Dodgers Cardinals Game Two Preview

The Dodgers look for their first three game winning streak in almost exactly a month.

The last time the Dodgers won three consecutive games was during the first homestand. After losing the home opener, the Dodgers won the next two against the Diamondbacks and won the first game against the Giants.

The Dodgers have won their last two and looked great doing it, but have their work cut out today against the Cardinals and Carlos Martinez. Martinez is somehow still only 24 (I feel like he’s been around a while) and is definitely a tough opponent. He’s received a decision in all six of his starts (4-2) and has posted a 2.61 ERA in 38 innings. His 3.82 FIP suggests regressions, as he’s definitely been aided by a .214 BABIP against. He’s posting the lowest H/9 of his career (6.2), but his K/9 is also down and that’s much more concerning.

The Cardinals have lost Martinez’s last two starts. He went 6.2 innings against the Nats but gave up five runs in a loss two outings ago. In Martinez’s last start, he went 3.1 innings and gave up only one run, but left the game with an illness.

Scott Kazmir gets the ball for the Dodgers. It’s no secret that Kazmir has been horrible to start the season, as he’s given up at least four earned runs in four of his seven starts. There’s no stats to back this up, but it seems like Kazmir finds a groove in almost every start. However, every mistake he makes seems to get punished. His FIP and ERA are only separated by .03, so he’s definitely pitching poorly, but he’s definitely shown glimpses of the Kazmir the Dodgers were expecting when they signed him.

Today marks Kazmir’s third career start against the Cardinals, and the first time he’s seen the redbirds since 2010.

Much to everyone’s approval, Carl Crawford is back in left field. Emily wrote about Trayce Thompson‘s role moving forward, which could be in jeopardy when Alex Guerrero returns from the DL. Crawford and Guerrero’s contract’s make them pretty much unmovable, and while Thompson has been better than both of them and has more upside, his rookie contract with options might doom him unless the Dodgers do something bold (Crawford can at least run, so IMO Guerrero needs to go).

Other than that, this is a very normal lineup. Yasmani Grandal is back in the lineup and getting him an off day every now and then is important, considering his injury prone-ness. Yasiel Puig woke up at the plate yesterday off Michael Wacha, a pitcher that has given him trouble in the past, so hopefully that keeps up. Once Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez wake up, this offense should be able to put up runs on anyone in the league.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PST and will be shown on Sportsnet LA.