Also of note is the Yasiel Puig situation for the Dodgers. He stormed out of Cuba and into MLB in 2013 as one of the most exciting players out there. As a 22 year old rookie he posted a WAR of 4.9, which is really good. He followed that up with a 5.3 WAR season in 2014, which is even better. Along the way, he caused a lot of ruffled feathers with his animated play, showboating, and dickheaded behavior, but his play was too good for any of that to matter. Since 2014, Puig has been alternatively injured and ineffective, and this past week the Dodgers told him that he would not be coming on the road with the team, and would either be demoted to the minors or traded. He is still with the team, but it's unclear what the future holds for Puig. Anyway, let's get to the breakdown.
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Opponent: LA Dodgers
Record: 60-48, 2nd place in the NL West (2 GB of San Francisco)
Recent Results: 4-4 (lost 2-3 at Rockies, won 2 of 3 vs Arizona, split 2 at Rays)
Run Differential: +68, 4th in NL
Team ERA: 3.60, 4th in NL
Runs Per Game: 4.4, 9th in NL
The Dodgers are a good team, one who will probably be in the playoffs at the end of the day. They have really good pitching, but could definitely be better offensively. They also have the undisputed best pitcher in baseball in Clayton Kershaw, who is pitching better than '99-'00 Pedro Martinez. That's the highest compliment I can pay a pitcher.
Players to Watch
SS Corey Seager is a 22 year old rookie phenom who made the All-Star team this year. He is also Kyle Seager's brother, so the Sox will play 7 straight against the Seager family. Corey leads the way offensively for the Dodgers, with 19 HR and a very solid .306/.519/.890 slash line. He's been even better recently, with a .354 batting average since the All-Star break.
3B Justin Turner is a veteran player who broke out in a big way with the Dodgers in 2014, when he hit .340 in 109 games. He's basically been hitting ever since, and is having a third straight fine season. He has 19 HR, and a .275/.496/.842 slash line that makes him LA's 2nd best hitter. He also looks like this:
Ginger flow with a mountain beard is a bold choice, Cotton
Pitching Matchups
Game 1 (Friday, 9:10 EST): Steven Wright vs Scott Kazmir
Wright has been regressing heavily since the All-Star break. I was skeptical that a magic knuckleballer finding success out of nowhere was sustainable, and I have been proven wright over the last 6 weeks. A lot of people have suggested that his struggles have to do with game conditions; the theory is that Wright struggles to throw his knuckler effectively when his hands are wet, aka when its really hot or raining. I don't know if that theory is correct, but I do know that the forecast is for clear skies and mid-70s temps, so he shouldn't have any wetness issues in this one.
Scott Kazmir is a guy you might remember from his early career with the Rays, when he was another young star player who Tampa traded because they are poor. Since being traded in 2009, Kazmir has bounced around to several different teams, struggled with a string of injuries, and generally failed to live up to his potential. However, in LA he has recovered his effectiveness, with a 3.10 ERA last season. This year, that number is up to 4.41, although he is striking out a lot more hitters this year (over one per inning). Kazmir is a lefty with 6 different pitches and a lot of movement, so we may not see Ortiz start in this one. However, the Sox do have some guys with success against Kazmir in the past, so they might not need Big Papi's bat.
Game 2 (Saturday 4:05 EST): Eduardo Rodriguez vs Ross Stripling
E-Rod has strung together 4 consecutive solid outings, holding his opponents to 3 runs or less every time out in July. He's definitely had his slider working, enabling him to keep hitters off balance. The one thing he's been lacking is the ability to go deep into games; even in his recent run of success, he has only gotten through the sixth inning once. However, if he is the Sox 4th or 5th option, I will take what he's been offering in a heart beat.
Ross Stripling is a 26 year old rookie making his 9th career start. He hasn't started a game since May 19th, so this is basically a spot start for the youngster. He has an ERA of 4.14, and doesn't strike many people out. He is a 4 pitch guy, with a curveball, slider and change to go with the heater. He has extremely average velocity, and has to rely on his curveball to get outs. Fortunately for him, his curve has been very good, with opponents hitting just .179 against it this season. I would like to think the Sox will jump all over him, but with their luck lately Stripling will probably throw 8 shutout.
Game 3 (Sunday 7:10 EST): David Price vs TBD
Price has been excellent in his two starts on the road trip so far, allowing just 4 runs combined in 15 innings. He has been extremely unlucky to not get a win in either start, as the offense failed to back him up. I'm excited to see if he can keep his ace-form going, and hopeful that the Sox will finally score some runs for him. I have no idea who the Dodgers are starting, but it won't be Kershaw, who was just moved to the 60 day DL. Since Clayton won't be on the mound in this one, the Sox will have the edge with Price.
Prediction: The Sox are a frustrating 4-4 on the trip so far, with a few games in there that they had no business losing. I look at the matchups and I really think Boston has the edge for a series win, perhaps even a sweep. The Sox have the better offense, even with Ortiz as a pinch hitter. Price and E-Rod are better than their counterparts, and Wright might be also. However, I really have the feeling that they will find a way to lose two of three.
No comments:
Post a Comment