Darvish returns as the Dodgers try to keep series run going
08/27 Brewers at Dodgers, 1:10 p.m. PT:
Chris Taylor CF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Curtis Granderson LF
Yasmani Grandal C
Adrián González 1B
Logan Forsythe 2B
Kiké Hernández RF
Yu Darvish P
By Cary Osborne
It’s not exactly backs against the wall — being that the consequences aren’t significant — but the Dodgers have shown time and against how resilient they can be when they’ve been in danger of dropping a series.
The last time the Dodgers lost a series was June 5–7. Since that point, they are 19–0–3 in series.
There has been only one occurrence in which the Dodgers have lost the middle game of a three-game series since that first week in June. Atlanta beat the Dodgers 5–3 on Aug. 2, and the next day the Dodgers won 7–4.
The Dodgers have dropped the first game of a three-game series five times since June 7 and have gone on to tie or win the series each time
The Dodgers throw out Yu Darvish in his return from the 10-day disabled list (lower back tightness) to keep their incredible run going.
Darvish will be making his fourth start as a Dodger and first since Aug. 16 when he allowed three earned runs over six innings against the Chicago White Sox in his Dodger Stadium debut.
“If it were up to him, he wouldn’t have skipped a start, but he understood what’s at stake,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Roberts said Darvish will not be on a pitch count Sunday.
“He’s going to be on the Dave Roberts/Rick Honeycutt eye test,” Roberts said.
Josh Fields is the latest Dodger to succumb to a back injury. Roberts said Fields tweaked his back recently playing catch. He went on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday. Roberts said Fields’ lower back strain isn’t serious.
“Like we’ve done with a lot of our players, if there’s something there, (they’ll go on the disabled list) just to not create something bigger,” Roberts said.
Kershaw, the next day
The report on Clayton Kershaw the day after is very good. Kershaw went five innings in his rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City and threw 64 pitches, allowing two hits, one run and no walks while striking out eight.
“I talked to him this morning, and he was excited because we didn’t know if it was going to be the four innings or the five innings,” Roberts said. “Where his efficiency was, the pitch count, he got through the five innings. He felt he threw the baseball really well. For me, that’s one component, but also to see how he feels the day after, and he was pretty excited. He’ll meet us in Arizona for the (Dodgers’ annual) fantasy football draft.”
Kershaw will likely start Friday or Saturday when the Dodgers are in San Diego.
Pederson in left
Roberts also touched on Joc Pederson, who has now played five games — four in left field — since he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“We know he can play center field, but (it’s) to give him an opportunity to get some repetitions (in left field),” Roberts said.
