Ryan Ward makes his debut as Freddie Freeman hits the paternity list – Dodgers Digest

The Dodgers (15-5) saw their four-game win streak end in Colorado last night despite jumping out to a very quick start. They were up 2-0 after two pitches and up 3-1 after two innings but were shut down for the rest of the game and Emmet Sheehan and Will Klein each allowed two runs for a 4-3 loss. Today isn’t a rubber game, as this is a very awkward four game Friday-Monday series, but the Dodgers can clinch at least a series split with a win today.

12:10 P.M.

Denver

DH
Ohtani (L)
2B
Julien (L)

RF
Tucker (L)
LF
Moniak (L)

C
Smith
C
Goodman

3B
Muncy (L)
DH
Freeman

CF
Pages
1B
Rumsfield (L)

LF
Call
RF
Johnston (L)

1B
Ward (L)
SS
Castro (S)

SS
Kim (L)
3B
Karros

2B
Freeland (S)
CF
McCarthy (L)

P
Sasaki (R)
P
Lorenzen (R)

Roki Sasaki gets the ball coming off a weird start against the Rangers. Sasaki allowed two runs and five hits with six strikeouts over four innings, but doubled his walk total for the season with five walks. He threw a season-high 94 pitches and was tightroping for most of his start. He stranded two runners in each of his first two innings before allowing a leadoff homer in the third. He bounced back from the homer with two outs, but went single-walk-single-walk for a second run before stranding the bases loaded. He allowed a walk in an otherwise clean fourth, but was removed and took the loss as the offense couldn’t figure out Jacob deGrom. The Dodgers have lost two of Sasaki’s three starts, but naturally the one they won was the one in Washington where he allowed six runs. This is Sasaki’s first start in Colorado and his first time facing the Rockies in general.

Michael Lorenzen gets his fourth start and fifth appearance for the Rockies this season. His first season as a Rockie hasn’t gone well, with an 8.10 ERA/6.12 FIP in 16 2/3 innings with an NL-high 32 hits allowed. Lorenzen started the season with a start in Miami, allowing three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He got absolutely lit up in his first start at Coors, allowing nine runs and 12 hits in 3 innings against the Phillies. He bounced back with a 5 2/3 inning, one run start against the Astros and a scoreless inning of relief against the Padres, but struggled again in Houston last time out. He finished with only two earned runs allowed, but allowed seven total runs and six hits in only 2 2/3 innings. The third inning of that game was a nightmare for Lorenzen and the Rockies’ defense. It started with a double and Jose Altuve popped up to short, but Willi Castro dropped it for an error. A balk and another double scored a run before another walk, two singles and another Castro error gave the Astros six runs, with only one earned.

Lorenzen throws seven different pitches, with six of them being used over 10 percent. He’s thrown a changeup 20.7 percent of the time this season and it’s been great, with a .133 average and .200 slugging percentage off it (expected numbers .209 and .268, respectively). The problem is every other pitch has gotten hammered. He’s thrown a four-seamer (19.6 percent), sinker (14.5 percent), curve (14.2 percent), cutter (12.5 percent), slider (11.9 percent) and sweeper (6.5 percent). He hasn’t given up a hit on the sweeper, but his next best pitch by batting average allowed is the four-seamer at .357 with an .857 slugging allowed (expected numbers .385 and .855).

Ryan Ward was added to the roster today (not yesterday Allan, stop prewriting your thread titles) and makes his debut, starting at first and hitting seventh. Teoscar Hernandez gets the day off, with Alex Call getting the start in left.

——

Freddie Freeman is on the paternity list.