Trending Up, Trending Down: Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw Continue Rising
Coming off a week where they went 3-4, the Los Angeles Dodgers responded nicely by taking a combined four out of five games against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Their lone loss was against Sonny Gray, arguably one of the best pitchers in the American League this season. Let’s review those who found success in the past week and those that didn’t.
Trending Down:
Joc Pederson: Getting just three starts this week, Pederson failed to reach base in 12 plate appearances while striking out nine times. Manager Don Mattingly gave him a “mental break” over the weekend against tough left-handed pitching, but whether that will have a positive effect remains to be seen. As the week concludes, Pederson’s slash line decreased to .223/.345/.454.
Kenley Jansen: Making three appearances out of the bullpen this week, Jansen struggled to record a clean inning. While battling a virus, he allowed an earned run in each outing and gave up two home runs as well. Despite the down week, his ERA jumped to only 3.04 while maintaining a solid 2.56 FIP.
Alberto Callaspo: Appearing in all five games (two starts), Callaspo reached base just twice in 10 plate appearances.
In 226 plate appearances this season, he’s slashing a mediocre .253/.337/.299. He is expected to share some starts at third base with Alex Guerrero over the next two weeks as Justin Turner recovers from a skin infection.
CONTINUE READING: Pitching Dominates Trending Up Category
