Dodgers Face Difficult Task In Quest To End Scoreless Road Streak
Not only do the Los Angeles Dodgers have the task of ending their four-game scoreless streak on the road, they must do it against Michael Wacha and the St. Louis Cardinals, a pitcher and team the Dodgers have struggled with.
With six more games against the Cardinals in the next 10 days, tough work lies ahead. Saturday marks the first time the Dodgers have faced Wacha in the regular season, however he shut them out over 13.2 innings in two 2013 National League Championship Series starts. The right-hander has been lights out this season, carrying a 7-0 record and a 1.87 ERA into the start.
On the hill for the Dodgers is Carlos Frias, who saw his ERA skyrocket from 2.55 to 5.34 after giving up 10 runs in just four innings in his last outing agains the San Diego Padres. However, other than his last outing, Frias has performed very well for the Dodgers.
Frias’ only other loss this season came at the hands of the San Francisco Giants, in which the Dodgers failed to score a run and lost 2-0. With catcher Yasmani Grandal being activated from the seven-day concussion disabled list, outfielder Chris Heisey was been optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Grandal is batting sixth in the lineup. The other big news for the Dodgers’ batting order is Jimmy Rollins getting dropped from the two-hole to eighth. It’s the first time this season Rollins hasn’t started and hit leadoff or second; the last time he hit eighth and started was in 2004.
For the first time since April 15, the Dodgers find themselves looking up at the Giants, who now are in first place in the NL West, but by just half a game.
Dodgers Lineup
CF: Joc Pederson
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Howie Kendrick
RF: Andre Ethier
C: Yasmani Grandal
LF: Scott Van Slyke
SS: Jimmy Rollins
P: Carlos Frias
Cardinals Lineup
2B: Kolten Wong
3B: Matt Carpenter
LF: Matt Holdiay
SS: Jhonny Peralta
RF: Randal Grichuk
C: Yadier Molina
CF: Jon Jay
1B: Mark Reynolds
P: Michael Wacha
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