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Dodgers at Royals, 5:10 p.m.
Kershaw CXCIII: Kershawmnibus
Justin Turner, 3B
Matt Kemp, LF
Yasiel Puig, DH
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Jamie Romak, RF
Carlos Triunfel, SS
Miguel Rojas, 2B
(Clayton Kershaw, P)
* * *
Don’t forget: $22 discounted tickets for Clayton Kershaw’s next scheduled home start on sale
By Jon Weisman
On a night that the Dodgers send out a lineup with one 2014 MLB homer in the final four batting slots, you might be wondering about the run support for Clayton Kershaw.
We’ll see about this evening’s affair with the Royals, but so far this year, Kershaw has little reason to feel deprived. He enters tonight’s game enjoying the best run support of his career, 4.9 runs per start, including eight in last week’s no-hitter.
Oddly, despite missing more than a month of the 2014 season, Kershaw in 10 starts has been already credited with seven wins, a total he didn’t reach last year until his 18th start July 2, and in 2012 on his 19th start July 13.
(More trivia: The Dodgers are averaging 5.0 runs per game in Romak’s three starts and 4.3 runs per game in Rojas’ eight starts. So watch out for lots of scoring, fans of correlation.)
Yasiel Puig, who went 0 for 4 Monday despite ripping two balls to the outfield, takes the designated hitter spot today in one of the more unusual Dodger lineups this year.
The keystone combo of Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon starts the game on the bench, next to Andre Ethier. Gordon’s and Ethier’s absence is more likely than not because of the lefty (Danny Duffy) on the mound for Kansas City, but Ramirez’s would be health-related.
Ramirez hit a two-run double in his final swing of Monday’s 5-3 loss.
Romak, making his second start of 2014 in right field, is one of seven players this year to start in the outfield for the Dodgers. (You haven’t forgotten Mike Baxter, have you?) One who hasn’t been in a Dodger lineup is Joc Pederson, the highly regarded minor leaguer. We’re currently awaiting news on Pederson’s health, following reports that he injured his right shoulder diving for a ball in the first inning of Albuquerque’s game today.
Juan Uribe is reportedly close to coming off the disabled list, especially so if the Dodgers choose to have him fly to Kansas City for one game before returning to Los Angeles for the start of the next homestand Thursday.
