Game Preview: Dodgers Conclude St. Louis Series with Chance at Sweep
Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals
Time: 5:08 PM PT
Venue: Busch Stadium
St. Louis Record: 81-68
Los Angeles Record: 82-67
How are the Dodgers Doing?
The floodgates opened for the Dodgers offense on Saturday in their 17-4 victory over the Cardinals. After trailing 4-3 through four innings, the Dodgers scored 14 unanswered runs. Yasiel Puig led the charge, blasting three home runs. He hit a total of five home runs in less than 24 hours.
Why is this Game Important?
Prior to the start of this series, the Dodgers trailed both the wild card and the division. After four straight wins, and a loss for the Rockies, the Dodgers find themselves ahead of St. Louis and Colorado. Although they hold a playoff spot at the moment, they lead both teams by a game and a half game, respectively.
Pitching Matchup
Ross Stripling (8-3, 2.61 ERA) vs Adam Wainwright (1-3, 4.70 ERA)
Ross Stripling will make his first start since officially replacing Alex Wood in the rotation. Stripling pitched just 3.1 innings and threw just 51 pitches in his last start against the Reds. This is his third start since the end of July.
Adam Wainwright made his first start since May 10 in his last outing. He had missed much of the summer with an elbow injury and allowed four runs in his return from the DL.
Matchup of the Day
Yasiel Puig vs Adam Wainwright
After a two home run game on Friday and a three home run performance on Saturday, it’s only right to go with Yasiel Puig on Sunday. He is up to 21 home runs on the year, which ranks fourth among NL right fielders.
Vegas Odds
Odds Sharks
Moneyline Consensus
Los Angeles: -135
Cardinals: +125
FiveThirtyEight
Los Angeles: 54% chance of winning
Cardinals: 49% chance of winning
Fun Fact
Adam Wainwright’s 1,601 career strikeouts ranks second all-time in Cardinals franchise history, trailing only Bob Gibson, who struck out 3,117 in his career.
Dodgers Take Game Two Behind Puig’s Bat, Buehler’s Arm
I am submitting this comment on all four posts by Dodger Nation writers for
Sept. 16 because I want everyone to be aware of what a despicable team of cheaters the St. Louis Cardinals are and have been. I am convinced that the pitcher who hit Justin Turner on the wrist in Saturday’s game did so on purpose, probably on orders from the manager.
It would not be the first time a Cardinal pitcher hit the Dodgers’ hottest player to take him out or at least handicap him for future games that year. Hanley Ramirez was hit in the ribs early, if not in the first game of the NLCS in 2013, rendering him ineffective for the rest of that series, “won” by the Cardinals in six games. Not only did I think at the time that this assault happened, but the venerable Vin Scully, the most respected, objective announcer in the history of baseball, IMPLIED the same next season during a Dodger game saying, “what might have been if only Hanley had not been hit squarely in the ribs last postseason.”
What can anyone do about it? Probably nothing, except hope for justice, i.e. the Cardinals do not make the postseason this year, or if they do, hope that one of their opponents eliminates them. Notice I am NOT even suggesting retaliation, the first unwritten rule of baseball, only hoping that justice is served before or during the postseason, either by chance or bad luck for this team that should be hated by Dodger fans.