Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.69) vs. Zac Wheeler (10-1, 2.13).
The Dodgers raised the white flag early yesterday, as Emmet Sheehan was ineffective and the Dodgers subbed out a ton of starters early--not Kyle Tucker, who sat out the whole game--in a 10-7 loss.
Tonight's starting matchup doesn't make me feel any better.
Here's another series against a 2026 World Series contender, who is throwing their best arm at us (actually, they're throwing great arms in all three games). After taking only two of three in the Bronx this weekend, I'm guessing the beleaguered Dodgers go quietly tonight.
Yoshinobu vs. Ryan Weathers / Emmet Sheehan vs. Cam Schlittler
Friday night's massive Max Muncy home run (in a pretty great at bat, by the way, working a 0-2 count back to square and then just mashing) put the Dodgers up 2-1, which was all they needed for the victory in the opener of this series. Friday night was the Dodgers' first visit back to Dodger Stadium since the 2024 World Series Game 5, where Gerrit Cole also performed valiantly...until he didn't.
Kinda rings a bell, right?
Round two is now a doubleheader on Sunday, thanks to rain on Saturday postponing the second game.
Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.33) vs. Gerrit Cole (3-4, 4.04).
Well, at least we have 2024. I mean, sending the unreliable Roki Sasaki out there, just off the All-Star break, and into the den of wolves at Yankee Stadium?
This won't end well. But we'll always have 2024. I reckon that Gerrit Cole remembers.
After getting swept by the Diamondbacks to end the first half of the season, the Dodgers certainly seemed a little lackluster and had cause to be alarmed: their offense was sleepy; Max Muncy, who has become sure-handed at third base, made 73 errors in the series; and many of our pitchers (starters and bullpen) just got beat.
But then, we still have an 11.5-game lead in the division. So there's that.
As Jared Diamond wrote in the WSJ's "A Lot Has Gone Wrong for the Dodgers. They’re Still the Best Team in Baseball Anyway.", it's not just our profligate spending which has allowed the Dodgers to thrive even with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Diaz, and Will Smith injured. And it's not just because we have deep pockets--it's because we have unsung players, polished in our development pipeline, who have filled in the gaps:
The truth about the Dodgers isn’t just that they’re the wealthiest team in baseball. They’re also quite possibly the smartest.
Under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, a former executive with the small-market Tampa Bay Rays, the Dodgers have built a player-development apparatus that is the envy of the entire industry. MLB.com ranks the Dodgers’ farm system as second-best in baseball behind the Milwaukee Brewers, even though they haven’t had a top-10 draft pick in 20 years.
In other words, the Dodgers seemingly have a limitless supply of MLB-ready replacements at every position. Coupled with their vast resources, it’s a lethal combination that has transformed them into an unstoppable juggernaut.
Take All-Star pitcher Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers selected him in the 11th round in 2021, and he initially looked like little more than a mid-level prospect. He has turned into a savior in Snell’s absence, going 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 2026.
When All-Star catcher Will Smith went down with a neck injury, they turned to homegrown Dodger Dalton Rushing. He has an .812 OPS. Cuban outfielder Andy Pages signed with the Dodgers as a 17-year-old in 2018 and is now an All-Star for the first time this season.
Wrobleski, Rushing and Pages are all making around $800,000. Without them and others, the Dodgers would be more like the Mets.
“Guys have stepped up,” Roberts said. “We just find ways to win.”But the Dodgers’ astronomical budget doesn’t tell the whole story. Just ask the woeful New York Mets, MLB’s second-biggest spenders.
So relax, Dodgers! You've earned a break this week.
That is, except Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Andy Pages, and Justin Wrobleski. All six of you have to go to Philadelphia, if only to participate in off-field festivities!
Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.91) vs. Mitch Bratt (0-0, 3.00).
Just get us to the All-Star Break for Pete's sake. This series is rubbish.
NL West lead now whittled down to 12.5 games.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-5, 2.49) vs. Brandon Pfaadt (2-1, 4.84).
The Dodgers got snakebit last night, but tonight we go with a real starter. Let's hope for better results.
Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.79) Kyle Hurt (3-1. 4.55) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (7-3, 2.25).
The Diamondbacks are in second place in the NL West, buuuuuuuuuut...are also 14.5 games back of the Dodgers (and tied with the Padres). They're also 5.5 games back (and four spots) behind the third Wild Card spot.
But there's a lot of baseball still to be played, including from tonight's starter, Shohei Ohtani, in his last starting appearance before the All-Star Break. Ohtani's ERA has slowly but noticable risen since Dalton Rushing assumed catching duties (with the still-injured Will Smith on the mend), but would still rank pretty high on the ERA list if Ohtani had met the qualifying threshold.
Let's hope for a long, clean start from Ohtani tonight! At least Kyle Hurt has that cool walk-up song!
Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.40) vs. Gabriel Hughes (0-0, 0.00).
After defensive gaffes caused a dispiriting loss in last night's game, things seemed pretty bad in black and white. Maybe off of tonight's Rockies' starter, "Hues", we can take a more colorful approach.
Oh wait, Roki's pitching.
Fade to black.
Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.80) vs. Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.91).
While some Dodgers starters have been incredibly inconsistent (Roki Sasaki), or even completely absent (Blake Snell)--Justin Wrobleski has quietly gone out there and delivered. He leads the team in wins (one more than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and two more than Shohei Ohtani). And though he won't be an 2026 All-Star, he clearly has contributed to the Dodgers' first-half success.
Let's give a toast to Justin as we near the break!
Eric Lauer (4-5, 4.84) vs. Kyle Freeland (2-7, 7.25).
This Dodgers-Rockies matchup isn't the most important sports event of the day, for sure. But after dropping the last game of the series with the Padres with a dud on national television, it's understandable if one feels the need for distraction.
Emmet Sheehan (4-5, 5.08) vs. JP Sears (1-1, 6.97).
Last night's victory put the Padres 15 games behind the Dodgers, in third place in the NL West (behind the Diamondbacks, who are 14 back). The Padres have lost eight in a row. And now they turn to a failed US retailer to save them.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-5, 2.67) vs. Griffin Canning (1-5, 7.09).
The Dodgers once again turned the tables on the Padres, seemingly cruising to victory only to see those ideas get vaporized in a flash. Friday, it was at the hand of Teoscar Hernandez, whose light-hitting exploits of late became moot when he hit the game-winning, back-breaking grand slam to turn the Padres 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit.. That score held up, and the Dodgers won again over San Diego.
The numbers seem to favor the Dodgers based on the starting pitcher matchup. But who the heck knows, it's baseball! All I know is, I'll be there at the Stadium (with SoSG Orel!) to watch the fireworks.
Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.58) vs. Michael King (5-7, 3.55)
In yesterday's game, Roki Sasaki was useless, giving up six runs in the first three innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first pitch of the game for a double, and light-hitting Manny Machado pounded a two-run home run. Then in the next inning, Jackson Merrill had a solo shot, and Jake Cronenworth had a three-run home run, to put the Dodgers down by six.
And then, the Dodgers clawed their way back into this game, tying the game and then taking the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, and scoring 12 unanswered runs before ceding a run in the ninth to end the game, a 12-7 victory.
It was quite a beatdown, and the sold-out crowd would have been more into the comeback victory had they not been so distracted by Monkey D. Luffy and his giveaway hats.
Tonight, Shohei Ohtani takes the mound, having been pushed back a couple of days in his start. He's rested. Let's go.
Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.88) vs. Randy Vasquez (6-6, 4.44).
Less than one week ago, the Padres were eight games back of the Dodgers.. San Diego is now 12 games back of the Dodgers, starting a four-game series at the Stadium.
Not to mention, the Padres are actually in second place in the division! No other divisional lead in baseball is more than 5.5 games.
Let's make this a series to celebrate with fireworks!
TBD vs. J.T. Ginn (6-4, 3.15).
Ginn? Yeah, that sounds good right about now, as we hope the Dodgers sweep (to go 8-1 on this road trip).
I'd name the Dodgers starter, but I'm too hungover (and, as of writing this Game Thread, has not been named yet).
Wrobleski (9-2, 2.71) vs. Jeffrey Springs (3-7, 5.52).
After last night's 9-4 beatdown, can the A's starting pitcher muster any sort of opposition today?
Hope Springs eternal.
Eric Lauer (3-5, 4.87) vs. Gage Jump (3-1, 2.04).
The Dodgers are stuck in a minor-league ballpark for the next three days. Are they excited to face tonight's opposing pitcher?
Might as well Jump.
Emmet Sheehan (3-5, 5.32) vs. Michael King (5-6, 3.33).
Michael King, like Randy Vasquez last night, was one of five players that came over from the Yankees when the Padres traded Juan Soto in 2023. Vasquez got lit up for 5 ER and 7 R last night in 3.1 IP. Let's greet King with the same sort of warmth and win this series!
Yoshinobo Yamamoto (7-5, 2.65) vs. Randy Vasquez (6-5, 4.17).
Even after winning last night's game, the Padres are eight games back of the Dodgers.
That is all.
