True Blue LA - Aug. 6: Cardinals 5, Dodgers 1Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2013-08-06T15:08:31-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/43594512013-08-06T15:08:31-07:002013-08-06T15:08:31-07:00Kershaw voted best NL pitcher, favorite for Cy
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kershaw is 10-6 with a 1.87 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 168⅔ innings this season.</p> <p><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> makes the start for the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> on Tuesday night in St. Louis, and does so as the favorite to with the National League Cy Young Award. At least <a target="new" href="http://www.bovada.lv/">according to the folks at Bovada</a>, and a survey of managers at Baseball America. Kershaw headlined the Dodgers listed on <a href="http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/mlb-2013-best-tools/" target="_blank">Baseball America's Best Tools survey</a>, released on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The survey of major league managers named Kershaw the best pitcher in the National League, surpassing <span>Matt Harvey</span> of the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> and <span>Adam Wainwright</span> of the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a>.</p>
<p>Kershaw is 10-6 with a 1.87 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 168⅔ innings this season. He leads the majors in ERA and is second in the NL in strikeouts. If Kershaw pitches at least 7&frac23; innings on Tuesday night, he'll pass Wainwright for the major league lead in innings.</p>
<p>Bovada lists the odds for Kershaw to win the NL Cy Young Award at 2/3, with Wainwright at 4/1 and Harvey at 7/1.</p>
<p>Kershaw was also voted to have the second best curve ball in the NL, behind Wainwright, and was tied with <span>Clayton Richard</span> of the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Padres</a> for second-best pick-off move in the NL, behind <span>Julio Teheran</span> of the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a>.</p>
<p>Other Dodgers named in the Best Tools survey, which listed the top three in each category, were Hyun-jin Ryu with the second-best change up in the NL, behind <span>Cole Hamels</span>; <span>Yasiel Puig</span> as the third-best outfield arm, behind <span>Carlos Gonzalez</span> of the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockies</a> and <span>Gerardo Parra</span> of the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Diamondbacks</a>; and <span>Mark Ellis</span> as the third-best defensive second baseman in the senior circuit, behind <span>Brandon Phillips</span> of the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a> and <span>Darwin Barney</span> of the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cubs</a>.</p>
<p>Bovada also lists Puig as the favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year at 4/7 odds, ahead of both <span>Jose Fernandez</span> of the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Marlins</a> and <span>Shelby Miller</span> of the Cardinals, both at 3/1 odds. Ryu is listed at 20/1 odds to win Rookie of the Year.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/8/6/4595580/clayton-kershaw-national-league-cy-young-award-gambling-odds-dodgersEric Stephen2013-08-06T13:52:06-07:002013-08-06T13:52:06-07:00Kershaw looks to extend Dodgers' streaks
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<figcaption>Tom Szczerbowski</figcaption>
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<p>The Dodgers have the longest road winning streak in the National League in 56 years.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> take their 15-game road winning streak into Tuesday's battle with the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a> at Busch Stadium, looking to extend their historic run. The Dodgers have also won five straight games overall, with their last loss coming the last time <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> was on the mound.</p>
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<h2>Starting Lineups</h2>
<table cellpadding="2" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="2" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" bgcolor="#157dec" width="125" align="center"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" bgcolor="#C41E3A" width="125" align="center"><font color="#fffff"><b>Cardinals</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Crawford (L)</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Carpenter (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Ellis</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Beltran (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Craig</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Puig</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Holliday</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Ethier (L)</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Freese</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Ellis</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Jay (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Uribe</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Cruz</td>
</tr>
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<td>SS</td>
<td>Punto (S)</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Kozma</td>
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<td>P</td>
<td>Kershaw (L)</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Kelly</td>
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</tbody></table>
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<p>It wasn't Kershaw's fault that the Dodgers lost on July 31 to the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a>, one of only two losses for the Dodgers in 17 games since the All-Star break. Kershaw pitched eight scoreless innings, continuing his quest toward a second Cy Young Award.</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/38844/sweetspot-tv-kershaw-for-mvp" target="_blank">Kershaw may be in line for an MVP award</a>, as David Schoenfield and Tristan Cockroft discussed at ESPN.</p>
<p>Kershaw, who led the major leagues in ERA in both 2011 and 2012, leads MLB again in 2013 with a 1.87 ERA. On Monday he <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2013/8/5/4583080/clayton-kershaw-dodgers-pitcher-of-the-month-national-league">captured his second career National League Pitcher of the Month Award</a> after allowing seven runs and two walks in six starts in July, with 43 strikeouts.</p>
<p>He starts for a Dodgers team that is the first National League team with 15 straight road wins since the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cincinnati Reds</a> in 1957. The only three teams in baseball history with a longer road winning streak within a single season, per Elias, are the 1984 <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tigers</a> (17 straight), 1916 <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a> (17) and 1912 Washington Senators (16).</p>
<p>The Tigers, when counting their final four road games of the 1983 season, won 21 straight road games overall.</p>
<p>Before the streak the Dodgers were 16-24 on the road this season and 39-51 in their last 90 games away from home, dating back to 2012.</p>
<p>Now, the Dodgers hold the best road record in baseball at 31-24.</p>
<h3>Notes</h3>
<ul>
<li> <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> was 1-for-3 on Monday and scored the Dodgers' first run of the game. In his career he has hit .373/.425/.627 in 19 games in St. Louis, with eight doubles and three home runs. He has reached base via hit or walk in all 19 career games at Busch Stadium.</li>
<li>Manager Don Mattingly was <a href="http://www.danpatrick.com/2013/08/06/don-mattingly-explains-how-dodgers-turned-around-season/" target="_blank">a guest on the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday</a> talking about the Dodgers' turnaround this season.</li>
<li>Dodgers pitchers during the Dodgers' 32-7 streak have a 2.64 ERA, second in the major leagues during that span to the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rays</a>, who have a 2.53 ERA and at 28-9 have the second-best record to the Dodgers during that span.</li>
<li> <span>Kenley Jansen</span> leads all major league relievers with 82 strikeouts and with just nine walks (eight unintentional) has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 9.11, second in MLB to <span>Edward Mujica</span> of the Cardinals, who has 39 strikeouts and two walks this season to go with his 30 saves.</li>
<li>The Dodgers go for a sixth consecutive win, which would match their season high. In the Dodgers' last 39 games they have two six-game winning streaks, two five-game streaks and two four-game streaks.</li>
<li>Kershaw is 4-4 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 career starts against the Cardinals, his second-highest ERA against any team with at least three starts. At Busch Stadium, he is 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA in five starts, though his starts in St. Louis have been Capuano-esque with two starts of zero runs allowed, one with one run, one with five runs, and one start (last year) with eight runs given up.</li>
<li>Former UC Riverside Highlander and Tuesday's Cardinals starter <span>Joe Kelly</span> has allowed eight runs, seven earned, in 14 innings in three career games against the Dodgers, including two starts. St. Louis has lost all three games.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Game info</h3>
<p>Time: 5:15 p.m.</p>
<p>TV: KCAL</p>
<p><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_08_06_lanmlb_slnmlb_1" target="_blank">MLB Gameday</a></p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/8/6/4593232/clayton-kershaw-dodgers-cardinals-previewEric Stephen2013-08-05T09:30:03-07:002013-08-05T09:30:03-07:00Dodgers-Cardinals pitching matchups
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<figcaption>Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Since the beginning of July, Dodgers starting pitchers are 16-5 with a 2.70 ERA in 29 games and have averaged 6.30 innings per start.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> look for their fifth straight victory on Monday as they open up a four-game series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Dodgers used <span>Stephen Fife</span> as a sixth starter on Sunday to push back their starting rotation one day, which allowed <span>Zack Greinke</span> and <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> to pitch against the Cardinals, owners of the best run differential in baseball. Here is a look at the schedule and pitching matchup for the series in St. Louis:</p>
<h3>Monday, 4:05 p.m. (KCAL, ESPN)</h3>
<p>Greinke has allowed seven runs in his last five starts and has lasted seven innings or longer in eight of his last outings. <span>Adam Wainwright</span> hasn't walked more than two batters in any of his 23 starts this season, and has an insane strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.94. Wainwright's 17 unintentional walks on the season matches <span>Matt Magill</span> in his last three starts.</p>
<h3>Tuesday, 5:15 p.m. (KCAL)</h3>
<p>Kershaw will likely soon be rewarded as the National League Pitcher of the Month after giving up seven runs and two walks in six July starts. He has a 2.03 ERA in his last 71 starts, covering 506⅔ innings. <span>Joe Kelly</span>, from nearby Corona and UC Riverside, pitched in relief for three months but has a 1.90 ERA since joining the rotation, including one total run allowed in his last three starts.</p>
<h3>Wednesday, 5:15 p.m. (Prime Ticket, ESPN)</h3>
<p>After allowing one home run in his first four starts with the Dodgers, <span>Ricky Nolasco</span> gave up three home runs in five innings on Thursday at Wrigley Field. <span>Shelby Miller</span> is 6-2 with a 1.74 ERA in 10 home starts this season with 71 strikeouts and 14 walks.</p>
<h3>Thursday, 5:15 p.m. (Prime Ticket)</h3>
<p>Hyun-jin Ryu has 15 strikeouts and one walk in his last two starts, and the Dodgers have won each of his last seven starts. <span>Jake Westbrook</span> has more walks (41) than strikeouts (39) on the season, and despite just 14 strikeouts in 42⅓ innings at Busch Stadium, the right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.28 ERA at home this season.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2013/8/5/4589594/dodgers-vs-cardinals-tv-schedule-starting-pitchersEric Stephen