Los Angeles Dodgers: Facing Chris Paddack for the second time

The Los Angeles Dodgers finally lost a game at home after winning nine in a row and now face the promising young pitcher, Chris Paddack, for the second time.

The Los Angeles Dodgers showed us that they are not as untouchable as we all thought at Dodger Stadium and finally lost the team’s 10th game at Chavez Ravine after winning nine games in a row.

The Dodgers are still on pace to go down in the history books with one of the best home records in baseball history, as long as they do not have a terrible cold streak at the end of the year as they did in 2017.

Chances are that the cold streak will not start any time soon, at least while they are at home, as the Dodgers are very hard to beat at Dodger Stadium. Not only does the team have an insane home record but the last time they lost two games in a row at home was during their six-game losing streak in April.

Since then, the Dodgers have bounced back from every home loss with a win. Not only have the Dodgers bounced back, but they have scored a lot of runs in these games. In six games following a home loss after that two-game losing streak, the Dodgers have scored a combined 39 runs.

This means that the Dodgers have averaged 6.5 runs per game following a home loss. That is bad news for Chris Paddack, who is facing the Dodgers for the second time this year.

Paddack is one of the best young pitchers in the game but the Dodgers were able to figure him out last time, scoring six runs in four and two-thirds innings, although three of the runs were unearned for Paddack.

Either way, the Dodgers are familiar with Paddack, know what it takes to hit him and typically thrive after losing at home. As part of our Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak series, here is who we think can produce at least one base hit.

Jason’s pick (Current streak: 0): Joc Pederson

After a nine-game hitting streak I have selected back-to-back no-hit outings in the likes of Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner. Verdugo was able to shake off the cobwebs after an 0-13 stretch last night and hopefully, Turner can do the same tonight.

I am not betting on Turner doing that, however, as I instead am going with the Dodgers’ power-hitting lead-off man, Joc Pederson.

Pederson hit a home run off of Paddack in a 1-3 night against the young right-hander and has not hit a home run since June 20.

Pederson has gone 57 plate appearances without a home run, which is a pretty large stretch for him. All signs are pointing to him getting a home run off of a tailing two-seam fastball that catches too much of the plate.

Maybe it is a lead-off home run, maybe it comes in his second or third plate appearances against Paddack. Either way, I have a feeling that Joc Pop is going to return in time for the Home Run Derby.