Game 72 Thread: June 21 @ Blue Jays, 4.07p

Dodgers start Chad Billingsley, RHP (4-0, 3.09) vs. Shaun Marcum, RHP (4-2, 3.41).

Dodgers: 40-31 (3rd place NL West, 1.5 GB, L1)
Blue Jays: 34-36 (3rd place AL East, 11.5 GB, W1)

From Dodgers.com, the scouting report on the starters:

Dodgers: He steps into the spot vacated by Jason Schmidt, but it?s not like he?s never done this before. Billingsley has been the Dodgers? best pitching prospect for several years and was 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA last year in 16 starts. His area of concern is pitch efficiency: a high pitch count leading to early exits and strain on the bullpen. He?s improved in that area out of the bullpen this year.

Blue Jays: In his last outing, Marcum improved to 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven starts with the Jays after shutting down the Nationals. The right-hander struck out a career-high seven batters, allowed three hits, and walked three in the seven-inning performance. As a member of the rotation, Marcum has tallied 39 strikeouts versus 15 walks in 41 2/3 innings. On June 9, Marcum held the Dodgers scoreless for 6 2/3 innings en route to his second win as a starter, and his only career outing against L.A.

COMMENTS:

• ATTENTION EVERYBODY: Billingsley is on strict pitch count tonight. 60-65 pitches. Did you hear that, Blue Jays? You might want to take a few pitches.

The lineup, via Inside the Dodgers:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Nomar, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzo, LF
Martin, C (keep voting)
Anderson, DH
Ethier, RF
Abreu, 3B
Billingsley, P