Dodgers Way Quick Hits: Hill, Bellinger, Paredes, Giants

The Dodgers will renew their rivalry with the San Francisco Giants tonight as they start a three-game series in Los Angeles.  After playing the Giants a ton in the opening month, the Dodgers did not play the Giants in May.

The Dodgers will begin their series with the hated Giants tonight in LA.  The Giants will face the Dodgers after losing Evan Longoria to a broken bone in his hand after he was hit by a pitch.  That means the Dodgers will see a lot of the Kung Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval, at third base.  The Giants went sixteen innings with the Marlins yesterday and then had to fly to Los Angeles so the Dodgers should look to get an early jump on the Giants and wear out their bullpen some more.  The Dodgers will send Ross Stripling out to the mound as Alex Wood was pushed back due to some ongoing leg ailments.  Stripling will look to continue his all-star push.

Other news…

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• Rich Hill made his rehab start against the Lake Elsinore Storm last night and went 4 2/3 innings while allowing only two unearned runs.  Hill struck out ten and walked none while allowing four base hits.  Although it was only Single-A hitters, the fact that Hill walked no batters is a very encouraging sign.  Another very encouraging sign is that Hill was able to throw 75 pitches and 58 of those pitches were strikes.  Assuming that Hill comes out of the game fine which we should hear later on tonight, he will rejoin the Dodger rotation in Chicago next week.
• Cody Bellinger is having a resurgence lately after going through what many were calling a sophomore slump.  In his last seven games, Bellinger is hitting .391 with three home runs.  Not only is Bellinger hitting much better but he is seeing the ball really well and has drawn nine walks in the last seven games giving him a .563 on base percentage.  Cody’s slugging percentage is also through the roof in the last week at an astonishing .957.  If Bellinger can stay consistent, then the Dodgers offense will be on another level.

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• In his brief three plus innings with the Dodgers this season, Edward Paredes has quietly been very dominant for the Dodgers.  Paredes has a 0.27 WHIP and has struck out five of the six left-handed hitters that he has faced.  Paredes has also faced five right-handed hitters and allowed only one hit.  With Tony Cingrani still on the disabled list, Paredes could get some more looks as a left-handed LOOGY in the Dodgers bullpen.  This weekend the Dodgers could use Paredes in key situations to get Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt out.