The Dodgers end their nine game road trip with a three game series in the desert against the second place Arizona Dbacks. The Dodgers have a 16 game lead over the Snakes and have the best record in baseball (79-32) so there’s no danger or suspense in this series.
Yasmani Grandal returns to the lineup tonight after missing a game because of back spasms he suffered during the New York series. He’s batting fifth tonight and back behind the plate. Otherwise it’s the usual lineup against a right hander.
The pitching match-up in the series opener will see Kenta Maeda countering Zack Godley. The Dodgers saw Godley back on July 5 at Dodger Stadium in which he tossed 5.2 innings and limited the Dodgers to just one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts in a 1-0 Dodger win.
Godley has pitched very well this year, posting a 5-4 record and a 2.94 ERA while striking out 9.2 per nine and allowing just 6.2 hits per nine across 94.1 innings of work. He’s posted a 163 ERA+ and pitched well in 6 career appearances against the Dodgers. (2.86 ERA .996 WHIP)
Godley vs. Dodgers
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | OPS |
| Justin Turner | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .111 | .111 | .333 |
| Corey Seager | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .125 | .125 | .250 |
| Chase Utley | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .143 | .143 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .167 | .500 |
| Joc Pederson | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .200 | .333 | .733 |
| Kenta Maeda | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Cody Bellinger | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .500 | .500 |
| Logan Forsythe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Chris Taylor | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 |
| Alex Wood | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Austin Barnes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Yasiel Puig | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ross Stripling | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Total | 50 | 46 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | .109 | .163 | .337 |
Maeda has been pitching very well for the Dodgers. In June Maeda was 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA and in July he was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in four starts. His last outing was a seven shutout inning performance. Overall he’s 10-4 with a 3.79 ERA in 95 frames. In 8 career starts he’s 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA in a little over 42.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately Maeda has never pitched well in Arizona, struggling to a 6.41 ERA over four career starts. Here’s how the Snakes have done against him.
Maeda vs. Snakes
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | OPS |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 23 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | .190 | .261 | .451 |
| Jake Lamb | 21 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | .450 | .476 | 1.376 |
| David Peralta | 12 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .182 | .250 | .614 |
| Daniel Descalso | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .125 | .364 | .489 |
| Brandon Drury | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .600 | .667 | 1.667 |
| Chris Herrmann | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .167 | .833 |
| A.J. Pollock | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .167 | .500 |
| Patrick Corbin | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Zack Greinke | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Archie Bradley | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Zack Godley | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Total | 95 | 87 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 19 | .241 | .305 | .742 |
Numberfire gives the Dodgers a 45.97% chance of winning the opening game, and a 48% chance of winning the second game.
The Dodgers have also placed left hander Luis Avilan on paternity leave and recalled Brock Stewart from Oklahoma City.
Today, the #Dodgers recalled Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed Luis Avilán on the paternity list.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 8, 2017
Here is the Dodger’s lineup for the opening game
Tonight's Dodger lineup at D-backs:
Taylor LF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Grandal C
Forsythe 2B
Pederson CF
Puig RF
Maeda P pic.twitter.com/3X5yJVPdzX— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 8, 2017
So you all can make your October plans:
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/8/8/16114758/mlb-2017-postseason-schedule-playoffs-world-series-nlds-alds-nlcs-alcs
Justin Turner! There was an article yesterday in the dodgersway blog about how he was in a slump … I guess that reverse jinx worked!
Justin Verlander would be a great Dodger add!
Trade Adrian Gonzales or Ethier and accept the larger contract.
Can we come back again?
Well that sucked. We get them tomorrow, and this is Chase Field – have to keep scoring.