The Dodgers head into tonight’s game with a very respectable 53-42 record and are right in the mix in the National League West race with the San Francisco Giants and if they can get a win here against Strasburg and the Nats they could be in good shape as the weekend approaches.
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Bryce Harper: Two-run home run.
Unlike numerous Dodgers’ other pitchers, Norris is healthy, but he was still victimized on home runs by Bryce Harper, Ben Revere and Jayson Werth. “Murph said ‘Yeah, I’ll play third base.’ Have to admire Murph for biting the bullet for the kid and for us”, the manager said.
In selecting Glover’s contract from Syracuse, the Nationals designated lefty Nick Lee for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Harper’s towering two-run home run traveled an estimated 451 feet off Bud Norris in the first inning, a rocket that was one of the longest hit at Nationals Park. 4-1 Nationals. Werth’s 11th.
“For the first time I was actually nervous”, Glover said. But during his time in Double-A and Triple-A, he had a 3.19 ERA in 16 starts and struck out 109 batters in 87.1 innings.
The Dodgers cut the lead to 2-1 in the second as Charlie Culberson, just called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, singled to knock in Scott Van Slyke.
Lopez complements a mid-90s fastball that can touch triple digits with a powerful, whiff-inducing curveball and a still-developing changeup, per BA (subscription required), which notes that he has dealt with inconsistencies in his delivery and must throw more quality strikes.
Howie Kendrick extended his hit-streak to 12 games with a two-out double in the eighth inning. Turner scored with Robinson at the plate when Espinosa got caught in a rundown off first and Turner broke for home and beat the throw to the plate, 7-1. Anthony Rendon added to the Nats’ lead with a solo shot to left in the Nats’ half of the inning, 8-1. He retired the side in order, throwing 98 miles per hour fastballs and a 92 miles per hour cutter.
Norris entered the game 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA in three starts with the boys in blue, but suffered his first defeat as a Dodger allowing six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts in five innings, raising his ERA to 4.53.
In today’s Dodgers-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment: Howie Kendrick is 23 for 55 with a.418/.492/.600 line, seven doubles and a home run.in 14 games in July, leading all Major League Baseball hitters in AVG in July. His solo home run in the fifth gave him a 24-game streak.
Called up earlier in the day, RHP Koda Glover made his major league debut with a flawless ninth.
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Dodgers’ starter Bud Norris began the night (2-0) in four starts for the Dodgers since he was acquired from the Braves and (4-0) in his last seven, going back to June 10th.
