Dodgers: Previewing the Dodgers' Opening Series of the 2019 Season

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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 28: A general view during the third inning of Game Five of the 2018 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The day Dodger fans have been waiting for all winter has arrived as opening day is here. The Dodgers will kick off the 2019 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It’s time for Dodger Baseball! The five words Dodger fans have waited all winter to hear. After a second straight World Series defeat the Dodgers are trying to make the third time a charm and make their third straight World Series appearance end with a championship trophy. California may have ended its drought but the Dodgers are still in the midst of a 31-year title drought.

To kick things off in 2019 the Dodgers will welcome to Arizona Diamondbacks to Chavez Ravine for a four-game series. The Diamondbacks will look much different as Paul Goldschmidt was shipped to St. Louis and AJ Pollock is now playing for the Dodgers. Although the lineup is much weaker for the Dbacks, their starting rotation should still keep them in plenty of games.

Here is a preview of each game in the season opening four-game series:

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers the pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Soxin Game Two of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Game One: Zack Greinke (15-11, 3.21 ERA) vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 1.97 ERA in 2018)

On opening day the Dodgers will face off against a familiar face as Zack Greinke will start against some of his former teammates to begin the 2019 season. For the Dodgers, they are down to their third option for opening day after Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill were placed on the injured list to begin the season.

Ryu was arguably the Dodgers’ best starting pitcher last season with injuries being the only thing that held him down in 2018. He missed much of the season after a bad groin tear against the Dbacks but in fifteen starts he was wonderful pitching to a sub-two earned run average. The new look Arizona lineup has not homered against Ryu but Ketel Marte and Wilmer Flores have both hit .333 against Hyun-Jin in their career.

Zack Greinke is coming off another solid season and despite his velocity declining a bit he still has an outstanding curveball and changeup that keep batters off of his fastball. Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner have all had great success against Greinke with two home runs each and batting averages over .370. They will look to start the season off on a good note against a former teammate.

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Ross Stripling #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning of the game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on September 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Game Two: Robbie Ray (6-2, 3.93 ERA) vs. Ross Stripling (8-6, 3.02 ERA)

In the second game of the opening series, the Dodgers will face a left-handed starting pitcher for the first and only time of their first regular season series. The Dodgers will send Ross Stripling to the mound as a surprise game two starter after a spring full of injuries. Stripling had to battle to stay in the rotation last season and now he starts the second game of the season.

Ross will look to put his second-half struggles behind him and try to keep his rotation spot in 2019. Last year Stripling went 8-2 with a 2.08 ERA in the first half and made his first all-star team. In the second half, he went 0-4 with a 6.41 ERA and lost his rotation spot. Nick Ahmed has torched Stripling in seven at-bats, hitting .714 with a home run and four RBI’s.

Robbie Ray will oppose the Dodgers and look to bounce back after a down season that saw his ERA jump a full run from 2017. Ray dominated the Dodgers in 2017 but last year face them just twice due to injuries and did not have the same success. Kiké Hernandez has mashed Ray in his career batting .276 with three home runs and five runs batted in.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 09: Kenta Maeda #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch during the second inning of the spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch on March 09, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Game Three: Zack Godley (15-11, 4.74 ERA) vs. Kenta Maeda (8-10, 3.81 ERA)

Much like his rotation mate, Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda will look to stick in the rotation this season after ending last season in the bullpen. Kenta was much better in the first half last season as he posted a 3.12 ERA prior to the all-star break but regressed to a 5.35 ERA after the all-star break.

Last season Maeda’s changeup improved and he made it a focal point this spring to get more swings and misses with it. He will need to pitch carefully to Jake Lamb who has two home runs against Maeda and a .333 average in twenty-seven at-bats. One of the newer Diamondback players, Eduardo Escobar has also homered off Kenta.

Zack Godley struggled in 2018 and saw his ERA rise from 3.37 in 2017 to 4.74 last year. To Godley’s credit, he did make 32 starts and proved to be durable for Arizona. He did have control issues as he walked four batters per nine innings compared to three in 2017. Justin Turner and Chris Taylor have each hit two home runs against Godley while Joc has struggled with a .077 average in thirteen at-bats.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 26: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers the pitch against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eugene Garcia – Pool/Getty Images) /

Game Four: Luke Weaver (7-11, 4.95 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (8-5, 2.62 ERA)

The Dodgers’ ace in the making Walker Buehler will start the fourth and final game of their opening series. While many are quick to call Buehler the ace, he has yet to finish a full big league season which is what his goal is for the 2019 season. Buehler flashed his electric stuff last season and made his first postseason start and World Series start.

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Last year the only thing that could stop Buehler’s rise was a rib injury that occurred when he was hit by a comebacker. Walker will have no innings limit this season and look to make thirty starts. The new look Dbacks have only 16 combined at-bats against Buehler and Ketel Marte has the best average in just four at-bats at .250.

The Dodgers will face off against one of the main pieces the Dbacks acquired for Paul Goldschmidt in Luke Weaver. In 2017, Weaver had a solid season pitching to a 7-2 record and a 3.88 ERA but last season he took a step back posting a 4.95 ERA. Luke had a solid spring this year pitching to a 1.04 ERA in four starts and will look to translate that to a successful first season in Arizona.

Next. Three spring observations from the Dodgers. dark

The newest Dodger AJ Pollock has seen the most at-bats against Luke Weaver hitting .333 in six plate appearances. Cody Bellinger is the lone Dodger who has hit a home run off Weaver although the club has just twenty-two at-bats against him. After starting slow the past few seasons, the Dodgers will look to start strong in 2019 and win at least three of four against their NL West rival.

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Dodgers: Previewing the Dodgers’ Opening Series of the 2019 Season

The day Dodger fans have been waiting for all winter has arrived as opening day is here. The Dodgers will kick off the 2019 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

More from LA Dodgers News

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