Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak: Welcome Back, Ace
Today, the Dodgers look to follow up a flawless Ross Stripling outing with the return of their ace, Clayton Kershaw.
Hey Los Angeles, he’s back. That’s right, today Clayton Kershaw will take the mound at Dodger Stadium, in the finale against the Phillies.
Last night was as solid of an outing I have ever seen from any Dodgers starter not named Clayton Kershaw (with the exception of Rich Hill‘s near no-hitter of course.)
Ross Stripling is quickly becoming one of the strongest starters the Dodgers have, and he’ll be a valuable asset going forward.
The Dodgers are lucky to have him, and I get the feeling the fans agree.
Wednesday’s picks:
Last night, Jason picked recently recalled Breyvic Valera, who got a hit and scored a run in Wednesday’s victory.
I went with an extremely safe pick and picked Matt Kemp. It paid off, as he would end the game with a double, a homer, and 4RBIs.
So, with the return of Clayton Kershaw in our immediate future, Jason and I make our picks for today’s finale versus Philadelphia.
Jason’s Pick — Current Streak 3: Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw is a pretty good hitting pitcher. And while it may be pretty crazy for me to go with a pitcher in this series, I have done it before!
It didn’t work out.
The difference is that last time I selected a pitcher it was out of spite of the Dodgers, who were not hitting well at all and showed me no real signs of improving. This time, it is to celebrate the return of the Dodgers ace.
Kershaw is hitting .200 this year, so it is not incredibly crazy to think he will come up with at least one base knock. I don’t see the hit really meaning anything, in fact, my only real shot is that he gets at least three at-bats and none of which are sacrifice situations.
If that is the case, and he does get three of said at-bats, I think Kershaw is going to send a groundball back up the middle into center field for the base hit.
It is bold, it is brave, but it is going to be beautiful when it does happen.
Sarah’s Pick — Current Streak 5: Joc Pederson
Joc Pederson has been my favorite Dodger for about three years now. He may not be the most consistent Dodger in the past, but boy has he been a gift to the offense this season. He’s been solid all year, and always seems to be hitting doubles right when the Dodgers need him to.
Pederson is my pick for tonight, and I predict he’ll do what he’s been doing so well all season; simply hitting the ball. Of course, hits aren’t as meaningful if they don’t turn in to runs, but with the strength of this offense lately, driving Pederson in probably won’t be an issue.
Next: Everything to know about Matt Kemp's hot start
Should the Dodgers win today, they’ll have won a series against a very strong Philadelphia squad, and that’s something that could make all the difference down the road.