in 117⅔ innings. He even mixed in a save on May 25, pitching four scoreless innings in his only major league relief appearance.</p>
<p id="B54q3K">“He’s got 21 starts under his belt right now,” manager <span>Dave Roberts</span> said on Saturday. “We’re going to give him a blow. He feels good, but just coming off surgery we want to continue to stay strong through this year, and keep him healthy for next year as well.”</p>
<p id="7hAgpX">Roberts said that Ryu would start again this season.</p>
<p id="zN9hVc">Here are the rest of the pitching matchups and schedule for the Dodgers’ series in San Francisco.</p>
<h3 id="zRT794">Monday, 7:15 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA)</h3>
<p id="l7jMpG"><span>Kenta Maeda</span> has only made one career start in San Francisco, allowing five runs and nine hits in 2⅔ innings in the final day of the regular season. Maeda needs 4⅔ innings to reach 130 on the season, which would earn him a $250,000 bonus <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2017/8/5/16101678/dodgers-payroll-roster-service-time">per his contract</a>.</p>
<p id="XUDgMA">In his last five starts, 27-year-old rookie <span>Chris Stratton</span> has faced all playoff contenders — <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> (twice), <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a>, <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>, <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> (at Coors) — and allowed no more than three runs in any of the starts, posting a 2.28 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks in 27⅔ innings.</p>
<h3 id="dZjBsR">Tuesday, 7:15 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KTLA)</h3>
<p id="yEk904">Moving Kershaw up to Tuesday just puts him on regular four days rest. He threw a bullpen session on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw is 12-4 with a 1.29 ERA in 20 career games at AT&T Park, including 19 starts.</p>
<p id="qzonwW">But moving Kershaw up a day doesn’t mean he will face the Nationals in Washington D.C., with Thursday’s off day pushing Kershaw’s next start after San Francisco to next Monday in Philadelphia.</p>
<p id="0MvjLF">“Clayton is going to start Tuesday,” Roberts said Sunday. “He’s going to start on Tuesday and then he’ll get the extra day with the off day his next turn.”</p>
<p id="CAPH8H">Since returning from the disabled list, <span>Johnny Cueto</span> has allowed three runs in 10⅓ innings in two starts, with nine strikeouts and two walks. The Dodgers have scored 11 runs in 19 innings against Cueto this season (a 5.21 ERA), though San Francisco has won two of those three starts.</p>
<h3 id="8uMzfG">Wednesday, 7:15 p.m. (SportsNet LA, ESPN)</h3>
<p id="urD6FM"><span>Matt Moore</span> in August posted a 4.71 ERA, which was his best month of the season. So far in September, the left-hander has pitched once in relief and made one start, posting a 2.08 ERA in 8⅔ innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. Among 64 qualified pitchers in MLB in 2017, Moore ranks 63rd in ERA (5.31) and 50th in FIP (4.66).</p>
<p id="8u4aJ4">The Dodgers haven’t yet named their starter for Wednesday. If they stay on rotation, <span>Yu Darvish</span> could pitch on four days rest in the finale against the Giants.</p>
<p id="u0aLo2"><strong>UPDATE</strong>: Roberts announced on Monday that Darvish would start the series finale in San Francisco.</p>
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<p lang="cy" dir="ltr">Rotation versus <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFGiants?src=hash">#SFGiants</a>. Maeda, Kershaw & Darvish.</p>— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/alannarizzo/status/907388710634663936">September 11, 2017</a>
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https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/10/16282912/dodgers-giants-starting-pitchers-tv-scheduleEric Stephen2017-09-07T18:02:52-07:002017-09-07T18:02:52-07:00Dodgers sticking with 6-man rotation through Giants series
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<img alt="Colorado Rockies v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rSSxGeT44CIIyCz9J-OWF8B_tug=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56571375/843898286.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="ShLlDY">LOS ANGELES — The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> plan on sticking with a six-man starting rotation through their series next week with the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>, manager <span>Dave Roberts</span> said on Thursday. That gives us a rough idea how the schedule for <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> might look for the rest of the season and as the playoffs approach.</p>
<p id="FcUZL7">The Dodgers play the Giants at AT&T Park for three games beginning Monday night, with Hyun-jin Ryu, <span>Kenta Maeda</span>, and Kershaw starting in that order. The Dodgers have an off day next Thursday, ending a stretch of 17 games in 16 days.</p>
<p id="sTnxKP">Among other things, that means Kershaw won’t pitch in the <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> series, next weekend (Sept. 15-17) in Washington against a potential playoff opponent.</p>
<p id="InLNBQ">“I do believe if a team sees a pitcher more, there is a percentage of an advantage. As a hitter I felt that way, I can speak to that,” manager Dave Roberts said. “When you’re talking about Clayton or a <span>Max Scherzer</span> or a <span>Zack Greinke</span>, guys who are elite pitchers who have elite stuff and can play the cat and mouse game and make adjustments, I don’t know if it matters as much. I do know we aren’t trying to manipulate our rotation to avoid or make sure we see certain guys.”</p>
<p id="eBlxie">This looks more schedule-related than the Dodgers going out of their way to avoid having the Nationals get a look at Kershaw, who tonight is making just his second start since missing over five weeks with a lower back strain.</p>
<p id="mPOkO3">The Dodgers will likely return to a five-man rotation starting with the Nationals series, and they have two more off days in the regular season — Sept. 14 and 28, both Thursdays.</p>
<p id="8Iub7e">Kershaw could presumably pitch on the 13th, the 19th (one extra day thanks to the off day), 24th, then make his final regular season start — tune-up or not — on Sept. 30, the penultimate day of the season. That puts Kershaw in line to have five days rest before starting Game 1 of the NLDS on Oct. 6.</p>
<p id="PPHoOi">You know, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/7/16265832/dave-roberts-division-won-already-process-results-justin-turner-dodgers-no-panic">after the Dodgers win the division</a>.</p>
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https://www.truebluela.com/2017/9/7/16271868/dodgers-6-man-starting-rotation-clayton-kershaw-scheduleEric Stephen