The Los Angeles Dodgers are finally back home after a rollercoaster 5-3 road trip. The Blue Crew swept a four-game series against the Nationals, then lost the first three games of a four-game series against the Marlins before salving Thursday’s game.
Now in their last series before the All-Star Game break, they will host the league-worst Arizona Diamondbacks, who own a record of 25-64. This season has been one Arizona wants to put behind them rather quickly, as they’ve lost 28 out of 29 of their last road games.
The two teams have met six times so far this season with the Dodgers winning all six. Currently, Los Angeles is one game back of the Giants for first place in the National League West Division. A nice way to close out the first half before the break definitely will be to grab that first place spot. The Giants take on the Nationals this weekend in San Francisco.
Beginning the series, the Dodgers will face Arizona right-hander Taylor Widener, who is 1-0 on the season with a 2.63 ERA. In 24 innings, he’s allowed twenty hits and eight walks while striking out 20 batters. The Dodgers haven’t yet announced a starter for the opener, but it is expected it will be another bullpen game with veteran left-hander David Price starting.
Weekend pitching matchups will be on Saturday Walker Buehler against left-hander Caleb Smith, who’s 2-5 with a 3.45 ERA. Closing out the series on Sunday will be Tony Gonsolin against righty Merrill Kelly who’s 5-7 with a 4.60 ERA
In the Dodgers 6-1 win over the Marlins on Thursday, Julio Urias threw a gem, going seven innings and allowing one run while striking out nine batters. It was a much-needed performance by Urias with another bullpen game on deck. At the moment, the Dodgers are down to just two pitchers who were part of the Opening Day starting rotation. Not to forget Clayton Kershaw’s recent injury which landed him on the injured list. Before the season, I talked a lot about the Dodgers depth, but it surely has been tested this year.
Perhaps the Los Angeles front office will look to make a move for a starting pitcher in the immediate future or bring someone up from the farm system to help take the pressure off the relief crew. The MLB trade deadline is just now three weeks away.
The Dodgers have used 13 relief pitchers just in the past seven days, which is nearly how many they used last year total during the shortened season.
The MLB Draft is set to take place this Sunday, July 11. Former Dodger outfielder and two-time all-star Andre Ethier will represent the Dodgers at the event in Denver.
Baseball Prospectus also announced their Midseason Top 50 prospects list, and two Dodgers were on the list. Switch-hitting catcher Keibert Ruiz from Triple A Oklahoma City placed 39th and third baseman Miguel Vargas, from the Double-A Tulsa placed 38th.
So the first half has come and gone. In the meantime, the Dodgers will look to stay undefeated against the Diamondbacks this year while Arizona looks to win their second straight series after taking two out of three from the Rockies.
Lineup for Friday’s opener:
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Pacific.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Not sure we can count on sweeping this weekend, especially with the southpaw going tomorrow. I’ll be satisfied with two wins.
We’ve been talking about potential starters the team could go after. I’d like to add another name: Adam Wainwright.
The Cards haven’t made themselves known to be sellers yet but they have the same record as the Cubs, who have now made it clear that they are. Wainwright is having a very nice season but since he’s a free agent, he shouldn’t be all that expensive in terms of prospects. Would I rather have Scherzer, Berrios or Castillo? Sure, but those guys might not be available and would be far more detrimental to the farm system, so as a fallback position, I think Wainwright is well worth considering.
Miguel Vargas is developing into a real stud. His dad was a major star in Cuba so his lineage is excellent. And he’s 3 years younger than the average player in that league. I’ve added him to my short list of prospects I won’t trade. Of course, my list doesn’t mean anything. It’s Andrew’s list that counts.
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Wainwright. 17 starts, 105 innings, 40 next month. If we can’t get anyone else, Ok.
By the way Jefe, I saw the replay of that home run against Scherzer. It was a chase pitch that a blind squirrel caught up with. Relief pitcher, first ML hit? Never happened before, won’t happen again.
Did anyone see the film of the spelling bee champion dribbling 4 basketballs while standing on 2 basketballs? Pablo Torre said it best – not fair.
I don’t have a no trade list. In the right trade I’d move anybody.
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Saw the homer replay. How that ball got out I’ll never know. Great story though. The guy is from the SD area, his family got to see it, first big league hit is a grand slam. Everything a kid dreams of and he actually got to live it. Turns out Camarena is a better hitter than he is a pitcher.
Didn’t see the spelling bee video. Will have to look for it.
You don’t have a no trade list?
I’d move anyone except Sheldon Neuse. I figure he has the prototypical baseball name and once you get him you never want to let him go.
Babe Ruth
Mickey Mantle
Hammerin’ Hank Aaron
Stan The Man Musial
Boof Bonser
Jazz Chisolm
Sheldon Neuse (you hear that name and you just know he’s going into the HOF)
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That’s some Hammerin’ Jefe logic right there. Neuse stays. Ruiz, Pepiot, Gray and Kershaw can go.
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Yes, that is why in my comments I listed Vargas as a no-trade along with Ruiz, Miller, and possibly Pages. The young man is 6’3″ makes contact and has great bloodlines. Vargas was recently promoted after a 26 game hitting streak he makes contact!! YAY!
I still keep harping on bringing up Pepiot. Why not? The Dodgers have no idea which direction the Bauer situation goes or how long it will take. May will probably be back next year. There is no need to overpay and be in a rush. The Dodgers are in the hunt there is no reason until a quarter of the season or less is left or we drop out of contention to rush into a bad trade.
PATIENCE Grasshoppers! Things will become clearer with time. The Dodgers are a game out in the West and would be a Wild Card Team and Seager is coming back soon.
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Somehow I don’t find this surprising. They had been using Nelson sparingly over the past couple weeks and I was wondering if maybe something was bothering him.
Vesia has been racking up k’s at OKC like they were going out of style. Of course that doesn’t mean he can do it against MLB competition.
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…or maybe it’s just simply a long vacation for Nelson.
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Quick, check to see if his wife has made reservations someplace tropical.
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Over the break, I think they plan on hanging out at Vicente Padilla’s ranch in Nicaragua. Supposed to be very pleasant down there this time of the year.
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Padilla isn’t at his ranch right now. He’s at Camelback auditioning for the 5th starter’s job.
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Left lumbar strain. I have that. Hurts like the dickens sometimes. But I could still pitch if necessary.
He’s pitched 8.1 innings in June/July. Why would he need time off?
We need new trainers.
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I don’t think trainers are the problem Scoop. Or if they are, every team in MLB needs to get new ones.
Nelson was joined on the IL today by Posey, Correa, Pomeranz and Snell and the day isn’t over yet.
And one more thing, everyone always tells me it hurts like the dickens but no one has ever explained what the dickens hurts like.
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dickens means nocuous, internecine, pestiferous or excruciatingly manscrecious.
Hope that clears it up.
I think everyone in the Dodger organization should follow Aaron Donald’s training routine. Then there would be nobody on the IL.
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I can’t believe they ever named a dictionary after Webster when we had you.
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I wasn’t around when he was. Unless of course it was in a previous life, but I don’t think so. My previous life I was a Native American. Got run over by a heard of buffalo. That Webster was Noah. I believe his wife, Merriam, helped him with that work.
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Grasshoppers?
Price. 4-0 3.58 ERA. Dodgers are heavy favorites.
Sounds like he’s a pretty decent #5
Hamels is only 37? Seems like a decade ago I was suggesting we get him. The blogger where I was posting said it would take both Seager and Urias to get him. Ridonkulous of course. At the time I was willing to include Urias. Hamels threw 212 innings of 3.47 that year. 0.9 WHIP in 2 post season games. We lost to the Mets in the NLDS and I still believe if we had Hamels we would have won it all. 20/20 hindsight. I’m glad we still have Urias, but those are the kind of trades that can give teams an edge. We did that getting Hill then Machado, and look what happened. Ok, maybe bad examples. But I expect AF to do something between now and 7:30. I mean 7/30.
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Sorry, it’s very really hot and humid as we are waiting for monsoons so I have been watching the old Kung Fu TV Series… LOL I still say the Dodgers will sit it out to see how everything unfolds. I see Nelson is now on the 10 day IL.
This is a big opportunity for Vesia he has been up before so not as bad a nerve problem let’s see if he grabs the opportunity or messes it up like Santana and currently White and Uceta.
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Monsoons? You live in the Southwest? We had those in Sedona. I thought they were cool. I miss them. Monsoons in SE Asia? Don’t miss them.
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And another unearned run.
Nunez looks like the real deal. He should have finished Escobar with the change.
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Nunez has been good at OKC. I think Roberts should have allowed him another inning or two rather than get everyone involved. Nunez has been a starter at OKC. In-game pitching substitutions are Robert’s Achilles heel the man is clueless when it comes to using pitchers. I will always be thankful the Tampa Bay Manager pulled a Roberts before Roberts could and lose the game.
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Yeah, Nunez is a keeper. Uceta isn’t.
1-4 in the last five against last place clubs. I wonder if the Bauer situation is having an effect on this team’s ability to focus. The seven games before the All Star break were supposed to give us opportunity to take over first place. We look terrible.
Kershaw’s update reads “inflammation”. It also reads this is the sixth straight year he has spent time on the IL. This is the first time with an elbow issue. Gulp.
Sunday, Wednesday and Friday with bullpen games. 3 of our 5 starters are out. 1 is not coming back, 1 might not be coming back, and the other is a 33 year old who is injured every year, this time with an inflamed elbow. This acridomorpha sees a moult in the team’s future. We need a stimulus. Nunez is nice, but only for a few outs every other day. We need a new starting stud on the bump and an injection of offensive firepower. Next man up is Friedman. Do your thing Andrew.
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