Two baseball powerhouses collide as the Los Angeles Dodgers go up against the Washington Nationals. This battle will take place at Dodger Stadium, and features two of the best pitchers in baseball. Let’s go over the starting lineups:
Dodgers Starting Lineup:
Crawford LF
Hernandez SS
Gonzalez 1B
Grandal C
Puig RF
Callaspo 3B
Pederson CF
Peraza 2B
Kershaw P
The Dodgers tonight are throwing out their regulars, against the Nationals' regulars.
Washington Nationals Lineup:
Escobar 3B,
Rendon 2B,
Harper RF,
Zimmerman 1B
Werth LF
Desmond SS
Ramos C
Taylor CF
Zimmermann P
There isn't too much surprising information in these lineups. However, lets go over who has the offensive edge.
Who Has The Offensive Edge In This matchup?
The Nationals have been a different team in the last two months. Their offense has felt the impact of that. The Dodgers on the other hand, have been heating up. However, one of their plethora of outfielders is not starting tonight. We do not know if Andre Either has permanently been taken out of the lineup, if this is just a night off, or if Dodger manager Don Mattingly is trying to shuffle things around. Nevertheless, it is curious to see.
Overall, looking at both lineups, the Nationals have more depth. That said, the Dodgers have more talented players in better spots. Therefore, it is only right to give the Dodgers the edge in the lineup.
Normally, the offensive edge will greatly depend on the starting pitchers. Tonight, there is no edge because two of the elite pitchers in baseball are starting.
Who Has The Edge Pitching Wise Tonight?
When Clayton Kershaw pitches, something special happening is quite possible. Kershaw is pitching to a 2.51 ERA this year. He started off slow, but has picked up his steam quite nicely post All-Star break. He has two shutouts this year, and has 197 strikeouts. It is highly likely he eclipses 200 strikeouts tonight.
Running out to the mound from the other dugout, Jordan Zimmermann has hurled his way to a 3.44 ERA, with 105 strikeouts. He has not pitched nearly as well as the end of last year, when he ended the year with a no-hitter. However, he has still been elite, and will continue to be elite until proven otherwise.
In his last three starts, the Nationals' starter is 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA. He will look to rebound against Kershaw, who is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last three appearances.
Prediction:
Overall, this is set to be a matchup of great pitching, good defense and great hitting. The direction of the pitchers and the way the lineups are set, expect the Nationals to give the Dodgers a run for their money.
But it will be the Dodgers pulling away in the end.