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Preview: Diamondbacks (71-78) at Dodgers (85-63)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 21, 2015 10:10 PM EDT
From 2011-14, Brett Anderson won nine games as injuries drastically slowed a promising career. Healthy and approaching career highs in starts and innings pitched, he is in a position to pass that four-season win total in his first year in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers left-hander can win 10 games in a season for the first time since his rookie year Monday night in the opener of a four-game series with the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Anderson (9-8, 3.35 ERA) went 11-11 in 175 1-3 innings over 30 starts in his 2009 rookie season with Oakland. He's entering his 29th start this season at 164 innings, and he's not showing signs of fatigue with a 2-0 record and 2.31 ERA in his last four outings.
The 27-year-old gave up three runs - two earned - and seven hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of Tuesday's 5-4 home loss to Colorado in 16 innings.
He's faced Arizona, the club that drafted him in 2006, four times this season, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, but Paul Goldschmidt is 7 for 13 with two home runs off him.
Anderson will be trying to help the Dodgers (85-63) avoid matching a season-high three-game home losing streak after dropping the last two of a three-game series with Pittsburgh. With a .685 home winning percentage, they're still on pace to pass 1980 (55-27) for their best home record since moving from Brooklyn in 1958.
After Sunday's 4-3 loss, though, Los Angeles is batting .215 in its last four games with Chase Utley in a 2-for-20 slump.
Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner were both out of the lineup Sunday, and Turner figures to remain out at the beginning of this series because of a sore left knee. Manager Don Mattingly said they plan to be cautious with their third baseman, but it's no excuse for the lineup to stop producing.
"It is what it is, but you still have to go out and find a way to win games," Mattingly told MLB's official website. "It's not the lineup we envisioned but just go play."
The Dodgers have taken 11 of 15 in the season series, including all six at Dodger Stadium as part of a nine-game home winning streak over Arizona. Over the last two seasons, they're 26-8 against the Diamondbacks (71-78).
While Los Angeles leads San Francisco by 7 1/2 games and has about assured itself a postseason spot, Arizona was officially eliminated with Sunday's 5-1 loss in San Francisco. The Diamondbacks still took two of three in the series.
"We're concentrating on playing good baseball," A.J. Pollock said. "I haven't looked at the standings in a really long time."
They've been in decent hands with Jhoulys Chacin on the mound. Chacin (0-1, 2.95), who signed a minor league deal in June, has made three starts since being called up on Sept. 8. The right-hander gave up two runs and four hits in five innings of Tuesday's 6-4 home win over San Diego and is making a case for 2016 rotation consideration.
"Jhoulys was great and put us in a good position to win that game," said closer Brad Ziegler, who has converted 25 straight save chances for the longest active streak in the majors.
Chacin, who has pitched in the NL West his entire career, is 3-3 with a 6.02 ERA in his last eight starts against the Dodgers. Carl Crawford (5 for 6), Andre Ethier (13 for 31) and A.J. Ellis (7 for 17 with a home run) have hit him well.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Mon, Sep 21 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Tue, Sep 22 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Wed, Sep 23 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Thu, Sep 24 - 3:10PM EDT
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 21, 2015 10:10 PM EDT
From 2011-14, Brett Anderson won nine games as injuries drastically slowed a promising career. Healthy and approaching career highs in starts and innings pitched, he is in a position to pass that four-season win total in his first year in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers left-hander can win 10 games in a season for the first time since his rookie year Monday night in the opener of a four-game series with the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Anderson (9-8, 3.35 ERA) went 11-11 in 175 1-3 innings over 30 starts in his 2009 rookie season with Oakland. He's entering his 29th start this season at 164 innings, and he's not showing signs of fatigue with a 2-0 record and 2.31 ERA in his last four outings.
The 27-year-old gave up three runs - two earned - and seven hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of Tuesday's 5-4 home loss to Colorado in 16 innings.
He's faced Arizona, the club that drafted him in 2006, four times this season, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, but Paul Goldschmidt is 7 for 13 with two home runs off him.
Anderson will be trying to help the Dodgers (85-63) avoid matching a season-high three-game home losing streak after dropping the last two of a three-game series with Pittsburgh. With a .685 home winning percentage, they're still on pace to pass 1980 (55-27) for their best home record since moving from Brooklyn in 1958.
After Sunday's 4-3 loss, though, Los Angeles is batting .215 in its last four games with Chase Utley in a 2-for-20 slump.
Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner were both out of the lineup Sunday, and Turner figures to remain out at the beginning of this series because of a sore left knee. Manager Don Mattingly said they plan to be cautious with their third baseman, but it's no excuse for the lineup to stop producing.
"It is what it is, but you still have to go out and find a way to win games," Mattingly told MLB's official website. "It's not the lineup we envisioned but just go play."
The Dodgers have taken 11 of 15 in the season series, including all six at Dodger Stadium as part of a nine-game home winning streak over Arizona. Over the last two seasons, they're 26-8 against the Diamondbacks (71-78).
While Los Angeles leads San Francisco by 7 1/2 games and has about assured itself a postseason spot, Arizona was officially eliminated with Sunday's 5-1 loss in San Francisco. The Diamondbacks still took two of three in the series.
"We're concentrating on playing good baseball," A.J. Pollock said. "I haven't looked at the standings in a really long time."
They've been in decent hands with Jhoulys Chacin on the mound. Chacin (0-1, 2.95), who signed a minor league deal in June, has made three starts since being called up on Sept. 8. The right-hander gave up two runs and four hits in five innings of Tuesday's 6-4 home win over San Diego and is making a case for 2016 rotation consideration.
"Jhoulys was great and put us in a good position to win that game," said closer Brad Ziegler, who has converted 25 straight save chances for the longest active streak in the majors.
Chacin, who has pitched in the NL West his entire career, is 3-3 with a 6.02 ERA in his last eight starts against the Dodgers. Carl Crawford (5 for 6), Andre Ethier (13 for 31) and A.J. Ellis (7 for 17 with a home run) have hit him well.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Mon, Sep 21 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Tue, Sep 22 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Wed, Sep 23 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Thu, Sep 24 - 3:10PM EDT
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